Tuesday: 6 Miles (51:38)
I have always felt that my mental fortitude is quite resilient. With my first 20 mile run upcoming Saturday though, I am already thinking ahead and have found the mental battles already beginning. My Tuesday runs have conditioned my body to know what to expect, while I didn’t feel 100% this morning, I did feel good knowing however that I wasn’t going to endure the mileage that Stephanie and Losey were putting themselves through with a double digit run planned for the day, silver lining thinking.
With the first official week of school underway, I am Mentor to teachers, so I spend the majority of my day moving from room to room, along with the miles piling up, dead leg is becoming a real thing. Usually, the first mile allows me to iron out all of the kinks and soreness, but I found today that it took longer to eliminate these feelings and for most of the run, I felt like my legs weighed a ton. Though the pace wasn’t terrible, I struggled with maintaining my pace throughout and had moments where I would have preferred to walk, usually for my first run of the week. I need to be mindful of recovery over the next few weeks to ensure that my body can endure the pounding it will take with running and work. Mentally and physical fatigue at this point I could live without, but I know it will become my reality by the end of this week.
Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:
Mile 1: 9:36
Mile 2: 8:53
Mile 3: 7:57
Mile 4: 8:27
Mile 5: 8:22
Mile 6: 8:12
Overall Time: 51:38 & 8:36 Pace
Quote of the Day:
“Run in the morning… Before your brain figures out what your doing..”
Wednesday: 6 Miles (50:50)
This run gave me the positive momentum that I needed with my 20 miler upcoming this weekend. Looking at the splits for each mile, I was definitely in a groove and it didn’t hurt that the weather cooperated this morning. It is incredible what happens when the humidity is low and the temperatures are cool to start the morning. I am feeling more and more reassured that I can run a much faster race if the humidity and temperatures are low in Baltimore, but I know all of that remains to be seen.
Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:
Mile 1: 9:12
Mile 2: 8:36
Mile 3: 8:33
Mile 4: 8:20
Mile 5: 8:15
Mile 6: 7:49
Overall Time: 50:50 & 8:27 Pace
Quote of the Day:
“Running is nothing more than a series of arguments between the part of your brain that wants to stop and the part of your brain that wants to keep going.”
Thursday: 6 Miles (51:07)
The magic number this week seemed to be 6 and though it wasn't part of the plan, it has been neat looking at my splits and overall time to see how close each has been. I have also been able to run with several different members of the running group and that continued today with a new running friend, Ashley. She is one of the quicker runners with the Saturday group, so i was a little concerned as to whether or not I would be able to keep pace with her. (If you are noticing, this is a common theme I have with the majority of the people I run with, nothing like ensuring I am constantly pushing myself.)
The run was fairly typical, though we did start the 1st mile faster than I normally would, which probably came from the anxiety of running with someone new, It was nice being able to learn about another runner within our group as I typically don’t keep up with Ashley and the group she runs with during the weekend. It is definitely neat to see common threads with all of the runners and feel the “family” mentally that everyone as, as each is there to motivate and push the other to achieve their goal. Though different in their way of doing it, I know I wouldn’t be where I am at this moment without the support of all of these amazing runners.
Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:
Mile 1: 8:39
Mile 2: 8:25
Mile 3: 8:43
Mile 4: 8:38
Mile 5: 8:24
Mile 6: 8:14
Overall Time: 51:07 & 8:30 Pace
Quote of the Day:
“The difference between dreams and reality is called discipline.”
