Anatomy of a long run

Start time: 6:10 am on Saturday

Distance traveled: 18 miles

Length: 3 hours 17 minutes

Bathroom breaks: 2

Water/food stations: 5

Mile 2 - My body feels great. I can't believe I've been running for more than 20 minutes and I am not at all out of breath. And no knee or foot pain to speak of.
Mile 3 - Mentor reminds us to drink water. It's a cold day, so we're not going to feel as thirsty as usual, she says.
Mile 5 - Blisters are starting to form on the insides of my feet. This is despite the athletic tape I carefully wrapped around those areas. Ouch.
Mile 8 or 9 - Blisters have numbed and there is no pain anymore. Parts of my skin that are exposed start to feel chafed from the wind. My ponytail is damp with sweat, so that little beads of moisture occasionally fly off the end.
Mile 11 - Getting hungry. Munch on gummy bears, Oreos, and other goodies at the water stations. I shake out my hands, which are puffy from blood pressure.
Mile 12 - Still hungry! Start eating gummy energy candies (Clif Bloks) that I brought along. During walk breaks, I lift my knees up tin soldier-style to relieve the pressure on them a bit. I notice that others are doing the same.
Mile 14 - Starting to drag a little, as my energy level drops. I start focusing on the ground in front of me. Hips and quads are starting to feel tight and stiff. Feet are kind of burning where the blisters are, but it's not a bad feeling compared to the earlier rubbing pain.
Mile 15 - Woohoo! Only 3 miles left to go. Knowing we're in the final stretch gives me a new burst of energy.
Mile 16 - Eat my very last Clif Blok.
Mile 17.8 - Charge up the final hill (as much as I can "charge" at this point), chugging along slowly but surely. Jog a few extra steps than necessary and come to a glorious stop.
End of the run - As I sit on the grass stretching with the rest of the group, my eyes suddenly start to sting so terribly that I have to squeeze them shut. It dawns on me that they're stinging because of the saltiness of my sweat.