Sunday, April 17, 2005

If every run felt like this...

A week after one of my all-time worst runs, I threw down a doozy of a 12 miler. Five miles of killer hills, followed by seven miles of mostly flat terrain. And, you know what? I felt like I could have kept on going after it was all over. Today was one of those rare instances when everything comes together. I had a good week, with three midweek runs, one session of yoga, and overall healthy eating and water consumption. By no means was I a saint...an oyster po'boy on Friday and two glasses of wine with dinner last night. But this morning the weather was perfect...sunny and mid-40s. And, when I started to drag, I discovered the wonders of the double caffienated Power Gel (really, that stuff should be regulated by the FDA).

What was best about it was that when I got home, I didn't want to collapse. I was able to play with DOM and do her yoga video with her, and show her how to help me weed the yard. That never happened with my marathon training a couple of years ago. Perhaps it was the Power Gel, or maybe it was just being in better shape, but for the first time in a long time, I really think I can train for another marathon and perhaps it won't take as much time away from my family as it did last time. It was the perfect antidote to long run burnout. And I sure can use a few more days like this.