Yes, that’s my question: Should you run farther than 20 miles during your marathon training? What are the benefits? I’d love to hear your opinions!
Saturday I ran an incredibly difficult almost 21 miles. My girlfriends and I ran up and down hill after hill and only stopped once to refuel our fuel belts. For me, it was one of those runs that just felt tough the entire way. You know, the kind of day when every mile is an effort.
What got me through this run was my mind. Somewhere around mile 13 or 14 I let a few negative thoughts creep into my brain. “I’m so exhausted! I just don’t have it today! I want to stop!” But then a little voice (I call it my yoga voice) broke in and said, “Hey, just be present. Right now your feet are moving and you’re doing it. Keep it up! Shine! Be present, be present.”
So, I kept going and finished in 3:06 and change. The mind is miraculous!
But I have to wonder, do you really need to go that far in training runs? Thoughts?
