onepinkfuzzy

"That was fun!" I'm out of breath from running a 10-minute-per-mile pace for the last half-mile of my 22-mile long run - my last long run before Zane Grey - and I can't stop running. The zone I pushed myself into in order to get down from the mountain was not so easy to come out of. The three runners at the trailhead- one the RD, the other two ran the Mica Mountain Marathon - laugh and tell me to stop. My legs are shaky and I finally propel them over to the pecan sandies and pretzels waiting to be devoured. I tell the RD that I made it to the spring 2.3 miles above Cowhead Saddle, a perfect turnaround spot that enabled me to carry only four hours worth of water at a time.

We talk about the wildflowers and how steep the trail was above Cowhead Saddle and how crystal clear and cold and beautiful the water from the spring was and how wonderful it was to climb from the desert floor up to the pine trees - running on pine needles! - before I finally rise up on stiff legs and limp to my car. I knew I gained a lot of elevation - my legs are telling me so! - and I was pleasantly surprised at how well I was able to keep going, even though I forgot my iPod. I chanted mantras to get me down - "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I KNOW I can," and took my sweet time knowing I needed to keep my knees healthy.

When I finally make it home and through the requisite ice bath and shower, I download the stats from my Garmin:
22.61 miles - the most I've run since June 10, 2006 - and the most shocking part: 7495 ft of elevation gain.

That's basically the amount of gain I'm facing for Zane Grey. And I did it today - well (albeit painfully) - in much less distance (the bulk of it was done in 11 miles). Holy mother of trail running. I was so nervous about the elevation gain for Zane Grey - can I do it? I've hurt myself both times I gained 4400 ft (in the same mtn range as today, no less) - will I be able to go over that amount without killing myself??? That was part of the mystery, the allure, of doing Zane Grey.

But I did it already!!! And I did it slowly but well. And I did that at the end of my FIRST EVER 50-MILE WEEK!!

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