Distance Run

Today my training schedule for Richmond had me running 22 miles.

It’s nice to be over the 20 mile mark again! For me that’s where the fun begins!

It seems that for me, up to 18 is tough, but manageable. I can train my body to do that.

But it seems that after the 20 mile mark, it’s mind over legs, and that’s hard to train for!

One of the things that has attracted me to long distance running is the mental aspects. Sure I can have the right shoes, I can do my marathon training plan, I can eat right, I can follow the “schedule.”

But things get weird after 18. Don’t believe me? The next time there’s a race in your city, go get a spot at about the 19 to 23 mile marker. You will see true agony. You will see faces that will make you wonder, “why on Earth don’t they stop!”

Because it’s the challenge. Can I push My body further, harder than I think I can! My legs are aching, every footstep might feel like stepping on pins and needles… But I go on. As long distance runners we realize that we are capable of so much more than our brains give us credit for.

As I sat in a post-run ice bath today, I reflected on the profound truth of a quote I saw a long time ago in Trail Runner magazine:

Your biggest challenge isn’t someone else. It’s the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells, “CAN’T,” but you don’t listen. You just push harder. And then you hear the voice whisper, “can.” And you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the one you really are.

Sweet.
Bill