Simple Math…

…is not so simple when you’re in the middle of a 24 mile training run.  I had a 2 mile warm up with Bella planned, then 2 major loops to give me 24ish and a fuel stop in the form of my mailbox.  When I finished the first major loop, I was at 14 miles.  Easy enough to calculate the remaining miles, right?  One would think. 

The minute I left my house for the final loop, I started my mile countdown.  You know how it goes, “OK, I’ve done 15, so I have 7 left” (this is what was going on in my math challenged brain).  Then at mile 16/17, I celebrated yet another mile-ish down, leaving me with 6….

Finally, somewhere between miles 17 and 18, it hit me.  I knew I was on a 24 mile course, but my auto-pilot-running-brain defaulted to my standard longest run, which is 22.  So throughout much of my run, I was calculating miles remaining based on a 22 mile course.  I couldn’t help but laugh at myself and (out loud) called myself a knucklehead.  Don’t judge me on my 70’s terminology.

I wasn’t too shaken by the mileage realization; I think I was more focused on the hills ahead of me.   

The weather was great and finally providing a pre-Fall crispness to the air, the part of my head that wasn’t responsible for math was strong, and my legs kicked out a 9:39 average pace for 24.47 miles.  I have to remind myself of the importance of the walk breaks (though I did get a few in there today).  I continue to practice eating real food in addition to my steady diet of GU and Gatorade.  I’ve stopped worrying about my 2^nd long run; I never feel it’s possible immediately after a Saturday extra-long run, but by the time Sunday rolls around I’m ready to roll again.

I haven’t quite wrapped my non-mathematical brain around a 31 mile training run yet.  That might be as possible as my ability to do simple math!