Dream

I dreamed about running last night. Not the standard, there’s-something-terrible-and-unstoppable-chasing-me-and-I-must-run-and-run-and-run-even-though-my-legs-feel-like-bricks dream. (Have you had that one?) No, I dreamed about Running – Racing, even. Yes, I dreamed about Ultra-running.

I was running a 100-Mile race – something that resembled a combination of the Burning River 100, which I ran but failed to finish in 2009, and the San Diego 100, which I ran but failed to finish in 2010.

In the dream, I was coming into the aid station on the course just after mile 70. That is the point where I had to drop out at Burning River, but in my dream it also looked a little bit like my drop point at Mile 44 on the San Diego course.

But this time, instead of being in pain, worn down and broken, I am actually able to jog into the station. I’m a couple of hours ahead of the cutoffs, and there are still 12 hours left in the race for me to cover the final 30 miles. Each of the most important people in my life is waiting for me at the finish line, and as I pick through the food at the aid station, I am filled with the overwhelming, glowing certainty that I will finish the race.

I don’t often remember my dreams, and I hardly ever dream about running. More than that, my next 100-Mile attempt hasn’t really been on my mind that much the last couple of weeks. (It’s been a number of other changes and upheavals that have had my attention.)

I have had empowering dreams like that before, but it has been awhile. Every now and then I have “flying” dreams that leave me in a very positive state, and I’m given to understand those are a somewhat common human occurrence. I love that I had a “flying” dream that came about as a “running” dream.

I was inspired today to look at some race calendars to find a couple of good build-up races scheduled before my return to Burning River at the end of this July. I should be signing up for the Chattanooga Mountain 3-day Stage Race and the Devil’s Lake 50-Mile very soon.

Hours later, I’m still feeling some of the afterglow. I wonder how it will feel when I actually cross that finish line on Sunday morning, July 31^st.