SMASHED IT!

I've been putting off writing this post for a little while because I'm not really sure what words would be appropriate to describe my 18 mile training run today. I've thought about the words, "awesome," "exhilarating," "challenging," and "humbling," but I'm not sure those really fit. I simply can't describe the way I'm feeling about my accomplishment!

I went into this run with a completely different mindset than I entered the 16 mile run with. I (strangely) wasn't nervous or uptight. I just decided I was going to run the run and see what happened. I also refused to focus on my "time"- I would finish when I finished.

These things coupled with a relatively flat and fast course, set the stage for me to have, literally, the best run of my life. Yes, I was tired and my feet started to ache but I felt strong. I felt fast. I felt like I was going to finish and that I have the strength and will to finish the complete 26.2 mile marathon. This is a crazy change of heart from how I was feeling just a few days ago in this post.

All in all, I feel like I'm walking (well, kind of limping) on a cloud. I definitely don't want to go out right away and run another 18 miler but I'm looking forward to seeing what the 20 miler next weekend brings.

Oh- and I think I figured out how to describe what I did today. As my running buddies and I exclaimed at the top of a giant hill, "We smashed it!!"

*This post is dedicated to my running buddies in Jackie's Pack!!