Yet, somewhere along the way in 2000, Saturday Starbucks' Mornings became having a cup of joe at home and putting on the running shoes for the scheduled Saturday long run . It's been that way for the past 8 years. And it's all because of my desire to run and compete in Marathons.
This past Saturday (4/4/09), Wendy and I hit the pavement for the longest run of our 18-week training plan: 20 miles. That's just six miles less than a full marathon. That's 10 miles one way and 10 miles back. That's about 3-plus hours of running on a Saturday morning. I'll admit, I can think of million other things I'd rather do on a Saturday morning than put in 20 miles However, I do realize that there is nothing comparable to knowing that you completed your longest training run alive.
All the Starbucks coffee and coffee cakes cannot replace the sense of achievement and relief one has after logging 20. In some ways for me, it's a far greater challenge than the marathon itself. During the 20 miler there's no fan support for motivation. There's no aid station at every mile. And at the end, there's no medal awaiting you. Instead, it's another training run with a longer stretch of pavement up ahead.
Miraculously I finished. Thanks to Wendy's pre-planning, we positioned one of our vehicles at the halfway point to stop for gatorade and gu. The course started in Newport Beach and went through Huntington Beach and into Seal Beach. It was all along the coastline where we had varying things to see to help keep our mind preoccupied. The first 10 miles went at a relatively good pace. We averaged at 9:37 per mile and made stop here and there for water. We reached the halfway point to replenish ourselves and dispose of the layered clothing we had on that was now drenched because of the California sun. After a few self-motivation talks, we turned around to our original destination. While I'm not a fan of an out and back course, this one seemed relatively good. A few rolling hills to challenge us. Plus we had plenty of bathrooms and faucets to choose from in the event we needed to stop.
Besides hitting the wall at mile 17 to walk a bit and clear the eyes of the sweat dripping into them, I was very pleased with our performance. Never once did Wendy and I break away from each other. When she needed to slow down, I did too. When I needed to stop and crawl, she turned and watched. In all, it was a satisfying and (pain free) run. Thankfully it's over with and it serves as a reminder that the the upcoming 26.2 is doable.
Keep chugging along, and don't forget to stop for an Oreo cookie or two.
jt
