Don’t worry! I’m not going to write poetry- that would be horrible. But I do want to give some love to my favorite aspect of running, the long run.
In my last post I talked about the Running Rogue podcast, “Church of the Long Run.” While it was filled with practical information, I was a little disappointed that he didn’t talk about the mental, emotional, and, well… spiritual side of long runs (since the word “church” was in the title, after all.) I was definitely glad to hear about all the physical benefits of long runs, but for me it’s also the emotional highlight of my week.
I promised not to write poetry, but I am going to quote the beginning of a poem called “Aristotle” by Billy Collins.
“This is the beginning.
Almost anything can happen.” …
That’s how I feel at the beginning of every single long run. It’s not like a shorter run, where you can categorize it simply- it was a good run, a bad run, you felt light, your legs were heavy… for a long run you might feel all of those things in the course of the run. You might get lost, or fall down, or see some wildlife… I love to look down the road or trail before I start and think “almost anything can happen.”
My long runs have gotten much more adventurous since I discovered a nearby trail. Up until a year ago I would have said there were no running trails near me. No, there are NO TRAILS… other than this gigantic 100 kilometer trail literally within RUNNING DISTANCE OF MY HOUSE.
In my defense, I only lived here for sixteen years before discovering it. Ha ha… seriously, in my defense, it wasn’t until last year that an access point to this trail suddenly appeared. One day I was running along and I saw a new path, which I decided to explore, and in a very roundabout fashion it took me to the trail.
In December of 2020, someone set an FKT (fastest known time) for this 100k loop, of 9 hours and 45 minutes. I’m not up to that quite yet, but I have been waiting until my long run is long enough to run from one access point to the next. The only problem is, getting home afterwards… or getting someone to drop me off at the farther access point… muahahaha.
When my husband asked me what I want for Mother’s Day, I told him just one thing- for him to get up at 6 am and drive me fourteen miles away to the trail access. Yes, some people have breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day, or get a massage. All I want is to be dumped off at dawn on a trail, to make my way back home, alone.
I CAN’T WAIT!!!
I have my hydration vest, my gels, and my Squirrel’s Nut Butter. I’ll be all set for this fun adventure. It will be epic! I hope… you never know. Almost anything can happen.
Do you love long runs? Would you rather do a race or a long run? – i thought about doing a race on Sunday, but didn’t want to miss my long run.
14 Responses
Yikes. That’s a long distance.
That’s funny. I asked myself the same question. Race or Long Run.
I really like the long runs – they are social, I chat with my friends and we go out to brunch.
But I signed up for a race tomorrow and then again on May 22.
I wonder if I made the right choice.
Well, you obviously enjoy racing, and there will be a lot more weekends to do your long run. Good luck with your race!
I love it! Hope you have the best run on your mother’s day!! I also have a draft of a post about long runs coming up. Enjoy yours!
Alright, I’ll be looking forward to that post. If I’m not actually running or planning a long run, I like to spend my time reading about them!
I do love a long slow trail run! I would totally do that with you. I had signed up for the Everglades Trail Run last year but my son had a snowboarding accident which derailed my plans. I still want to do it. Maybe next year?
Enjoy your Mother’s Day gift!
Yes, I would be totally up for that trail run next year! Enjoy your Mother’s Day as well, Wendy.
Long runs definitely are impactful in ways that shorter runs are not. I get to clear my head and then let it roam while my legs follow my running route. Running with Scooby I have to pay more attention and try to see dogs, cats, and squirrels before he does, so I can’t zone out as much as I would on my own.
Yes, I can see how there would be pros and cons to running with a dog! I’ve never done it… but every once in a while I think about getting a dog to run with and keep me company.
Yes, I love my long runs! Last weekend, my friend Barb was out of town, so I was on my own. It had been almost two years since I’d done a long run all by myself, and I was looking forward to the conquest of heading out, solo, with just my feet to guide me (I didn’t even bring any music for entertainment). GOod luck on Sunday! That sounds like a nice way to spend Mother’s Day 😉
Thanks Kim! Yes, I like your description of heading out on a solo long run. There’s nothing else quite like it!
As soon as I saw photos of that trail, I thought – Florida! I did a trail race in Florida when visiting my sister in 2020. It was my last race before the big shutdown. I loved it! I can’t say I LOVE long runs, but I have made peace with them. They are so much better when they are on trails. Have a wonderful Mother’s Day!
Yes, I like my long runs much more now that they’re on trails. I would love to know what trail race you did!
Happy Mother’s Day to you as well!
I love that you discovered such an awesome trail so near you! I used to mostly enjoy my long runs. The 18-20 milers would get tough, and I’d think to myself “divide and conquer”. Of course there were days when it got too hot so I really had to manage my time and get out there early. Enjoy that long run!
The long run was awesome! “Divide and conquer” is the way to go- breaking long runs up into smaller chunks makes a huge difference.