Friday morning I did fifteen miles on the Cape Cod Rail Trail. I got out early. I do however have this feeling of impending doom each time I head out for a long run and get beyond twelve miles. It's the same feeling I get when I do well on the golf course. There's this voice in my head that says, "Not so fast Big Boy. You're not that good." Symbolically speaking and using the words of one of my favorite song writers Gary Burr:
"Just when I thought, the demons I fought, were dead and gone.....I don't have to stop and look over my shoulder, I already know from the sound, there's a thousand wild horses, running behind me, hell bent on running my down."
Visually speaking this is my view of the world on a run at the twelve mile mark or longer in my head:
Compare that to this guy at ten miles who ran down a dirt road on private property on a cranberry bog farm to get this shot to do an impression of The King:
Quite a different view of the world in just two miles. The more I train, the more I know I will control this negative perception. You know the age old saying, "The harder you work, the luckier you get." In my case, I believe that if I stick to the schedule, the further I will get to run, before the bad boys in the first picture catch me, if at all!
Negative mental images get in the way. I like the guy who trespassed on to private property. Take a risk and keep on pushing. That's got to be me in the future.
Tomorrow's the Falmouth Road Race and I am the most ready I have ever been for this race. It's seven miles. It's the halfway point on the marathon schedule on the journey to Columbus. I'm ready. The horses will just have to wait. They're not going to get me tomorrow. I'm hell bent on enjoying the day. Take that Seabiscuit and Trigger!
Have a great race tomorrow, Steverino!!
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