It's my birthday gift to me. I'm so happy!

Well, I'd be happier if I had finished the whole 50. I had 3 "small" loops around town that I combined to make my huge 50 miler. I left at 7:30 pm Friday night and got home 4:30 Saturday morning. The weather was beautiful- perfect for running; not too humid; not raining (like I originally thought it would); not hot (only 70).

I carried my cell phone with me just in case I needed to call Amy and ask her to pick me up from forever away. Luckily, it never came to that. But I did call a couple friends (Brian Neesham and Leslie Farnsworth) and that helped take my mind off running for awhile. I even had a friend (Kate) who fed me at her house after I had run 18 miles. The fiesta taco was good. Then I had another friend (Steve Mineer) offer to ride his bike while I ran. He not only was there to talk to for 14 miles, but he also brought Gatorade, pretzels, and a granola bar. Thanks for the mental and physical aid! My wonderful wife, Amy, also helped out a ton. She had worked Thursday night and spent all of Friday with two ornery kids (without much of a nap). Then she brought Pedialyte twice for me as I finished one loop and started the next. She was running on empty with 3 hours of sleep in 36+ hours. It was a spectacular birthday present.

Well, I only had about 11 miles remaining as I started my 3rd and final loop. I got through about 7 miles into it, and I really felt like I needed to walk. So I did. But then I also closed my eyes. I felt like if a cop would have driven by, they'd have thought I was drunk. I debated as to whether I should continue or go back home. My weak will forced me home. I started running again, and about a mile and a half before home I got a second wind (mentally). I considered running a bit farther since I had "tricked myself" into running more. But I decided against it. If I had only known I needed a mere 3.5 miles extra, I think I'd have run and finished it. Oh well. I'll finish it some other time. I'm glad it's done and eagerly look forward to more similar fun.