This was NOT planned. I have had great plans of running a forest trail that surrounds my little town - but it has been so warm these past months and the trail is 16km (10 miles) which is further than I've ever run in my life. My current record was 12km (8 miles).
Today however, the weather was really nice. 20 degrees celcius and cloudy. I felt really good after the first 5 k's, and now the trail goes deep into the woods. This is not where you want to be attacked by a bear...just kidding..ticks! or those flying parasite shits, Lipoptena cervi. Or Moose for that matter. So I remove Stefan Molyneux from my ears and go into mediation-running. I don't want to trip and fall either. After 10-12km I start to feel it quite well in my legs and i finish my bottle of water.
Condition-wise/lung capacity wise I have absolutely no problems. I don't get tired like that. It's my feet and legs I get tired in. I'm also running quite slow, yet faster than I thought - as the numbers showed be when I got home.
Anyway, after 15km and quite close to home I get the idea to just do a half marathon NOW. I was thirsty and hungry for sugar as hell, but to my great luck I saw (and then remembered) that there is a HUGE apple-tree in the side of the road. So I grad the biggest I can find and eat the most delicious apple ever as I continue. I only wish I grabbed two apples. Two hands -moron.
The next 6km was just pure agony. And the image of a glass of juice kept popping up in my head. I could hardly move my feet at this point and I started thinking about David Goggins when he ran his first was it marathon I think - and he was out of shape but refused to give up and ended up in the hospital with kidney failure. But I wasn't that dehydrated so I kept going..and frankly I had no choice but to keep going. I did almost fall twice and I started thinking maybe I have early ALS..but then I remember I'm a hypochondriac, and left that thought behind.
Finally home, two glasses of juice later, and I have achieved my first running Milestone - the Half Marathon! It took 2 hours 45 minutes on really ruff terrain..on the side of fields, down hills, up hills, roots, mud, etc. And of course BAREFOOT shoes.
To run a Half Marathon was my goal for the year as well as walking 40km. The half marathon feels like the most important achievement.
