Last Long Run-18 Miles, I need a ride home.

So I started out with high hopes for this run.  I had conquered last weeks 18 miler and lived to tell the tale.  I decided I was not going to do 18, I was going to do a full 20!  A nice, round number, at my pace of 12 minute miles, an even 4 hours.  It all seemed oh so, well planned and oh so easy.  Yeah.  It didn’t work out that way.

The first 14 were nothing.  Cake. Easy. Routine as they should be at this point.  Going into mile 15, I was out of water, having drained my Camelbak.  I decided to do one more lap around Holmes Lake, a mere 2 miles and then head to the gas station for water.  That was a poor choice on my part.  I started to feel a knife blade in my left shoulder-it was a nagging stress-related pain I often get.  My legs ached.  I was thirsty.  I was suddenly very, very tired.  I decided to walk a little and then stop and rest and before I knew it, I was lying down next to the trail, and then walked some more and laid down on a bench.  I actually laid down three times.  Each time drawing some attention and at least one, “ya all right?”  But I had no choice, I had to keep moving or else I had no way home, which by the way was another 2-3 miles at least. 

I called Jeremy who was at home with Juliet.  He sounded stressed out.  His blog was down, Juliet was crying, the dog was barking, I was pretty sure he was not going to be picking me up.  I called our friends and neighbors who did not answer their phone.  I decided to keep walking. 

As I walked up the hill to the gas station, I passed SHANNON!  She was running a 14 miler and I was indeed grateful she stopped to chat.  I told her I was really struggling.  I could not even go a full 20 miles and the marathon was in 3 weeks!  She told me how she has had many bad long runs, how I was doing well, how I should just keep going.  She just made sure I was all right.  It just helped to have someone care about my well-being.  Running can be a lonely sport.  I felt bad for interrupting her long run and collected myself and sent her on her way.

By the time I reached the gas station, I had hit the 18 mile mark and decided to throw in the towel on the foolishly planned 20 mark.  My program didn’t call for it.  I was just being cocky trying to do it. There was a lady buying a paper at the gas station.  I asked her for a ride and she said, “Yeah, I saw you laying down by the lake.”  She took me home.

Okay-so I didn’t make 20.  But I have run all my long runs.  I have skipped three runs of the 16 week, 4 runs a week program.  That means I have done 95% of my runs.  I have done them well.  I have practiced the mental techniques.  I have prepared.  Now I tapper.  I have shorter runs from here on out.  3,5,8, and 9 miles.  I can bust those out like I can walk to my car in the parking lot.  Easy.