My first 20 mile run

Two Sunday’s ago I set out into a gorgeous early afternoon. The weather was amazing for this time of year… 50 degrees… mostly sunny… and in all… the perfect day to run. Good thing for me… because I just happened to have my first 20 mile run scheduled.

There are times in my athletic endeavors, where I seem perfectly in tune with the task at hand. There is not much thinking, and absolutely no hesitation. It is as if my athletic rhythm has found a chord that allows my performance to exceed my expectations. There was a time once with 1 second left on the clock, I heaved a basketball ¾ the length of the court to tie a game and send it into overtime.

When playing baseball… I would stare at the pitcher like my wife does to me when I screw up. It was a cold blank stare, coming from a skinny awkward kid that somehow put me into the grove to hit the ball wherever I wanted. Later playing softball… I would drift off into la-la land while playing shortstop. That particular la-la land was one of extreme focus. When I could get there the whole game slowed down. I would imagine myself on a deserted beach… swinging in a hammock… with nothing but the gentle waves crashing. When I was there… the game came very easy to me… and I played well beyond what my abilities should have provided. Don’t get me wrong… I was keenly focused on the game too… but it was like it was in slow motion. I could just about always break to me left or right *before* the ball was hit just by watching when the batter started his swing.

Now… my better athletic days are certainly behind me now. I know in part because I still feel the aches from injuries long past when it is cold out. But Sunday… I was ready to run. I stared it down… and was focused.

I set my watch for 9 minute miles. A stretch? Maybe. My marathon time will be about 8:45 per mile (I think) (I hope). But it was a fine day, and I felt great. The 20 miles flew by. It was the quickest 2 hours and 55 minutes of my life. LOL. When I passed the 20 mile mark… I was at 8:47 per mile, angels were singing… and I was at the pinnacle of my marathon journey so far.

The ¼ mile walk back to the car however, was definitely below the pinnacle.