Boom.
And just like that, I’m gaining back my running confidence.
When I first committed to this plan a few months ago I questioned everything about the goal and my sanity. Running a marathon had become this distant thing I used to do in my past – I was basically starting from scratch here. Seeing what I needed to do to reach my goal scared the hell out of me and it would have been so much easier to stay home on my couch.
I didn’t want to give up, though. I’d made a commitment and wanted to see it through, so I put on my shoes and I went for a run. Each week I added a little more and each week I surprised myself with what I could accomplish. I’d been out of endurance training for so long that I forgot how great it felt to just get out there and run. I forgot that my body can do these amazing things when I give it the trust to do so.
I ran 12 freaking miles on Sunday and finished on cloud 9. It’s an incredible high I missed dearly. I’m not just running, I’m remembering who I am out there.
Tuesday
Distance: 3 mi
Time: 30:49
Pace: 10:17
Finally worked back in some speedwork here. Focused on 30-second pick-ups, and hope to continue to increase that week-to-week.
Thursday
Distance: 4 mi
Time: 40:51
Pace: 10:12
Friday
Distance: 4.52 mi
Time: 46:59
Pace: 10:23
I know I need to wake up earlier if I want to fit 5 miles in, but I enjoy sleep way too much. I think 4.5 miles may be my tipping point for weekday runs. I’m okay with that.
Sunday
Distance: 12 mi
Time: 2:02:37
Pace: 10:13
I was really surprised with how great I felt on this run. We had a rare night out the night before and didn’t make it home until way past my normal bedtime. Luckily daylight savings time gave me another hour of sleep, and the late night out really wore Annalynn out. She was still asleep when I returned!
Again, I had coffee and some toast before leaving for the run, then stored a water bottle and fruit snacks at the entrance of my neighborhood. I did a double loop and stopped around mile 7 for the water and fruit snacks. It ended up being just the burst of energy I needed to finish strong.
Next week I have 13 miles on tap. Eeeekkk