Last 20 mile training run!?

Life on a personal level has been busy since the last post, hence the reason for 2 weeks without an update.  Training has been pressing forward though. I suffered a minor setback with a sore hip after the 20 mile run on April 17th.  I had to take a couple days off to avoid further injury.  Not feeling 100% I was a bit concerned all this past week with my last 20 mile run looming on the horizon for this weekend.  Nonetheless Saturday arrived and I had to get it done, so the plan was a nice easy run just to get the miles in and not injure myself.  The first 5 miles were pretty much pain free and I was able to establish a very nice pace.  At mile 5.5 as if to say, "hey dumbass I thought you were going to take it easy", my stomach started to cramp.  I am not talking a side ache either, I am talking gastrointestinal cramping that didn't subside until mile 6.5.  After working through the cramps I continued on at an EASIER pace to avoid injuring myself.  At around mile 12 my thighs, calves, and hamstrings started to feel a little tight.  That tightness was not supposed to be happening, I have run this distance many times before.  I must have been a bit dehydrated,  so I made sure hydration was a priority and if I needed to stop and stretch I would.  By mile 15 I had to do just that, after taking a walk/stretch break I continued on feeling pretty good.  Mile 16 brought searing pain to my right inner calf, I actually felt like someone was shoving a hot knitting needle into my leg.  Shortly after the calf pain started two of the toes on my right foot started to cramp also.  In the name of self preservation, yesterday was an 18 mile run instead of 20.

I think at least one major physical battle was what I needed to drive home the message and the training.  Through all the pain I still had to function for the rest of the day and I didn't feel near as terrible as someone being treated for Cancer.  The amount of suffering cancer patients endure is unparalleled and I am in awe of the strength of every single one of them.  I also do still feel like we can do better in helping relieve some of that suffering.

P.S. The weather was terrible yesterday, I am just really sick of talking about it.