This week's goal was to run 18 miles. 18! I'm not sure what it is about 18, but this is the first time in Run Camp that I've been nervous before a run. The distances have been slowly been incrementing, so it's never seemed like a big jump. But, with not doing the weeks where we were suppose to do 15 and 16 miles, this seemed like a daunting task. With these distances, I'm also starting to get my meals planned out prior to race day. It's now tradition for pasta the night before.
Two miles in CT told me she wasn't feeling it and I think she could tell I was itching to go. It's strange, but I think running slower is harder on my body, so with the green light to take off and knowing she'd have plenty of company with our Superstar friends, I was off. Little did I know there was an secret plan brewing, but more on that later. It is much easier for me running with people in front of me, not sure if it's purely competitive, it gives me a goal, or simply keeps my mind more focused. I chased everybody down, all the people in our group, another group that started ahead of us, and almost everybody in the fastest group in Run Camp. After six miles, the head games started and all I could think to myself was you are Superman. I felt fast, strong, and able to run through walls. At mile fifteen I started to feel some hip pain, it did slow me down some, but the adrenaline rush of knowing that I not only would easily be able to finish eighteen miles, but I crushed my previous best times for a half marathon time made it easy to finish.
Back at the finish, I grabbed a bagel, then I got to thinking that I felt so good, I really wanted to experience finishing with my run partners because I knew it was going to be a record run for them as well. I could run, but I thought I would walk out, meet them, then run with them back. Well, I walked and I walked, still no sign of them. I reached the first (and what is also the last) water station and finally saw somebody from our group. She confirmed my Superstar's were coming. Pretty soon a lone Superstar showed up and gave me the news that my two missing Superstar's decided to go an extra mile out, planning on ending the day at twenty miles! The master plan got foiled! No sooner did the words leave her mouth, then she asked you're going to meet them aren't you....of course! So, I jogged out and found my two trouble makers, who weren't very trilled to see me, because it basically guaranteed I would end with more miles than them, but I also caught them in the act!
In the end, finished with 22, caught some trouble makers, and feel very confident I can finish this marathon. Superman isn't dead, I felt him inside me today and it was a great feeling.
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