It was overcast and humid, but the trail was very busy. It seemed that everyone was trying to get in their walk/run/bike ride before the storm arrived and drove us all inside. Even with the heavy trail traffic, we managed to see two deer peacefully grazing only a few yards from the trail. They looked up at us curiously, not at all concerned for their safety, as we passed. Even though the supermarkets and gas stations were swamped with folks gearing up for the big storm, these deer showed no signs of urgency. To them, there was nothing special about this day. To us, it was a very big deal - but not because of the storm.
Today was a huge milestone for me. It was the longest run I've completed in my training, and the longest I will complete before the half marathon next month. KC and I went 12 miles today. Twice around Peace Valley - the place I struggled to complete 6 miles only a few weeks ago. The place where I said "I could never pass my car and keep going for another 6 miles."
Never say never.
I started the day feeling a little worried about the 12 mile goal. I knew I hadn't hydrated enough the day before and I had sore muscles from yesterday's boot camp - particularly my right hip. I also wore shoes that I had planned to retire because they didn't seem to be supportive anymore. But I knew KC was going to be counting on me to show up and frankly, I was counting on myself. I needed to do this.
The first mile was rough. I was feeling that hip and realizing I hadn't used my inhaler before we started. It was hot and humid.
We finally got into a rhythmn and my aches had noticably subsided by the time we got to mile 2. Easy conversation held our attention and we found that interesting topics can really make the miles go fast. Before we knew it, we were around mile 4, trying to think of something else to talk about, when we saw him.
He was probably in his fifties, very overweight and out of shape. It looked like every step he took was labored - perhaps even painful. He was walking in our direction with a look of determination and hope that we both recognized and admired. We exchanged hellos as we passed and had a new topic for the next mile. He was an inspiration to us.
At mile 5, we dodged oncoming runners - a huge group of them. At mile 6, we passed our cars. At mile 10, I declared that I was now officially running farther than I ever had before. At mile 11, the same became true for KC - and we only had a mile to go.
In that last mile, as we ran across the dam, we saw him again. The man from mile 4, almost finished his own loop around the lake, still walking and still wearing that look of a man on a mission. We were energized by the sight of him and both of us high-fived him as we passed. We just had to!
It was a big day for us. We didn't run the entire time. We walked some, but we ran way more than we walked. We left with the realization that it would take only one more mile to complete the half marathon, and that was the biggest confidence builder of all.
Oh and KC passed on a quote she had heard - I have adopted it as my mantra to keep me going: "When your legs get tired, run with your heart."
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