In preparation, this past Saturday I joined 50 or 60 other Team Ortho folks to run a practice run on the actual course. We ran the first 6 miles, then turned and ran back to the start - 12 miles.
Yes, I told myself, you just ran 12 miles in 2 hours and 22 minutes at an 11:09 per mile pace! With very few walk breaks and only one porta-potty break. (I passed it by on the outrun, but on the way back, at mile 8, I had to stop - coffee is a blessing and a curse, you know.) And I burned 2800+ calories doing it - enough to justify McDonald's, Wendy's and a Snicker's bar. (I did have the Snicker's bar at work).
Thirty minutes after my 12-mile run, I worked a 12-hour shift at my job driving a computer. It was a fairly slow day, so I had plenty of time to reflect. On how good the overall soreness felt. And how my knees were not screaming, but my toes were. How deserved the sleepiness was that kept stealing over me and giving me "Locked Eyeball Syndrome". How when I stood up and stretched to shake off the fugue state, it hurt so damn good. And on how amazing this accomplishment felt: it wasn't even the main event! Twelve miles was the longest distance I have ever run in my life. But two weeks from now, I increase that to 13.1!
I thought back to 12 months ago...I was at least 60 pounds heavier, my knees and ankles hurt most of the time (because of the extra weight, not because I pounded pavement for 2+ hours), and I could barely walk to the park bench to watch my son play on the swings.
I also slept with a face mask on to keep me breathing, I was on at least year seven of daily Prilosec intake (who knows what that stuff does to the rest of your body?) and my wife and son had a ticking time bomb slouching around their house.
That Monster Dash Finisher medal with the skeleton has even more meaning to me now - What if I lived? I'm living and loving it. Bring on the 13.1...and whatever comes after it!
Reading this actually brought tears to my eyes. I'm so happy for you and for your lovely family.
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