Eleven miles you say?

Well this past Saturday was our big training walk before we leave for Alaska. I walked eleven miles. Eleven miles. E-L-E-V-E-N M-I-L-E-S.

I know that the theme of many posts in this blog has been “I’ve never done that before” but truly this was a milestone. That is longest distance that I have ever gone in my ‘walking career’.

We started at the Hyatt, and at Brick Street Café I peeled off and went on my own. I had plotted eleven miles on mapmyrun.com that week and I had my route. I knew it was me against the pavement…but I also knew who was going to win. I was.

Most of our training has been together as a team…but for me this was more of a mental block that I needed to overcome. I had been concerned all week about the eleven….but not in a fatal way. It was just on my mind.

The week before I walked 8.5…and eleven really isn’t a big stretch from 8.5. I truly knew in my self that the worst that could happen was that I would have to take a few breaks…I wasn’t overconfident but I knew I could do the eleven.

I wound up Crescent and Capers and Jones and McDaniel (a killer street if ever there was one) and East Tallulah and Rock Creek. Then I was at 5.5 miles. I knew I could make it. It’s like Everest…getting to the top (or half-way point as may be the case here) is only half the battle. You gotta get back too.

At the half-way point…I took a full five minute break…shoes off. Those toes (see previous entry) have their funny ways.

And then I started back. And really, after one more bathroom break and one more toe break…it really didn’t seem like eleven miles. It really didn’t.

Maggie called somewhere in mile nine. She had done her ten the day before. I talked to her a few minutes then we parted. That last little bit is up Main Street…and although it’s not bad…it is uphill.

And I did the eleven in 3 hours. That is with one bathroom break and three toe breaks. I don’t think that is bad at all. And I had some left. And I wasn’t sore the next day. Soooo…I think I am ready.

We leave in three weeks. Holy cow…WE LEAVE IN THREE WEEKS.

Alaska Dawg