Will you risk going too far?

This week was supposed to be 27 miles. 5 easy, 6 speed, 4 easy, 12 long. I ended up with 40 miles.

12 long became 14 long (The end of the trail is at 6.75 and 13.5 needs to round to 14) Tuesday

See previous post for the nitty-gritty details

 
5 easy became 6 easy (it felt easy!) Wednesday

 I work on my kinks:

I eat carbs:

I try to not feel too guilty about rest:

4 easy became 5 easy (I was with Flying Tomato and what's one extra mile among friends?) Friday 

Then I pile in the car with Adam and our friend Megan to head to the lake. We stop for unnaturally colored high fructose corn syrup in a semi-frozen state:

Head out on the water:

Take refuge on an island during a pop-up thunderstorm and build rock piles:

And enjoy a few hours of life that makes me forget about the usual daily grind:

6 speed became 15 long (due to scheduling issues this upcoming week) Sunday

I don't spring out of bed. I'm tired. It's early and I feel creaky. And a bit cranky. I drink half a cup of watered down refrigerator coffee and a tiny bagel with peanut butter. I stand in front of the pantry trying to decide if I want more to eat.

I see a few likes of my T.S. Eliot tweet: Only those who risk going too far can possibly risk finding out how far one can go.

It is hovering near 70* which actually feels cool when I start. There is quite a bit of cloud cover and I am relieved to not have to worry about the death rays of summer this morning. I don't look at Penelope when she beeps at mile 1. I ignore her loud chirp interrupting one of the songs from my new (55 songs for $9.99!) Power Workout playlist at mile 2.

Just putting in the miles today.

I make a pit stop at the 3.5 mile marker. Sweat is dripping from my shoulders and elbows.

I carry on. Just running miles and miles. The sky is still cloudy when I get to the open section. I notice the path start to swell with walkers, bikers, and fellow runners. Lots of Ironman hats today. A few with calf sleeves and hydration belts. Runners that mean business. Runners chatting with their running partners. Runners I give a wave to and smile to as we pass. Some acknowledge my presence.

I suck down a Mandarin Orange Gu at mile 7ish and refill my water bottles. I chug 10 ounces on the spot and refill it once more.

The calories and hydration help. I feel a bit better for a few miles. I know I am running out of steam, but I lean my body forward and try to make my legs catch up. I look at one of the splits finally a see a 7 in the minute space.

I push through until I hear the 14th mile beep and slow down gently to a stop.

I smack a huge mosquito snacking on my bicep. I start walking back to the parking lot and decide I cannot let 39 miles go. I run up, up, up past the parking lot, beyond the Wendy's and Shell station and down the concrete jungle. When I reach .60 miles, I pivot purposefully and run back to my car.

I stop at the Citgo station on the way home for an Intense Vanilla Pro Muscle Milk. The man behind the counter puts his phone down to take my $4.28. I drink it all in the 3 giant swigs on the 3 miles back home.

I take a warm shower and climb into a bath tub of ice. It melts quickly and I sit there until the water is almost room temperature. Like an addict, I climb into bed and read a few chapters of Running Away.

I can't wait to do it all again.