The brilliant agony of distance running

    There is something I didn't know before I started running...specifically long distance running:

  Feeling like hell can actually be liberating. Before anyone says it I don't mean the "running through injury pain" hell but once I am in the in the middle of a long run, a sucky run, a too-hot, not enough hydration, calf cramping, tired legs run I think "Hey here is probably the worst I am going to feel and I only have 8 miles left to go!" See what I mean? Liberating!
  Heading into the final few weeks to my first Ultra I am reminded of this. There was a saying I read long ago from an ultrarunner that said "It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse." I laughed at that but really it is the basis for extreme running. Fighting through the body's defense mechanisms that says "HEY STOP!...UM...HEY STOP!......." 
  No matter how disciplined you are in your training, diet, emotional/mental/physical readiness at the starting line if you have done this enough times you know there will come a point where you don't want to do this anymore and that is when you need to toughen up inside. Anyone, no matter how highly trained is going to get tired and a little cranky after running more than 20 miles. Things are going to ache, things are going to feel tired, you are going to get bored, you are going to curse the day you started running, you are going to wish that a couch would magically appear in the middle of the trail or road and you can just lie down for a "little bit", you may be prone to some jealousy of the bystanders but inside if you are made for this you will have that spark...that fire of amazement and joy that you are doing this! You are fighting through, digging deep, finding strength that could lift mountains and that overrides all the other things.
   And that....is when the magic happens. People who don't run this kind of extreme distance do not get this but we embrace the difficulties. It is part of our sport! And it makes us instead of breaks us. This is the best thing I have ever started doing. I will take all the achy, tired, worn down runs because so many more of them are epic, amazing, satisfying, transcending runs. They are early morning runs seeing the sunrise; they are muddy trails; they are quiet runs, noisy runs, solo runs with your thoughts or group runs with your friends. They are all these things and so much more.........
   And after a long, long run you are forever changed. You run by the usual places and think " I just ran 20 miles! This all feels different. I AM different. I have done what most don't do."

             "...but I, I walked the road less traveled by and that has made all the difference."  

Be original. Be bold. Be yourself. Do what makes you happy. Everything else will fall into place.