Joy and Pain........

Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock 's classic hip hop hit of 1988 pretty much sums up my 20 miler. Joy and Pain, Like Sunshine and Rain, Joy and Pain! :)

I am extremely happy that I participated in the CARA Ready To Run 20 Miler. It was like a race, but not a race. An organized training run complete with pacers, bid numbers, a wave start, water stations, porta potties & an awesome route along the shore of Lake Michigan. The run started on the North Side, then down and into the Loop, then past Soldier Field (where Bear fans were already tailgating at 9am for the 3:15pm game), then finally on to the South Side. Some fantastic views for sure. Oh yeah, and 3000 plus participants.

I learned a lot from this run. Simple, but important things like arriving early enough to allow for standing in line for that pre run bathroom stop. Eat more for breakfast and/or bring some Hammer Nutrition Gels along with me. The water stations were just that and stocked only water and Gatorade. About mile 8 I could feel the hunger coming on. I managed to consume enough calories via Gatorade to finish the run, but a gel or two would have been nice.

So, what did this key run reveal about my marathon quest? Cardiovascular wise, or is it Endurance wise, I have the ability to complete a 26.2 mile run. There is no doubt in my mind. That being said, I am not a runner. I do not have miles and miles beneath my feat. I am not logging 5o plus miles a week and never will. The the pounding of the long run can be cruel. It is a different beast. I have been on the bike for 9 hours, climbed 12000 feet and ridden 160 miles in one day, but this is different.

On this run it was around mile 13 where things started to tighten up. The left leg is the culprit. The knee, hammy, and IT band get so tight I have can not bend over. The right hammy and IT band seem to follow the left's lead. This seems to be the norm. I had a message yesterday and will continue to stretch things out on a regular basis, but this does worry me.

I was a Zombie Sunday post race and Monday. The fatigue really got to me. I am even battling a little cold or flu like symptoms. I was in bed both nights by 8:30pm. The rest, gallons of water and some Naked Juice have me feeling better today.

The end of the 20 miler begins the Taper. Mileage is reduced and rest is increased. This should help ease some nagging aches and pains. There was quite a build up to the 20 miler. I mean it's kind of a big deal. I ran 20 freakin miles. THREE hours of running, now that's just crazy talk!

Yet, the ultimate goal is still three weeks out. Time to relax, regroup, and get back to work. I got 5 miles scheduled for today. There are bigger fish to fry. Later.