¶ 12.2 · 13 March 2006
Before Saturday, my longest single run was about 8.5 miles. Saturday I ran 12.2. I'm a record-keeper, so there's a certain inherent appeal for me in getting to update one, but in neither of these particular cases was distance the independent variable, so it's not really a significant statistic. Plus, I run 6 miles routinely and comfortably, so I figured I could at least survive a 12-mile run.
I didn't just survive, though. I only planned to do 6 miles, but it was sunny and in the 60s in Boston, and the Charles was lined with people gamely not focusing on the possible climatic implications of Spring in Boston in early March, and it just felt good to stay out there longer, so I did. My usual pace for a relaxed 6 miles is around 7:30/mile, and I finished 12.2 in a steady 7:36/mile, feeling fine.
But that's still not the real triumph. The real triumph is that today, Monday, two days later, I did my routine 6-mile run right back on schedule. It was still routine, still comfortable, 7:32/mile, and afterwards I still feel fine.
There are the things you think you could do, and the things you've done once and think you could do again, and then there are the things that are simply now within you.
I didn't just survive, though. I only planned to do 6 miles, but it was sunny and in the 60s in Boston, and the Charles was lined with people gamely not focusing on the possible climatic implications of Spring in Boston in early March, and it just felt good to stay out there longer, so I did. My usual pace for a relaxed 6 miles is around 7:30/mile, and I finished 12.2 in a steady 7:36/mile, feeling fine.
But that's still not the real triumph. The real triumph is that today, Monday, two days later, I did my routine 6-mile run right back on schedule. It was still routine, still comfortable, 7:32/mile, and afterwards I still feel fine.
There are the things you think you could do, and the things you've done once and think you could do again, and then there are the things that are simply now within you.