Who On Earth Runs More Than 10 Miles?!

Saturday morning is our training long run. Though I have completed several long runs, any run over 10 miles is simply a lot to wrap my mind around. Seriously, how does a person just walk outside, start running, and keep going for over 10 miles?

On Friday I anticipate the upcoming long run all day long. My mental preparation looks something like this:

“Yep, tomorrow is long run day, you have SO got this.

Oh dear lord, who I am kidding, nobody in her right mind runs 12 miles, it’s ridiculous.

Quit that self, you’ve got this, you’ve done it before.

Yeah, but remember that run, I swear you almost died.

You felt like you were going to die, but you did it, you pushed through, and about 10 minutes after you walked back into the house you felt like a million bucks; after all, what’s the worst that can happen?

Oh, you had to bring that up, didn’t you. Massive diarrhea on a public training run, that’s the worst that can happen.

Well, actually that’s not the worst, you could blow out a knee, have a heart attack….wait…..

Exactly.

You get the picture. The long run is as much mental as physical. There is something in my head that rejects the feasibility of running 10 miles, and anything over that is unfathomable.

“Start by doing what is necessary; then do what is possible; and suddenly you’re doing the impossible.”

– Saint Francis of Assisi

There is plenty of time for self-talk on the run itself as well:

Woohoo, 3 mile aid station!

3 miles. 3………miles. Oh my, we’re only 3 miles into this.

Just get a drink and keep going, you’re feeling great.

You do know you aren’t even a third of the way done, right?

(fast forward to mile 11)

You’re almost there.

You’re almost dead.

No, seriously. You’ve got this, you’re in the home stretch, the last mile.

Another.freaking.mile. It might was well be a million.

Come on, rally up.

Every single part of me hurts.

No pain, no gain, dig deeper.

I did, that was called miles 9-10. I AM DYING HERE, DO YOU HEAR ME?!

*great song comes on the playlist*

Maybe I DO HAVE THIS.

It is magical. A high. Overwhelming. Every.single.time.