20 Miles!

Good morning Folks! Today I would like to talk to you about my 20 mile run on Saturday morning and more importantly about "Runner's High." A couple of months ago Evelyne (work wife) asked me about runner's high. She asked me if I get it and what it feels like. This was my response:

"Runner's High is a load of BULL. Sure I get it, but it doesn't last very long and when I do get it I think, hey I'm doing pretty well, I could keep up this pace, and then it all comes crashing down. I get a pain in some part of my leg, I start feeling tired, and reality sets in that I have to run 10 more miles or something crazy like that. My point being, Runner's High is not as cool as everyone makes it out to be."

I am here to tell you folks that I was completely WRONG. I felt the amazingness that is Runner's High this past Saturday. It started off like any other run, I was nervous because it was the longest run I have done to date and I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to run 20 miles. I left my house at 6 am and I started off slowly, I had a few aches and pains but they are normal for me until my body warms up. The route that I run has a lot of hills and usually when I run I have to take some breaks and walk the hills because I am tired and my leg muscles are aching. This time I felt great and I was able to run through all of the uphills. When I finally reached the 10 mile mark and had to turn back and run home I thought I was going to feel tired and dread the run back but boy was I wrong! 10 miles in and I felt absolutely wonderful! I knew that I was experiencing Runner's High and I couldn't believe it. I thought for sure that this great feeling was going to go away very soon and I would start feeling my normal aches and pains and tiredness but I was wrong. I kept running and running and I felt great. It was like nothing else mattered in the world, just me and the road. I felt such a great sense of accomplishment and pride because I knew that I was a runner and I felt like I had found my passion.

This high lasted for 6 miles until I stepped wrong and hurt my knee. Then the pain came and I knew that I had to take it slow and listen to my body. So I jogged and walked and tried to figure out what I did to hurt my knee. The last 2 miles got better and the last mile I felt the high again. I ran the 20 miles in 3:36:15. Yay Crystal!!!

All day Saturday I was beaming with joy and pride. I ran 20 miles! Me, formerly extremely obese Crystal, who could not run 1/2 a mile to save her life, is now a full on runner!!! I'm pretty sure I am still on a high right now just from thinking about the run.

I am here to say that Runner's High does exist! And any of you who are thinking of becoming runners or would like to experience the high should do it! Today is the day! It is the greatest feeling in the world! And it has really changed my perspective on running. I started running to lose weight, then I did it to challenge myself and prove that I could become a runner, and now I am doing it because I enjoy it. I am craving another run like the last one! I can't wait to feel the awesomeness again!

If Runner's High does really exist, does this mean that Santa Claus does too? ;-)

-Crystal