You can do a lot of things with a map

I usually bemoan the fact that we at Team Rogue run so many different routes that we need to carry maps.

But not this morning. And not because I needed the maps to keep from getting lost.

Let me explain: I've been pretty sick all week. My kid got sick at his birthday party and he's been coughing and spitting on me all week and it's made me sick. Bones achy. Nose runny. Throat scratchy. Stomach twisted all up.

But there was a 20-mile run Saturday and I was definitely going to run as much of it as I could.

My stomach had other plans, though. Three times during the run, I had to go so bad that it felt like my bowels were going to explode. There were plenty of places to go and thank God it was still dark each time I had pick out the bush or set of trees I thought had the best chance of having no snakes rustling around.

The bigger problem was that none of these bushes or trees came with sanitary paper.

And that's where the maps came in. I had taken two with me because we were running two different courses. And thank goodness for that. Without getting too descriptive, let's just say I rationed each map and they worked as well as Charmin.

As far as the run went, I was very weak today and going to the bathroom took a lot out of me, so to speak. I took two GUs, four salt tablets, drank tons of water/power aide and took an extra 30 seconds or so at each water stop.

I didn't quite make 20 miles, but I think 19.7 is far enough.My average pace was 8:42 min/mile (I stopped my Garmin during water/bathroom breaks, etc). I could feel The Wall getting real close several times along the way, but I never walked and was able to fight off some quad cramping by stretching and changing my stride a little bit.

Not a great run by any means, but it was the kind of "gutsy" run I probably need (No pun intended). I'd been blowing and going during my last few long runs and it was nice to know I could hang in and complete a long run when everything wasn't going my way.

Anyways, the run gave me 65 miles for the week, a personal best.

I'll never complain about having to run with a map again.

I see black people: When I finished the run, Mike from Just South of the Dot said, "Hey, Kevin, I saw two today." What Mike was saying was that he saw two black women running, D and another black woman I sometimes see who is running with another Team Rogue group. D, by the way, is coaching beginning marathoners. "I love doing this, helping people, D said.