Ten Miles!

Well, I set out yesterday with a goal in mind. I would run from the MoPac bridge to IH 35 and back, for 7 miles. I met Marianna a little after 6:30 and we started at 6:45. Our first mile was very brisk, at least by our standards. We probably did about an 11 minute mile. Then we did our minute walk, before continuing to First Street. We got water at First Street and said our goodbyes, then I headed for IH 35.

There is a hill, a big hill, seems to me to be the biggest hill in Austin, maybe all of Texas, which we face on Riverside Drive. Each week we run a little farther up the hill before settling into a walk, and we make a goal for a longer stretch the next week. Well, I started up that hill and could not remember what our goal was. I was on my own, so I could not confirm with Marianna. So, like Forest Gump, I just kept running.  Next thing I knew, I was to the top of the hill!  I was about to start walking, but felt so good that I kept the run going.  When I got to the turnaround at IH 35, was still feeling so good about running up the hill that I forgot to turn.  Next thing I knew, I was at Baby A's on Riverside!  I continued running to Longhorn Dam, then walked across the narrow bridge.  After that, I started running again, and did not stop until I was west of 35 again at a water station.  I stopped for about 30 seconds to hydrate, then was off again.  At that point I had completed my 7 miles, but I still had 3.1 to get back to the car, and I was feeling good.  My next stretch was to the Pfluger bridge, which is at Lamar.  I walked for a minute there and was now at somewhere between 8.5 and 8.75 miles.  Now I was starting to feel the run, and was debating about walking the last stretch, which would have made me feel OK.  I walked for about a minute and was going to keep on, when a lady passed me up.  On the back of her shirt was written for me in big letters, "Why quit now?"  I started to tear up and realized that I was going to beat the trail, so I started running.  I ran for about 5 minutes, then had to walk for a minute.  I was hurting, and not sure if I was even capable of walking back to the car.  Then I realized that I was at Anderson High School and that at the end of the campus was my stopping point, so I started running again.  After about 3 minutes I walked another minute, then ran the last stretch to the hydration station, where I cooled down, drank water, and basked in the knowledge that I had just run 10.1 miles, the longest distance I've run in my life!

I have to admit that I did nothing for the rest of the day yesterday, except drink Gatorade and water and watch TV.  I could not have gone any farther, but I did exceed my goal.  In fact, as I was driving home, I realized that the week before I had run a quarter marathon at 6.6 miles, and that yesterday, just 7 days later, I did 40% of a marathon.  I am on track and even a little ahead of my goal.  My next goal is to be at 15 miles by the end of September, which is a little ambitious, but possible none the less.  February 20 will find me running 26.2 with pride, maybe not with the fastest time, but with the knowledge that less then a year before I struggled to run a mile.

Oh, and my timed mile last Wednesday was 10:35.  My hope was between 10:30 and 11, so I was pleased with that.  I start training with my marathon team in 2 weeks, and am pleased to know that I am ahead of most of them, a first for me.

So, until next time, "Why quit now?"