Six Miles

I ran six miles yesterday. S-I-X-M-I-L-E-S. This is the most I've ever done at one time in my life. It was surreal. And really, quite difficult. I think I was half delirious at the end. There was a huge mental difference between running on my lunch break and saying "Whatever I can get done in the next 45 minutes is fine by me" to saying "However long it takes, I'm running six miles tonight" and that probably didn't help. I planned a longer stretching period, but I also felt myself dragging my feet to finish the stretching and get on the track. Below is an abbreviated transcript of my mental thoughts during the process:

Okay, here we go.
See? This isn't so bad.
You've already done this, just keep going.
Just one mile at a time.
Oy, stop thinking about it.
I wonder if that tall guy is an undergrad...
TWO MILES?! THAT'S IT?!
Oh my gosh, screw this, maybe I'll just run 4 miles tonight
This sucks this sucks this sucks
Just... get... to... three...
Halfway there. Only halfway?! I'm never going to finish this
Fine self, you can walk a mile, just keep moving
This is way too slow. The more I run, the sooner this will be over
My legs are rocks.
What difference does it make? Just go. This really isn't so bad.
That's it. I'm getting off the track now.
Okay no, I'm not THAT tired.
Four! Okay, 2/3 the way there... get to five and we'll see.
I've watched like 7 cycles of runners on this track with me. Guess we know who the real champion is.
You can stop at five! Just walk a little, then run the last laps until five.
Is this thing for real? Did I survive to five? Okay, go to six. Walk it if you have to, just GET TO SIX.
I'm dying. I'm actually dying.
No I'm not. I'm psyching myself out. I don't even feel that bad.
Now who let this joker in? Get outta the way, this is the jogging lane!
I'm closer than I've ever been!
That entire yoga class is come and gone now and I'm still running in circles like a hamster.
So. Close.
Run 3 laps! Walk the last! You're there!
Why doesn't this thing say 6 miles yet?!? UGH!!!
This guy again. Well, whoever falls behind gets left behind.
SIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU JUST DID SIX MILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After which I fell over the water fountain and slurped up what felt like the sweetest nectar I had tasted in years. Then sitting on the locker room bench for like 15 minutes before attempting to open my locker. My legs were sore. I felt like I had ran off an infinity amount of calories. Six miles worth of constant moving. But I had this to show for it



And yes I am sore today but guess what? Not nearly as much as I thought I would be. Now to think that I still have to double this amount for the marathon. But somehow, I feel so empowered by that six miles, I'm not sure I actually expected to achieve it, but I did. And somehow 6 miles doesn't seem that far to run anymore. And if I just add another mile tomorrow...? I'll probably drop down dead. At least I'll have burnt a substantial amount of calories.