Energy is a Strange Phenomenon

I always feel like Rocky when passing
this place!

I really had full intention of getting to bed early last night. It was in my game plan. But then Kailan went out with a friend, and my Emery: I'm Only A Man bonus DVD somehow ended up in my DVD player and the play button somehow got pushed. And then, oh my, the reminicsing. Emery is one of my favorite bands and yet everytime they have come to town, I wasn't able to see them...
And I'm getting off track.
So anyway, then my wife called at 11:30pm stating that the van wouldn't start. My heart stopped. I'm glad she was in Altoona as it's a little safer, but still, my baby was stuck in the Village Inn parking lot at 11:30 at night!!! and I was with the kids and she had our only working vehicle and all the carseats. Luckily, my dad lived in town. She called him and woke him up and he came to the rescue (bless his heart) and she made it home by midnight...and then we talked until 1am about her adventures. Then Kailand siad, "Josh, you need to go to sleep. You have to run in the morning." :-D Thanks babe.
So yeah, asleep at 1am and then up at around 2:30am with crying baby. And then back to sleep again.
I really wasn't sure how I'd feel this morning, but I woke up at 6:15am, got my gear on, ate a banana, and headed out the door.
Todays run felt much better than yesterdays. I decided to help me pace myself a little better, I would play my "cool down" playlist instead of my running playlist. And it worked. I gained an extra minute per mile on today's run. I never thought I'd be trying to run slower, but with Marathon training, as my Grandpa always says, "you are running to finish, not to win!" That will stick with me throughout this whole ordeal.
I was intrigued by all the energy chews and gels they had at Hy-Vee, so I decided to try a few out. I bought the Power Bar fruit chews and one of the gels. I decided I wanted to see what the chews were like, so I popped one in on mile 3 and slowly chewed on it. I didn't really notice anything at first but after a few minutes, I began to notice that I had a little more energy. It was subtle, but it was definitely there. I also noticed that at mile 4, I was pleasently surprised that I was already there. I honestly could have kept going! That was a great feeling. I'm going to try the gel this weekend on my long run, but I really think I'm going to enjoy the chews.

Victory selfie on the viaduct!

So anyway, my take away today is that you can't always judge a run by it's start. Some days, you start off strong and end strong. Other days, you start off slow and build your strength. the important factor is that you make it. Even if you are walking by the time you reach your destination, you push yourself to get there. When you keep going every day and make it a habit, you'll find it gets easier to get out and start. I know I have a long way to go, but I'm glad that I've made it where I am. Another huge thing to me is that I'm not sure if I'll ever get to the point where my sides hurt and my lungs burn again. That is just crazy to me how much my lung capacity has improved. I think if anything stops me from finishing this marathon, it will be my knees, but even that, I don't think will be enough to stop me! See ya tomorrow friends!!