Today's was a doozy!

Distance: 20 miles
Max Elevation Change: 750 ft
Time of Day: 1430
Temperature: 85-75F
Humidity: 75
Water Consumed: 100 ozs
Others consumed: Coache's Energy Bar (not bad, I liked it)
TwinLab Energy Bar ("Coffe Crunch"...soggy dirt would be a more apt description)
Weight: 60 lbs
Time: 5 hours 35 minutes 

Ren Loop. Did my usual five minute stop--this time at about the 12 mile mark. When I got back to Torii I did the "extended" loop to make the last five.

the 

last

five

SUCKED!

I most definitely was reaching down deep. It was a different sort of fatigue that I was fighting. My feet hurt, my back ached, my hamstrings burned, and my shoulders weren't too happy either...but that was all easy to deal with--pain is just a temporary state...it was the pyschological aspect...the, you can stop anytime now mr. glen. You're back home, no reason to butcher yourself....doesn't that grassy lil section seem like a perfect place to just drop? Wouldn't it be lovely to just cut it short a few? Shite like that.

I fought it off by concentrating on my breathing. 
Breathe in (one step, two steps, three steps, four steps, five steps, six steps) 
Breath out (one step, two steps, three steps, four steps, five steps, six steps)
Wonderful way to revitalize a sagging spirit. In with the good, out with the bad...

And then I was done. home. 

I made my first 20 miler and broke a huge pyschological barrier today.

Afterwards I had the MOST welcome hot shower I've had in years.