OK, so 12 hours in a middle seat in coach may be harder than running your fifth marathon in a row. We always knew that the flying part of this challenge could be difficult and I would venture to say that when I got off the plane in Sao Paulo I was looking forward to running a marathonJ And so it was, marathon number five, in Brazil, before all of this started I thought I would get slower as the week went on and it has turned out to be sort of not true at all – instead of being tired, sore and slow, I feel energized, strong and faster. That does not mean my legs are not a bit trashed, nor has the swelling on my ankle gone down…. What it does mean is that the body is responding very well to the load I have put on it – it is getting stronger, not weaker, as the week has progressed and the normal fatigue is just not there that we would typically feel after a “big” running day. Finding out what is possible, how do the mind and body respond to this big challenge and what comes of it was a big part of the “why” for this challenge and in this case, the days and runs have gotten better as the week has gone on and my confidence and spirit are gaining not waning. To leave it at that would miss the bigger point. Sao Paulo was amazing, running on a holiday afforded us the run of the city. Escorted by my friends from Brazil they shuttled me from city street to the beautiful parks that dot the cityscape running from neighborhood to park ending in Ibirapuera a most spectacular “central” park that has an outdoors energy and vibe that is hard to beat. Looping around the park it is easy to get caught up in that energy and I pushed ever so harder for the last three miles to my best finish of the week. Brazil can do that for you – inspire you to do more than you think you can! And it happened again today, not only for me but some of the local Run Joe Run team who came out for the experience and ran further than they ever have. A great moment for all of us. A few hours to go to get the airport and the last flight to Los Angeles (13 hours!) for the finishing day of the challenge. Hard to imagine that it is almost over. WOW and see you tomorrow!
Loving life after day five!