Twenty Miles

Yes, that title means what you think it means. I managed to run 20 miles yesterday. I am really quite stunned, to be honest. I wasn't confident that I would be able to do it. Nervous about the impending run I didn't sleep very well on Friday night. My alarm clock went off at 5:15am and it was a welcome break from the restless snoozing of the prior 3 to 4 hours. I must have looked at my clock every 30 minutes from 2am onwards.

I got up, trying not to make any noise and wake Sean. I sneaked downstairs to prepare for the run. With a bowl of oatmeal with raisins in front of me and a waiting cup of coffee, I opened my laptop to get the directions to the run and noticed an email from my coach with advice about improvements to my hydration routine to help prevent a repeat of last week. "Stay off the coffee," he said. I looked longingly at my waiting caffeine fix and sighed. Instead I filled two 3/4 litre (24 oz) bottles, one with water and one with a light Cytomax mix. I would finish both of these before beginning my run at 7am. I also prepared the Cytomax mix for the four 7 oz water bottles on my hydration belt and stored 4 Vanilla flavored GU power gels. I was determined not to 'run out' of energy or water on this long run. Literally.

On the drive to the start the butterflies were fluttering in my tummy and I talked myself through the other advice I had been given. Don't start too fast, take it one mile at a time and just don't give up. I had said various times throughout the week that if I could only make it through this run, if I could just manage 20 miles, I would be confident that I could get to the finish line of the marathon. My failure to run more than 11.5 miles last week really put a dent in my confidence and I needed this run to be a success. A lot of pressure.

I was the first of the runners to arrive at the start. Several coaches were there and one of them reminded me that no headphones are allowed. He wanted to take my phone but thankfully I was able to convince him that I wouldn't be listening to music but instead I wanted to bring it in order to record my run and use the GPS to give me feedback about my pace and distance throughout. I was trying out a new armband (my armband broke on the run from hell last week) and an additional battery pack from Mophie that I'm hoping will mean that my iPhone will last the 5+ hours that it will take for me to run the marathon. I plan to enable the live tracking functionality of the runkeeper app so that those who can't make it to Seattle, but are still interested in seeing how I'm getting on, can follow my progress live online. Let me know if you're interested in following me live and I'll point you to the right page. If you subscribe to my twitter feed, I'll be tweeting right as I begin so you'll know when I get started.

About 7am when a few other fellow Seattle runners had arrived, we got started. We had a short 3 mile out and back followed by a long 17 mile out and back. So the first 3 miles were a warmup of sorts. On the way back to base we bumped into some late starters. Some of the people who had run the San Diego half and full just 6 days before had come out to support us. They turned around and joined us and I had someone to run with for the remaining 17 miles. I can't tell you how much nicer it is to run with friends on long runs than to run alone. Getting through those times when your energy is low and each step requires concentration is much easier when someone is beside you talking you through it or telling you stories from their own life.

We had 2 water stops, one at 4 miles out and one at 7 and a half miles out. The team captains who man the water stops are stellar. They watch out for approaching TNT runners and cheer and clap for the last hundred yards of your run towards them. They celebrate your accomplishment so far, supply water, electrolyte drink and energy foods and then encourage you to keep going. And they wait there all morning long. Yesterday it was really hot where the water stops were placed and there was no shade. Several of the captains had run a marathon themselves last Sunday in San Diego and were probably pretty exhausted and definitely still recovering. They are all volunteers. I really appreciate the support.

The sun was behind us for most of the way out. I followed my shadow and relished the wind coming from the bay. We ran along the water's edge from Redwood City north through Foster City and had fantastic views of the San Francisco skyline and the Bay Bridge. When I reached the turnaround point, 10.5 miles into the run I was still feeling pretty good. And then we turned to face the sun. With no shade and the breeze at our backs, it felt a lot hotter. Soon I found myself needing to walk for a minute every mile or so. I started to think about the visualization techniques I have been trying to cultivate in order to keep going. Omar, my running partner, definitely helped me by alternately helping me to focus on the running, and distracting me with stories. On our second pass of the last water stop, we picked up Rakesh and the three of us hobbled the final 4 miles to the finish line.

When reading about what to expect with the dreaded wall, I think I experienced it in those last 4 miles yesterday. My energy drained, fighting for each step, I think I physically depleted all my carbohydrate energy resources. I was reduced to making energy from fat reserves, which is a much slower process. Psychologically, I had already been running for 3 and a half hours and had been drawing on the self talk and visualization techniques for a long time. It's tough to keep that up and focus on just one mile at a time. On the last mile we rounded one corner after another that I thought was the last and right towards the end I nearly lost it when turning what I was sure must be the last corner, I still didn't see the bridge we had to cross right before the finish line. Only the encouragement from my fellow runners kept the legs moving, the arms pumping and the head up.

In the end we did make it. We jogged up to the applauding coaches and captains with smiles on our faces and a feeling of immense satisfaction. I had made it. I ran 20 miles. http://rnkpr.com/a6n070 And in 2 weeks I will run a marathon.