This run was so beautiful, for multiple reasons, that I cried (happiness) at the end of it.

My goal was 7-8 miles in 1:20. During the run, I was tracking nothing beyond my watts: I was trying to stay between 230-250 (my running FTP is 250, which is a respectable 4 watts/kg.) I looked at my phone just to make sure I wouldn’t go past 6:45 am, but I wasn’t keeping track of how long I’d been running.

I started picking up the pace and cadence once I was back on Christopher Crossing heading back towards the car. It was involuntary - it just felt right. I was flying by the time I was back at the lake on what was probably one of the most epic runner’s highs of my life. This is when I finally looked at my miles: 7.2. I went for a lap around the lake to get me to the 8 miles, continuing to accelerate as I went on. I was running on air from the euphoria. I’ve had runner’s high before but this was on an entirely different level. It was glorious.

I was floored when my watch called out my pace for that last mile. I have never run so fast for a full mile, much less at the END of an 8 mile run. Not only that: it’s been over 6 weeks since I last ran this distance…and I finished feeling like I could have continued at that pace for at least another mile.

It was a redemption. I feel like this year I gave myself so thoroughly and worked so incredibly hard in every aspect of my life…I have never tried so relentlessly and at such a high level to prove myself, my worth, only to be left with…very little. I have felt invisible or outright worthless so many times throughout this year. It’s been so hard.

The only exceptions to this were running and cycling: they were the only two things that gave me back what I put into them, tenfold. This run was proof that I can still pour my heart and soul into something and have it flourish in equal measure. It made me so very happy.

I want to point out my beautiful graphs depicting exactly how much stronger I got as this run went on!