On the inside: Squirrel in traffic. It’s week 3 of Team Myles Half Marathon training already. I can’t believe it. Our training schedule is intense. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be running 5 times a week and being active on rest days, but I’ve been doing it! I haven’t missed a day yet and don’t plan to if I have any control over things. I’ve come to realize I’m doing this for me, and I’ll make time for training every day no matter what my plans are. I do know, however, that it is extremely important to listen to your body and if it says rest, you rest. I’ve learned that the hard way before by getting injured. So far so good though. The schedule will continue gradually building up until race day on June 9th.
Here’s where the squirrel in traffic part comes in…. on our Sunday long runs, we are to run at a pace that is sustainable but challenges us. I can do it but get pretty winded toward the end of our intervals. I’m like the Big Bad Wolf with all my huffing and puffing. This then gets me to thinking ‘Can I do this? Is this for me? Should I be doing this? How will I keep up this pace for a half marathon? Do I even have the stamina to even run a half marathon? Will I have the stamina by the end of this?’. I’ve really had to focus on pushing the negative self talk out of my head, but it’s been hard. I’ve had quite a few ‘I should just give up and quit this whole thing now’ moments. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies. Luckily, I’ve been able to talk myself out of these thoughts and keep pushing on. Every day, I’m trying to stay cool as a cucumber on the outside.
Our group long run yesterday was cancelled due to weather so Senior Mentor Nicole and I bundled up and got ourselves set up with our memberships that GoodLife has graciously provided to us to help with training. We decided that we might as well get our run in on the treadmill. Huge thanks to Nicole and another Team Myles member Cathy for running with me yesterday! The great thing about the treadmill is that even though you’re all at different paces, you’re still running right next to each other. Thank you, GoodLife, too because without you, I would have had to miss my run altogether.
This week called for 35 minutes of 6 minutes run and 1-minute walk (6:1) intervals. For the longest time I have been doing 4:1.5 or 4:2. I couldn’t do 6:1! Are you kidding me? I’ll die! Call the ambulance now!! Well, guess what? I’m alive and I did the 6 and 1’s! No ambulance needed. Once I found a sustainable but challenging pace, I found my breath regulated and I was fairly comfortable running. It got me wondering if I have been holding myself back by sticking to the same intervals in my comfort zone for so long. Maybe I have been, but now I know that I am capable of more than what I have been doing. Maybe I can do this after all. This run at GoodLife might just have been the boost of confidence I needed. I keep saying…. One day and one step at a time!
Now the weather needs to clear up so I can try these 6:1’s outside!
