Faithrunner....

At this point in my training plan, the weekly mileage has been in the upper 40's and rising.  In the early stages, slow and steady miles were important to gain strength and stamina, but not any more.  Now that I've got a good base to build on, the pace becomes as important as the mileage.  For the past two weeks I've struggled, cried, complained, moaned, and painfully dreaded several workouts yet lived to tell about them.  

There's an imaginary line drawn into my workout sessions where on one side of that line I'm running hard but it's bearable.  The other side of that line, it's a dark place I only visit if someone pushes me over.  That side is the point of no return, it's the place where my ribs are hurting from sucking wind, my quads feel like 3rd degree burns, and my intestines feel knotted and hurling my breakfast (or GU packets) is a regular practice.  I toe that line here or there, but I have a deep fear of crossing it.  That dark side gives me the chills, I hate pain and puking, BUT it's also where I need to go if I want to see progress.  If I want to get faster, stronger, more competitive, then I need to learn to cross that line with courage.  Moral of this story?  Watch where you step if you're on the trail.......I've been crossing that line this week!!

Fear can live within each of us when it comes to working out, that's normal!  It can be a fear of working out in front of others, a fear of being the slowest runner in the group, a fear of wearing shorts for the first time, a fear of failing or not completing a workout.  I understand those fears, been through them all at some point or another, they are legit.  Fear can eat you alive, it can keep you from reaching goals or your potential, not starting a workout or a new diet plan, it can capture you and leave you feeling trapped within yourself.  My challenge to you is to look that fear dead in the eyes and push forward.  Break free from that trap:  go to that gym, run with that group, push your body to the max, wear those shorts like no one's business, just DO it and see what lies on the other side for you.

My dearest friend (the one I'm training to do her first 5K) has shared many of her fears of working out, they are legitimate fears that have kept her bound for way too long.  I'm so proud of her for stepping out in faith, out of her comfort zone in order to reach goals that will bring her better health and longevity.    There are just 8 days until our race together, only 8!!!  She has worked so hard, succeeded in so many ways, reached levels higher than she imagined, and surpassed every goal we set in her training plan!!  But with the race looming over her head, there are new fears popping up and anxiety levels that are getting harder for her to maintain.  Breathe....Just Breathe.   Don't think about the finish line, just think about what got you to the starting line, just think about the baby steps we've taken to get to this point and rely on those accomplishments to fuel your faith.  I'm honored to be running with her next weekend and I'm beyond excited to look at her face when we cross that finish line, that will be a moment I wouldn't want to miss.

Happy training, fight fear with faith, cross over to the other side.

Mantra for my friend this week:  "The miracle isn't that I finished.  The miracle is that I had the COURAGE to start."

In late November, my poor Apple desktop completely crashed.....finished....done....gave up.  It was old, worn out and tired, but it kept me in touch with the world and I liked it (even though it was slower than molasses!)  My android phone gets internet and email, does a few fancy things, but you simply can't type an entire blog entry on that little thing and expect yourself to be headache free when you're done, so I've been out for a bit.

I'm happy to report that on Friday, my husband surprised me with a new Apple iMac that feels like a Cadillac compared to what I was working with before, my goodness it's fast!!  I'm smitten.  So, I'm back in touch with reality, the blog world, internet, pictures, etc!!

As for running?  There's about 8.5 weeks to go before the Tobacco Road marathon and I'm starting to feel like I'm in a good pattern, finally.  The past several weeks have been spent running many miles on hilly trails and at slower paces, it's all good but I hate feeling so slow.  Those miles were important for building strength, stamina and endurance, so I get it.  But, we're moving on to the next phase....miles plus pace and I'm looking forward to the new challenges this will bring.

Yesterday was the end of this week's training that concluded the 48 mile week with a long run of 20 miles.  It was honestly the first long run that felt good, great even.

icy bridges early morning

steam rising off the trail

Yes it was long, but I was both surprised and happy with how my body felt.  I realized that my legs felt strong, my heart rate under control, my breathing very easy and steady, so really it's all about my head.  It's easy to talk yourself out of a hard run or tell yourself to walk when you should push harder, it's more mental than physical.  I felt physically strong and capable yesterday so all I needed was the mental part to join in, it came together like a harmonic symphony!  Finally....at last....ahhh....





Not every run will be harmonic, feel great, or go well, that's why I don't run based on "feelings."  I run with my schedule in hand, follow the plan, do it even if it doesn't feel good.  Monday didn't feel good, I was sucking wind, cursing the track with every stride, and absolutely hating the run....really hating it.  It's those tough days and hard work outs that make you stronger, so suck it up and get it done.  Your day of happy running will come.  My mantra on Monday was "Shut up and Run," but my mantra on Friday was "Think strong, Be strong, Finish strong."

I'm not at the pace I want to be yet, but I know it's coming, I'm working for it.  I'm just thankful it was a great run on the trail, especially when I had to run it solo!!