Notes
Ive dreamt about writing this log. I didnt picture it happening this way. I pictured a nice sunny but chilly morning in busse woods with my friends and running buddies biking/ running with me. I imagined them pushing me and talking with them to make the time pass to make it less miserable. I did not picture it being today, on a relatively warm and humid december morning alone on the streets of Schaumburg. If you wouldve told me last night I was gonna do this, I would have thought you were crazy cause even if I felt good i was gonna wait for next week to do it so I can invite people to do it with me. But every runner knows there comes a point sometimes where curiosity, longing, and desire to do something youve wanted to for a really long time but havent been able to supercedes logic. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the log where I finally get to run 10 miles.
I know what many of you who dont know me are thinking. Whats so special about running 10 miles for the first time? You see I have been trying to do this for the better part of 10 months now but theres always been something stopping me from doing so. Wether it was my coach in high school who wouldn't let me go that far on the days I was ready for it, the weather on long run days, or it being too high mileage to skew my weekly mileage I never got to do more than 8 in high school. Over summer I was trying to increase my overall weekly mileage slowly and had the plan to finally run 9 and then 10 by the end of summer. The week i was gonna do 9 however, I caught a bad case of undiagnosed bronchitis and couldnt make it more than 2 miles a day and cut that weekly mileage to 16. I would have to wait to do it midway through the season once i got my mileage back up. I had gotten my mileage back up by the beginning of September. I was going to run 9 at Allerton, but my plan fell through when I twisted my ankle (the first time). Luckily I recovered quickly and was going to try again that next week. Then of course, that next week was my bike accident which took me out from running for nearly 2 weeks. It seemed to me like the universe was against me doing a long run. The season went on and I began doing "L-word runs" instead of long runs to try and trick the universe that I wasnt doing long runs. It somewhat worked as I was finally able to do 9 which I was happy about but I felt there was something missing. My running buddies Mia, Grace, Brisa, and Leonel would all do at least 10 and I felt like I was missing out not being able to join them. But by that time we were starting to taper so I didnt really want to increase mileage. So, finally a random December day, I finally did it.
Now lets get to the actual log part rather than the dramatic sounding backstory. I had planned when I started running again to start my long run at 6 and keep increasing it till I got to 10. I wrote in my previous logs that this was gonna be my jedi training and I wasnt gonna be afraid to call it a long run anymore. Today was supposed to be the week I did 9. And if you woulda asked me in miles 1-3 if i thought i could do 10 I would have probably laughed at you. The first 3 felt terrible but then at 3.2 ish something hit. The runners high. All of a sudden I could breathe better and my legs felt good so I had the idea of 10 in the back of my mind and by the 4 mile mark I was like 'why not'. It felt good for a while but then I started getting fatigued at mile 6ish. I told myself at mile 6.5 'youve been writing the log in your head this whole run, you HAVE to do it'. Mile 8 felt better and then I got to a stop where I had to cross the street. 8.84. I had the choice at this stop to turn down my street and do 9 or keep going. And there wasnt a doubt in my mind which option I was gonna do. My last mile I did a mile add on route I hadnt done in a while. It was only a mile route which is why I only do it to add on, but it was the route I did back when I was 9 when I ran my first mile. Fitting. Turn down one of the final turns and my watch says 9.5. I was gonna do it. .4 .3 .25 .2 .15 .1 .01 I put my hands in the air I finally did it. 10.
Right now I am writing this with my legs up on a wall eating pancakes. I have an IHOP gift card and i told myself over summer I would only use it on a big pancake breakfast once i run 10 miles. Tomorrow is my sisters birthday, so I will take her to breakfast and use it then.
Sorry that was really long lol. Thank you for watching on your mobile phones and remember no human, (even the perpetually injured) is limited.
All glory to God