I have a chance!

This morning I ran my last long run before Old Goat.  And I finally did it.  I ran the first 20ish miles of Old Goat within the cutoff time – by TWO MINUTES.  I managed this despite wardrobe issues (I layered too much on this freezing morning then had to re-pack my pack to fit everything.)  I managed this despite the fact that I dropped my gloves (my son’s gloves) and had run back (uphill) about a quarter mile until I found them.  I also managed this despite the fact that I fell (though it was a long downhill fall, it was a pillowy, soft fall with only a scratch on my shin to tell).  I also managed this despite a throbbing headache for about five miles.  I had to rethink, “Did I hit my head when I fell???”  I even managed this despite having to dig my water stash out and bury it back at the halfway point, wasting 8 minutes there.  And I also managed this despite the fact that I stopped and chatted a few minutes with two fellow lady runners who will be manning an aid station at Old Goat. 

A mantra formed in my mind early on that I repeated again and again.  I told myself, “Loosen up and pick up.”  This helped me to remember to keep my body lose and free of tension, as well as, pick up my pace, and pick up my feet.  There’s no feet shuffling allowed on this route.  Not unless I want to eat dirt.  And I don’t really like the taste of dirt.  Toward the end of my run, I gained a burst of energy when I knew that I might make the cut off time.  My mantra changed to a shorter version, “Relax and kick back.”  Relax of course referred to the loosening up.  And the kick back referred to kicking out the back, as opposed to lunging forward.  Kicking out the back makes it virtually impossible to trip.

Now, I feel as if I have a chance!

Taking off on a cold, cold morning at sunrise:

Fueling on the run: