That was what they must call the “runner’s high.” I haven’t felt that before, at least not that intensely. It was like I was in some kind of trance. From about miles 5-11 anyway. Then I kinda came back down to earth when my body figured out I’d been running for 2 hours. Then at mile 15 I took a gel with some Gatorade and caught a second/third/fourth wind. I ran 10:30 average pace for the run but 10:00 and 9:00 for the last 2 miles. In the last mile I ran past two women about my age and one of them said something to the tune of “Look at her go, that’s impressive.” Nice little ego boost there.
Then I stretched and went to Bagel Works to chill out, read, and eat a honey granola bagel. I went to Snickerdoodles for the requisite enormous post-long-run pastry, a 4 inch tall Milky Way Tart with chocolate mousse and chocolate shavings and carmel in a chocolate tart. I just didn’t want that run to end.
I credit that to gels at miles 5, 10, and 15 and having a good attitude going into the run. I don’t know how people listen to music while they run. They miss out on so much, like birds and the running river, the idiosyncrasies of fellow runners, and mental toughness.
The only thing I would have done differently today was water instead of Gatorade with the gels because all that sugar made my stomach kinda touchy.