30 miles

This is what I look like after running 30 miles:

The longest run of my life so far.

When I wrote up my 2014 running goals, I decided I wanted to run my first ultra this year.  I'd run 10 marathons, BQ'd twice, and run countless other races, and was looking for a new high challenge.  So I set my sights on the Dirty German Endurance Fest because it's in Philly and I am a German teacher.  

They offer a 25K, a 50K, and a 50 miler all in one day, and I had planned to do the 50 miler. Unfortunately, though, I just didn't get in the miles I needed to due to a rough winter.  So today was supposed to be a test run.  I set my sights on 30 miles, and if I could finish still feeling strong, then I knew I would stand a chance at 50 miles two weeks from now.

Well... It didn't quite go that way.  I made it through the 30 miles, but just barely, and two weeks just isn't enough time to make up the difference.  I took that as a sign and downgraded to the 50K, but it'll still be my first ultra and should still be a fun day.

And a quote from this month's Runner's World:

"Hunger.  That tremendous feeling that makes you simultaneously crave yellow potatoes, apple pie and craft beer vanishes.  When running stops, you're never truly hungry anymore.  You just want to eat.  You don't need to fuel anything.  You just want to taste stuff.  The nonrunner feels hunger in his stomach.  The runner feels hunger in his whole body - the runner's elbows are hungry.  Dinnertime is a lot more exciting with hungry elbows."        - Marc Parent

At mile 16 I asked Stevie to make me an egg sandwich because I was already tired of Gu.  At mile 24 I devoured it in 2 bites.  The hunger is real.

Now it's time for bed.