If you've ever been to Florida in the summer you will know how hot, humid and ridiculously uncomfortable it is. Well, they may tell us it's still spring, but it is most definitely summer in Florida. The first month or so of summer really kills all of my runs. It never gets any easier, but after a few weeks I just accept the fact that it's going to feel like running through hell for the next few months.
Yesterday's run was probably the worst one of the year so far. I decided I needed to run 22 miles in preparation for Grandma's Marathon in June, ignoring the fact that I ran 28 miles in the Smoky Mountain Relay just two weeks ago. It was hot and I was still not as recovered as I hoped.
Thankfully, I had a few people who really helped pull me through the run. Glenn was there for the first nine miles. We started out slowly, but picked up the pace by the end of our first nine miles.
After that, we picked up a few more runners with more sleep and fresher legs. I maintained a good pace for another two-three miles, but as the sun came up and the temperatures started rising, the fatigue really started setting in.
Rich ended up getting me through my last four miles. At one point, I said I would just stop and walk the rest in once I hit 20 miles. Once I hit it, though, I said screw it! I wanted to be done and running was going to get me there faster. I honestly didn't know how I was going to take one more step, but I knew I only had about a mile and half to go. I think I apologized 50 times for slowing down and thanked him at least that many times for running with me and helping me get through.
I finished off the run at a slightly slower average pace than I hoped with tight muscles and completely exhausted. It was truly one of those humbling runs, but it was over. I survived with the help of a few friends.
That really got me thinking about how much some of these runs can be like metaphors for life. Sometimes things are going really well. You have some REALLY good runs. You have some REALLY good days. Then all of a sudden you have a REALLY bad run or a REALLY bad day.
Sometimes, it's a series of bad runs or bad days and you just don't know how you will take one more step or make it through one more day. It's those times when you find out you have some great people in your life.
For a run, they get up extra early to run with you. They run slower than they planned for more miles than they planned to support you and help you reach your goal.
In life, they let you cry on their massage table when you tell them you just don't know how you'll keep going because you are just so mentally and physically exhausted. They stay up late replying to text messages when you doubt your plans, question your abilities and just don't know what the hell you are doing.
Many times it's unexpected people who touch your life like this. It's a surprise breakfast date. It's an unexpected running buddy. It's people you barely know but sometimes you just connect in some way.
It's that feeling that you just can't run one more step or take one more day of this crazy routine, pushing and fighting and trying for those dreams and goals. Then, all of a sudden, you just can. You just do.
It never ceases to amaze me the number of times you can hit that low mentally and physically and somehow rebound from it. I don't know if it's just the right timing, having just the right person say just the right thing or finding something within yourself that makes it happen.
Whatever the case may be, I am fortunate to have it happen. I am fortunate to keep finding that clarity when everything seems so hazy. I am fortunate to find some way to just keep going.
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