I just returned home after a 16 mi. run. To beat the heat I was out the door well befor 6am and enjoyed a cooler morning here in Denver for a change. The run itself was smooth and relatively easy. Part of me wonders if last week's relay race at high elevation helped some.
What I really like about these long runs is the peace and freedoms to let the mind wander. I often equate the long run to a road trip for my non-running friends. You are more likely to ease into the journey when the destination isn't all that close. When I am about to run for over 2 hours, it becomes necessary for me to not focus on the end so much as the next mile or segment of my run. I have a wonderful route through Denver that let's me see some of the best parks and neighborhoods as well as a few of the struggling ones. Together it makes me that much more appreciative of where I am.
I was also charged a bit today from the experience of spending so much time with some pretty impressive athletes last week. Our relay race was 191 miles from Canyon City to Crested Butte. We finished in 27:30 in second place. Having never run a relay together or that race, we considered that pretty damn good. The biggest boost to me was being surrounded by people that run like I run, which is to say pretty far and pretty often. In my van (of the 2 on our team) we had marathoners, Ironman finishers, Ultra-marathoners, and short distance winners. For a change, my running several marathons made me fit right in and we could talk about things other people don't ever deal with. For example, everyone in that van understood the tremendous hunger that you live with when you are constantly running. We all knew what it's like to sit down to a meal and already be thinking about the next one. That understanding was new to me.
All said, it was a great run today. I love that I can do this and that I have had a chance to meet others that get it.
What I really like about these long runs is the peace and freedoms to let the mind wander. I often equate the long run to a road trip for my non-running friends. You are more likely to ease into the journey when the destination isn't all that close. When I am about to run for over 2 hours, it becomes necessary for me to not focus on the end so much as the next mile or segment of my run. I have a wonderful route through Denver that let's me see some of the best parks and neighborhoods as well as a few of the struggling ones. Together it makes me that much more appreciative of where I am.
I was also charged a bit today from the experience of spending so much time with some pretty impressive athletes last week. Our relay race was 191 miles from Canyon City to Crested Butte. We finished in 27:30 in second place. Having never run a relay together or that race, we considered that pretty damn good. The biggest boost to me was being surrounded by people that run like I run, which is to say pretty far and pretty often. In my van (of the 2 on our team) we had marathoners, Ironman finishers, Ultra-marathoners, and short distance winners. For a change, my running several marathons made me fit right in and we could talk about things other people don't ever deal with. For example, everyone in that van understood the tremendous hunger that you live with when you are constantly running. We all knew what it's like to sit down to a meal and already be thinking about the next one. That understanding was new to me.
All said, it was a great run today. I love that I can do this and that I have had a chance to meet others that get it.
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