ChicagOreland

I've read innumerable accounts of how the 5 miles you run after that first 20 are the hardest, but I thought they were talking about while you're running the marathon, not 2 days later with a rest period in between. It was far too presumptuous of me to think it only applied to the race. Within the first few strides of today's 5 miler, I knew I was in for a challenge.

The main thing, besides immediate fatigue in my legs, which were obviously not ready to be put to work just yet after Sunday's 20 mile monster mash, that hindered today's run was the howling winds that seemed to kick me in the face at every turn on the road. It was quite the blustery day here at this pooh corner of the Hundred Acre Wood. Wind, especially the bitter cold variety, has a way of greedily tearing the air away from your face before you've had the chance to inhale a significant amount of O2 when you need it most, while running, which really wreaks havoc on the respiratory system, and all those other important systems that keeps a body going. It's not like I'm some cyborg from the year 3022, who can readily handle these conditions, I'm from now's time, and human no less, so I'm on my own when it comes to breathing an adequate amount to sustain life, which I enjoy doing, often, if not always.

I made it to the full 5, but I definitely struggled through much of the run. I trust Higdon. I've gotten this far based on his wisdom alone, and now that the longest training run is out of the way, the only thing between me and the marathon is two sweet sweet weeks of tapering. I know I'm still in crazy marathon mode when I look at this upcoming weekend's 12 mile run as relief, a treat even. I have one more week of good old USA earth beneath my feet before heading overseas to Japandyland to take on one heck of a beast of a long run, and whatever else life has in store. I started this whole running craze with Vincent jogging patiently at my side, and here's hoping his knee heals enough to take on this next big one with me as well. Hey OK, folks, we're in taper country now, there's no turning back, so we're marathon bound.