So here it is. As obvious as this sounds, I have come to the conclusion that running 22 miles per day on a treadmill is physically quite easy if you taper up gradually. Running on a treadmill 22 miles per day is mentally brutal, especially since I am running around a twelve minute mile and the run takes over four hours. The reason for my slow pace is because I am running 154 miles per week. So I treat my running, even if it is only 22 miles, as if I were running a 100 mile ultra-marathon. Perspective is everything. If you are comparing a 22 mile run to a 5 mile run, it is a really long run. On the other hand, if you compare a 22 mile run to a 100 mile ultra-marathon, it is actually not that big of a deal, even if it is run every day.
Now, running on the street, even if the temperature is 36 degrees and it is overcast, is mentally easy. The change of scenery and the fresh air, the feeling of freedom is wonderful to say the least. Physically the running on the street, especially after running the last 1,000 miles in the last two months on a treadmill, is amazingly brutal. The last time my legs felt like they feel right now, I had completed 59 consecutive marathons capped off with a 40 mile run on day 59! Since then my legs have felt incredibly normal. Until today that is. I know for a fact that when I get up in the morning, I will have difficulty walking! But, I have been there before and I know that I will give myself plenty of time to get loosened up and by time I start my run, my legs will get into that wonderful flow.
The way that I look at it, transitioning from the treadmill to the street, especially at 22 miles a day is going to be torture for the first few days, and then my legs will adjust. Of course, that is my theory. We will know soon enough! And as always, it is the feedback that I have been getting, especially via twitter and the dailymile that has been really keeping me going, so keep it coming and thank-you for staying with me on this adventure.
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