Five Miles

This morning, Napolean (aka me) met her Waterloo.  And I defeated it.  Five miles sounds like a lot.  And for a non-runner who's only forthwith gone four miles, it is a lot.

I tried to do better to prepare myself for five than I did for four.  I went to bed early the night before, I prayed, I even posted on Facebook that I could do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  But the morning of, all my preparation went awry.

Number one, I woke up late.  Extremely late.  I awoke at 6:50 am, when Mike asked me if I was planning on running that day.  You know that feeling, that you're naked in the middle of your last final for college?  I had that feeling, except I was in my own bed, reeling at the fact that I was still at home, instead of standing at Terry Hershey Park ready to get running with my group. 

I jumped up, dressed as quickly as I could, and then set about for issue number two.  I was unable to find my hydration belt.  Finally, I woke Mike up and tearfully asked him to help me.  For some reason, he found it in our hall closet, hanging on a hook with my large collection of diaper bags.  Don't ask me why it was there - I obviously put it there thinking that would be a good place, but for the life of me I can't remember why.  I left the house in tears, crying that I couldn't run 5 miles on my own, and what was I thinking.

I prayed in the car during the drive to Terry Hershey Park.  It's about ten miles from our house, so God and I had a long conversation.  A conversation in which I realized that despite my fears, I would not be alone.  I parked, found a coach from another color group, discerned a five mile route from him, and then set out on my own.

I was about twenty minutes late, and I completely missed passing my continuous running group on their way in, but I did pass many more of my Katy Fit friends.  I'm so glad I went out on my own - had I not, I would have been greatly disappointed, and I never would have experienced the personal satisfaction I had that, running group or not, I could do this. 

Five miles is a long time - about 58 minutes at my pace, to be exact.  That included stopping to refill my water bottles twice.  I think I might need to add two extra clips onto my hydration belt for the coming mileage!  And during that time, I learned that when you think you can't go any father, you can.  Not because the person next to you is depending on you to (because this morning, there was no person next to me), but because YOU are depending on yourself to. 

To be quite honest, five miles felt about the same to me as four miles did two weeks ago.  So I have high hopes for this next weekend, when I will attempt six miles.  I think five miles is the 'unconquerable peak' so-to-speak.  It feels like any mileage after five will be a cake-walk.  I certainly hope so - since the mileage will only climb farther from here!