Today I Joined the 20+ Mile Club and Here’s What I Learned

1. . Yes! I can run 21 miles, which bodes well for my imminent marathon in less than a month. Just tack on five more, right?
   
   
2. It’s a mental game, I think, more than a physical effort. For the first time in a year, I listened to music when I ran, to block out all the mental crazies that convince me I have GI jostles, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, side stitches, thigh cramps. Somehow singing to Kanye West cures that.
   
   
3. Twenty-one miles isn’t as long a distance as I had imagined. And while I ran for close to 3.5 hours, it didn’t feel much longer than the 18-miler I ran last month. Good sign? I think so.
   
   
4. I still have plenty of work to do. The last 5-6 miles I swayed between energized running and desperate jog-slogging. Then there were the final two. So close to home, I flipped between “well, I’ve gone far enough; I can walk now” and “I’ve come this far; I can’t possibly walk now.” See? Total mental case… I mean, game.
   
   
5. It hurts! But in a totally good way. I think. And now I must take a nap...