Just the best

It's just the best feeling in the world. The runner's high. I've only really noticed it twice and my 20 mile run Sunday morning, thankfully was one of those times. I thought it was fabled, I thought it was just a way runner's tried to convince you to join in their crazy scheme. It does exist though.

At mile 15, somewhere around 8 am on Sunday, I looked in the mirror of the gym and found myself grinning ear to ear and singing loudly with the song playing in my ear. I knew inside that the full twenty was not only doable I knew I was going to feel good finishing it. This was good news since only a couple short weeks ago I was so miserable I wanted to die. Right there on the treadmill, just keel over and die.

As I rounded up mile 17 I even increased my speed and while I had some people keeping my company (so I wasn't singing anymore) I lost a little focus with ESPN blaring at me on all three tvs. I dug deep and with a half mile to go I increased my speed more.

I just couldn't stop grinning. Why? Runner's High? Yes, but also because it was the 12 miler to my half marathon. It was the run that told me that I can run a marathon. Me. That's right. The couch potato whose longest run a year ago lasted 3 minutes and maybe got me two tenths of a mile in length.

It was what I needed to know, really know, so that if I get injured, or sick or something worse happens that prevents me from making it to the starting line in Austin, or the finish line, I can know that I have the ability in me, confidence and fitness to run 26.2 miles without stopping.

I was actually kind of sad Sunday when I hit the cooldown on the Life Fitness machine. I thought to myself, "i could do it, you know? I could go ahead and run the last 6.2 miles and be okay." But I didn't because I am a big believer in following the training laid out for me.

I don't need to be able to say I ran 26.2, I needed to know I could. And now I can. That's just the best!