Reflecting on Running.

Although I haven't had much time to blog about life lately, I decided I needed to at least do one post on my thoughts on running as of late. It is strange, in a way, how running has evolved for me.  Running has been my everything from a demise, an escape, an obsession, a chore to a feat.  As it turns out, each of these feelings has much more to do with ME than has to do with RUNNING.  This "sport" is all mental.

In general, I wouldn't consider myself especially competitive.  I don't race to win, and I don't feel bad about it. That being said, I am a goal-setter, and I like to follow through.  Each race, each run even, has a different story, a different purpose, a different goal.  

From the beginning of the year, my goal has been to finish a half-marathon in the fall.  I didn't start back into running consistently until nearly July, when my schedule was more free and I felt "ready".  It took me about a week to run a mile without walking, and about 2 weeks to finish 2 miles without walking.  SLOW miles.  But, it felt good.  In a way, I enjoyed starting back at nearly zero... it meant I had somewhere to go, and that is much less boring than status quo.  I maintained a 2-3 mile walk/run until early September when I decided to get serious.  

I signed up for a half on Nov. 9th.  That meant three months to go from 3 miles to 13 miles, all while working full time and spending time with my husband and baby.  I decided that my schedule could only really allow for 3 runs a week, so I made that work.  That meant 2 "short" runs during the week, and one long run on Saturday.  I absolutely could not have committed to this without the support of my husband.  Fast forward about one week, and our entire family got sick... for nearly 3 weeks.  GAH! I continued to run here and there, but was not making much progress.  October came and I kicked it up. 

I've learned that I HATE maintenance runs during the week.  Those runs are chores.  Short, fast, and definitely not cathartic. However, I have also learned that I LOVE a long run on Saturday.  I would look forward to those early mornings watching the sun come up, spending an hour in the fresh air, with nothing hanging over my head for the day.  It is the best way to start a weekend!

Fast forward, November 9th, race day!  Long story short: I did it! My goal for the day was not to walk, and to finish between 2:15 and 2:20.  Official time for me: 2:19:30!  It was a good run... not one I'm looking forward to doing again anytime soon, but I did feel ready, and I survived a fairly nasty hill.  

Justin ran, too! Stud...

So where to go from here? I'm not quite sure. I'd like to keep up my longer Saturday runs, and probably run here and there during the week, when I have time.  I don't want to lose my momentum, but I am also looking forward to some more free time.  Running 10 miles takes a long time!!  I'm thinking a short hiatus is in my future, but I hope to do another race late spring. It's all about balance right? :)

To any one of you 3 people reading this, if you are considering a race, do it!  There is really nothing quite like accomplishing a goal you've worked hard to earn.