15 MILES! We did the Coney Island run again today. When we passed Avenue U, which was where I had turned around last time for 10 miles, I was pretty psyched. The run down was good, we got to the boardwalk and the ocean breeze stuck to my sticky salty arms but it felt so good. We turned around at the “Shoot the Freak” game which was the turning point for a 15 mile run, awesome!
I wish I could say the run back was as good. Good seems like a pretty bland word but to me, when it comes to running, “good” tells me that I had no cramps, no GI distress, didn’t have to pee, didn’t feel like my legs were screaming, didn’t want to stop immediately and fall over in pain. So with that defined, the run back was in deed, not good. We made it to Avenue U on the return and I knew we only had the equivalent of a 5 mile loop of the park left. Still, it seemed so far away. Trying to conceptualize the distance by something I had run many times before was just not working. My stomach was completely in knots, the vanilla goo that had tasted so delicious the weekend before now was thick, syrupy and sickly sweet. Having steamed broccoli with my veggie burger at dinner was not a good idea. My legs were screaming and my chest felt like there was a 30 pound weight sitting on it.
But there was hope, I met a new friend in Melanie who had run the New Jersey marathon TWICE and was really responsible for helped me finish this run today. I am stubborn. I didn’t want to stop to walk. She convinced me that part of long distance running is to understand your body and to listen to it. We walked for about a quarter mile. It was very humbling. I was on the verge of tears. I know that sounds silly but it’s just the way it was. I was hot and exhausted and couldn’t see the end but she helped me to get my shit together, walk it off and finish strong.
I know the next 15 mile run I do will be easier and that part of this training is to have bad days and to love them just as much as the good ones. And I am loving it now that I’m home, sitting in my air conditioned apartment, clean and fed with the Live Earth concert on in the background. Live Earth is important for so many reasons, it reminds us that we can save the planet, we can make a difference, in one person’s life, in the fight for our own training, in the fight against cancer, in the fight against global warming and helping to save our environment and all the wonderful people we meet each day. You might think that these are just the endorphins talking, but maybe, just maybe by being optimistic we can achieve our goals, whatever they might be.
I have met so many amazing people through this training, truly inspirational people who are raising awareness for cancer, people who are cancer survivors out there every day running or walking to just try and make a difference in their own lives and also in the lives of others who can’t be out there with us.
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