I am sitting here savoring both my second cafe con leche AND the dull throb in my legs. Now, the first is easy; it goes down smooth and surprisingly hits you in the forehead. The second has stayed with me since the shower. I can feel that I have actually work REALLY hard to get here. Yes, here. In this cafe. It was 21k! And I feel every cm of it.
I decided to forgo most of the hills today, as I woke feeling pretty out of energy. It's been a hard week, with lots of training to sap my levels. So I decided to do a smaller set of hills and add on more of the flat river route. As it stands I was really only a km or less off of my scheduled 22k.
Now, I have to search my mind and body and see if I should have taken the day off or done less because of how I woke up. The level of lethargy was pretty scary for me. So I pushed through it with an hour of more sleep. But was that the right thing to do? I know that sometimes you just need to rest. And sometimes you just need to push through, learn to run in fatigue.
Only time will tell.
Tomorrow is a recovery run. I am planning on nothing more adventurous than a 4-5k, slow and soft run. I am already eyeing Thursday's hill work with a healthy level of terror. I can handle Tuesday's long run, as it is sure to slow and long, but those hill sprints just seem to weigh down my feelings right now.
And that's how it is, isn't? I was aching but happy as I left the shower and piso, but now with the aches settling in to my legs and back (I miss my tub, as my new piso has none) I feel a bit exhausted. Not unhappy, as I was thinking of writing, but exhausted. I really pushed hard to get through those kms and it shows in my walking.
Usually I don't walk around after a long run. I'm found curled up, almost fetal, in bed. I know that that is NOT what you should do after a long run, but I sure need it sometimes. Today I pushed myself to get out and walk. As I live in a 4th floor walk up, that was painful coming down to the street. And then walking several blocks to my favorite cafe. With hard uncomfortable chairs. Hmmm, my bed is looking better and better.
Yet, I need to walk the legs. I don't need to shake them out, and such. So I am standing once and a while and strolling around. I am hoping it looks like I am waiting for someone and/or going to the bathroom. I want my legs to not be so stationary right now.
So I've got a long long march towards where I want to be. And where is that? Well, so far, I've decided that I want to be able to run a 50k. I'd like to be one of those guys who does a 20 miler Sunday so often it's old hat. That's my goal. I don't need races and I don't need numbers. I want distance. I want the experience of it. And along with the insight into myself. I love being able to sit here and, having done a half marathon distance, just take it as another Sunday.
For me, the distance is my test. Can I do it? And can I do it without serious aftermaths? So far, it is a LOUD YES! So I set another distance goal. I will look forward to it. I thirst for it.
I have often said here and elsewhere that there is a deep profound TRUTH on the other side of suffering. And sometimes I catch a moment of it, and sometimes not. But I am forever going to run for it. It is there. And the distance is the key. The longer we are out there, the better is our chance to see that Truth.
Well, enough philosophizing from me. Sorry, this was not the entry for that. Sometimes I do get caught up in my thoughts. But the short of it is... 21k rocked it hard and kicked its ass!
Hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday run! Peace out!
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