16 Miles Later

16 miles does something a little crazy to your head. No kidding. With just under 2 months to go to the marathon, I am hitting the hardest part of my training. Friday's 16 miler was both exhausting and exhilirating! 

(1) It was really nice to be running in a temperature above 35 degrees. You know you're getting cold and desperate when you become jealous of people who own ski masks. So - a "warm" run felt really great! 

(2) As a follow-up to warm temperatures, it was also really exciting not having my water on my fuel belt turn to ice as I ran. When you need to hydrate in 16 degree weather, sucking down ice chips it not the way you want to do it. 

(3) The first 12 miles felt like a normal long run - pounding and tiring. You try not to run too fast because you don't want to burn out too quickly. On the other hand, you do eventually want the run to end -- so taking to really slow isn't an option either. Then I hit the last 4.5 miles or so and suddenly it wasn't my legs pushing me, it was my head. I was making up cheers (really, really dorky cheers.) I was singing "rat-a-tat-tat" to myself in my head in time with my foot steps. I kept convincing myself that I could do it and would do it. It was self-talk at its best. I was not running those last few miles - I was thinking them. And at the end of the run, I let out a gutteral yelp. It was the first time I had done that since the first 5 miler I ran when training for the first marathon. Suddenly I found myself in what some people would describe as a "runner's high." Well - I don't know if it really was or not, but it sure felt like it. 

See - the weird thing is, I am working towards a PhD in Sport Psychology and most often I am usually the last person to remember to use it when working out myself. But it was amazing. Hopefully this week will be as successful, despite a sub-20 degree front moving in for the week. 

For now - 56 days until the Shamrock!