Feeling 21

The past two days have given me a ton of confidence about the upcoming ultra races in July and August.

The solstice was a success, I spent 95% of the day outdoors, the indoor activities were eating Indian food and a 20 minute bath after biking 24 miles, hiking 7, and running 16. After the bath I did more biking and hiking, so I am estimating that I covered 52-55 miles by leg power.

I was not sure how I was going to be feeling the next day, as I am not accustomed to riding a bike for anything more than 30 minutes at a time. I had forgotten, though, that when I was unable to run in February and March I did 60-90 minute speed biking sessions around the cemetery, so my biking muscles must still be conditioned.

I woke up Monday feeling energetic, with no soreness. When I got home from the dentist Rachel told me there was a heat advisory, that was all I needed to hear, so I quickly laced my shoes and headed outdoors, deciding to run up and down the arboretum hill.

I ended up running the hill for 2 hours and 45 minutes. The first 30 minutes my body was having difficulty keeping cool, but soon after I got into a meditative trance and my body adjusted. I imagined that if I constantly trained in a furnace-like setting, the 91 degree heat and humidity that was weighing me down would not only feel cool, but would make me shiver. That idea made me feel a little stronger as I continued slogging up and down the hill.

Toward the end of the session I was reminded of running the hill at Blackwell in my early 20's. The same kind of heat, the sun going down, exhaustion mixed with strength. I recalled the man I had witnessed running Blackwell Hill for 3 hours, training for a 100 mile race. I was in awe as I watched him trudging endlessly in the orange twilight heat. Today I had become that man - middle aged, running up and down a hill in summer heat, training for an ultra marathon - life does not get much better.

At runs end I felt the peculiar strength of youth, even though it is so far behind me now. To feel 21 at 43 is bliss......