Why hello there! I know I know....it's been awhile since my last post. It has been so crazy busy lately that I haven't had a chance to get back here. There is a TON to catch up on so let me get started!
First....running! Remember when I first started this blog and told you my New Year's resolutions? Remember when I said I wanted to run the River Run 10k without stopping or walking? Well guess what?! I DID IT!!!! I could barely believe it myself! I will have to say that I think getting selected as a Local Joe really gave me that extra motivation to keep pushing through it. Let me give you a little insight on how I felt during the run.
Mile 1- It was ok...I bought a Garmin running watch so that I could keep track of my pace, distance, and heart rate while I was running. The first mile was under 12 minutes! However...it didn't stay there for too long. This is also the mile that my body decided that it needed to go to the bathroom! DUMB! But I couldn't stop so.....I just held it.
Mile 2- At this point I was starting to get REALLY thirsty. And that's when I saw the Culligan Water stand! Perfect! I gladly took that small cup of water and kept on running.
Mile 3- I started getting a little warm but that is when I turned the corner and there was shade to run in and a slight...very comfortable breeze. I thought...half way done....I can run another 3 miles!
Mile 4- This is when I started getting REALLY discouraged. (I know....complete 180 from mile 3) I was tired and thirsty and....I still had to go to the bathroom. This is also the time that I started seeing everyone in front of me start walking or stopping. Let me tell you......I had complete mixed feelings about this. On one hand I thought....this is cool...I can keep running longer than these other people that are walking right now! But on the other hand I thought....dang it would be REALLY nice to walk. But I kept going. This was also the mile where I had a nice heart to heart with Jesus. All I knew was that if I was going to keep doing this it wouldn't be MY strength getting me through. I also prayed that when I completed this run I would remember that it wasn't MY strength that I completed it with, but it was the Lord's. That's really my prayer for the whole Local Joe training and the half marathon. I don't want to get caught up in what I'm accomplishing but rather remember that it is only through the strength that the Lord gives me that I am able to accomplish anything!
Mile 5- It was here that I was just on auto-pilot. I was also in countdown mode. I thought to myself....welp...I've already done 5 miles I can't quit now! Plus there is the encouragement that there was only 1 mile left!!
Mile 6- At mile 6 I was ecstatic! I had just ran 6 miles!!!! Longer than I had ever ran! Longer than I had ever expected to run! However....there was a bit of discouragement because I realized that I wasn't finished yet. I still had 0.2 miles to go....and that was the LONGEST 0.2 miles of my life!!!!
The Finish Line- Here is when adrenaline kicked in! I have absolutely no idea where it came from because I was exhausted!! And....I still had to go to the bathroom! Yet....I was able to kick it up a bit and run that last 0.05 miles at a little faster pace than planned. At the beginning of the race I told anyone that asked, that my goal was just to finish and that I didn't have a goal time....however...I really wanted to finish it in under an hour and a half. And guess what?! I DID IT!! My official time was 1 hour 28 minutes and 47 seconds! So I made both goals! It felt soooo good to run across that finish line knowing that I did what I set my mind to! However, it was shortly after I ran across that line that I realized.....I have 6.9 more miles to run in October!!! I also realized that it was a VERY VERY bad idea to not go to the bathroom before the race. And I will leave that at that.
Speaking of October....I have officially started my training for the Prairie Fire Half Marathon! I went to Nashville for CMA Fest last week (this event will have to be its own blog post) and this Monday was not only my last day in Nashville, but it was also the first day of Start 2 Finish training! I checked my training schedule and saw that I was supposed to run 2 miles. So that morning my friend Monica that came on the trip with with me, and I got up early put on our running shoes and took off in downtown Nashville! It was so fun to be able to start the first day of this journey in one of the cities that I LOVE! We ran downtown and then across the pedestrian bridge that crosses the river and takes you to LP Field where the Tennessee Titans play. That bridge was NOT fun to run up. However, looking back on it, I realize that that bridge is totally a metaphor for how this journey of training for the half marathon is going to be. There are going to be tough climbs that are going to make me want to stop and possibly turn back. There are also going to be times when I am at the top and feeling pretty good. The place where I can get into a rhythm and be consistent. And there there are going to be the times where I'm going downhill and things start getting easier because the training that I am doing is paying off. FYI....I am definitely looking forward to those times and not so much the uphill climbs. But I know that each and every one of those spots on that bridge are what will bring me to the destination that I am trying to get to....the finish line of the Prairie Fire Half Marathon.
After some delays and cancellations at the airport for our flight home, and a LONG night DRIVE back from Nashville Monday, I was exhausted. I went to check my training schedule thinking that Tuesday was my rest day, I wanted to see what I had ahead of me this week. I knew it was going to be REALLY tough to get my runs in because my schedule consisted of Vacation Bible School at the church from 7:45am-11:30am and then work from 1:45pm-10:45pm everyday for the rest of this week. Well, when I went to look at the plan I realized that I started the wrong schedule! I started the novice plan instead of the beginner plan! And let me just tell you....the novice plan was MUCH MUCH nicer than the beginner plan. After much....much....much....contemplation on which plan I was actually going to do...I reminded myself that the only way to get better was to push myself. So I knew I had to do the beginner plan that consisted of 6 days/week workouts. Instead of the 4 days/week workouts on the novice plan. This was going to be difficult. As I was coming to grips with this, my best friend sends me a text...."What are you doing this evening? You want to go for a run?" This why she is my spiritual soul mate. Because when I am ready to just not do the run....she sends me a text like this. Funny thing is....she had no idea all of this was going on inside my head! So....we went and ran. And that run was one of the most miserable runs of my life! Our goal was 3 miles (it was what I was supposed to run Monday instead of the 2 that I actually ran) but after 1 I realized 2 was all that was going to happen. I was dehydrated, exhausted from a lack of sleep, and was ready to throw up! But hey....we ran!
I told ya'll I was going to be completely honest on here with you so here is my honesty. I have not ran since Tuesday. Between VBS in the mornings and work in the afternoon/evenings, and working a double shift....my training has not been good this week! However, I am completely serious when I say....this WILL NOT be something that happens again! I know that it is going to take lots of training and hard work to run that half marathon. And I know that the people at Go Run that designed the Start 2 Finish program have put together a plan that WILL work if done correctly! So starting tomorrow with the long group run of 4 miles, I will be back on track! And I will definitely keep you posted! Have a great night!
