Into the last six miles

I am about to embark on what I hope will be my longest run ever. Twenty one miles. I am not sure that my knee is up for it, but I have less than two months to go before the marathon and I just have to go for it. I have been icing my knee off and on for days… and loading on ibuprofen. (And drinking a lot of water of course) Now it is time for the test. I know that I have the heart and determination to finish it, but physically I don’t know whether my knee is going to cooperate. I figure if it can’t and I push it too far… well… I’d miss the marathon anyway if I can’t train right now. It is a nice day for running. It is raining… but it is about 60 degrees. Nice for this time of year. Twenty one at forty one (just had my b-day). Time to find out what this old body can do.


Well I did it. I have tipped my toe into the pool that is the last six miles. From the reading on marathons I have done… there are really two races… the first one to 20 miles… and then… the last six miles. I have always figured that I could run 20 miles. It is that second race I need to conquer.

For my 21 mile run today… I took it a lot more conservatively that I have some of my previous long runs. After spending a few weeks on the verge of not being able to run because of my knee… I decided… maybe I should ease up a bit. I set my watch for 9:15 miles, and ended up at 9:17 after falling off a bit the last mile. I can tell those last 6 will take everything I have. The only rule I broke today is that I ran over 3 hours… 3 hours and 15 minutes to be exact.

Immediately after the run I took and ice bath. Last time I was cold and took a hot bath… big mistake… I think that amplified my leg pain. I won’t know whether the ice bath did any good for a few more days… but so far I feel ok. Ok… I don’t *really* feel ok… but I am trying to be positive about the whole thing. I do feel good on the inside. Normally I can’t write so soon after a run like that. Normally it will be a few days before I try to blog, just because it takes so much out of me and I feel it would just be a whine loaded report about all my aches and pains.

I’m so pumped! My knee held up… I ran my longest run ever… and I touched the last six miles! Eugene… here I come!!!