Saturday: 20 Miles (2:53:01)
The anxiety that came with this morning was unlike any other. I tend to do a fairly decent job of hiding my emotions and not really sharing a lot of my feelings, but today, I was scared as hell for it to begin. This date has been circled on my calendar, taunting me and making me second guess everything that I have worked for this far in training. I would like to say that I can remember all of the thoughts that ran through my head, but I spent the first several miles talking myself off my own mental cliff and didn’t do much talking with the group. Analyzing my splits, I am beginning to know identify when the best times will be for me to rehydrate and take in calories to ensure that my body doesn’t flat line. It appears that my nemesis is mile 14-15 and while the pace didn’t drop substantially, I know that I struggled to mentally fight past some cramping and ideas of simply stopping. Thankfully, my running buddy continued to hold me accountable and keep me from thinking to long about anything that would deter me from finishing all 20. I am definitely thankful for having Stephanie continue to run with me when I know that my pace is much slower than what she can actually run. Having this network of like minded friends has definitely helped me push past mental obstacles and for that I am forever grateful.
Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:
Mile 1: 9:27
Mile 2: 8:52
Mile 3: 8:41
Mile 4: 8:36
Mile 5: 8:23
Mile 6: 8:31
Mile 7: 8:21
Mile 8: 8:35
Mile 9: 8:24
Mile 10: 8:29
Mile 11: 8:26
Mile 12: 8:39
Mile 13: 8:30
Mile 14: 8:55
Mile 15: 8:50
Mile 16: 8:48
Mile 17: 8:39
Mile 18: 8:55
Mile 19: 8:25
Mile 20: 8:22
Overall Time: 2:53:01 & 8:38 Pace
Quote of the Day:
“Everything you need is already inside.” ~ Nike
Sunday: 4 Miles (39:53)
It has been quite some time since I have been able to run with Jennifer and today couldn’t have been any better. With her training coming closer and closer to an end for the Plaza 10k, I have enjoyed listening to her tell her story and see the enthusiasm in her voice. When we first began, our runs were short and often quiet as Jennifer focused on breathing and not so much a conversation, fortunately, this has all changed. Looking back on it all, I feel fortunate that I could be apart of her journey and have enjoyed seeing her see success in her running. Her goal for the 10k is to finish within an hour and though I don’t want to sound overly confident and jinx her, I know that she is going to kill it, I can’t wait to see her face when that happens!
Below is the breakdown of my splits for each mile:
Mile 1: 9:57
Mile 2: 10:01
Mile 3: 9:48
Mile 4: 10:01
Overall Time: 39:53 & 9:57 Pace
Quote of the Day:
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” ~Howard Thurman
Final Thoughts:
With 7 weeks remaining until Baltimore I have surpassed 300 miles (318) after logging a total of 42 this week. With the new school year in full swing and other stressors rearing up, this week was more mentally taxing than physically demanding. I experienced many moments this week where I felt as if my head were in the clouds and I was simply trying to just make it through. While I have developed a love for running, it has also been my outlet to get away from life, if even for a little while. Don’t get me wrong, running is still very much a time that I can go out and test myself, but I do enjoy and need that time to slip away from life and just be in that moment. Even in pain and discomfort, I find an eerie sense of peace that I have never been to find anywhere else. I do often wonder what other runners think about while they run, are they battling anything internal, escaping something personal, or are all they just happy as a clam to be out and running. I also wonder what keeps them running, what is their motivation and drive and how do they maintain it. Feel like responding, let me know, I’d love to hear it.
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ReplyDeleteI find that it seems nearly impossible to explain running to someone who doesn’t run. “Why do you do it? What makes it so great? Do you ever get sick of it?” Most people expect for us to have answers to these questions, but the beauty is, we don’t have to. We have found something that brings us more pain and exhaustion than we’d ever wish upon someone else…yet we do it time and time again because to us, that pain and exhaustion represents so much more. But what it represents to me is a far cry from what it represents to someone else.
ReplyDeleteYou don’t find too many runners who question why other people DON’T run. We realize that it’s not something we can force upon other people. It’s not something we can talk up and make sound amazing. Heck, most of our reasons for loving it would probably sound like punishment to others. We do it because it’s what we’ve come to know and somehow we couldn’t imagine our lives any differently.
As far as what other runners think about while they run…what do you think about? Do you have a set list of items, do you even remember what flows through your mind as your legs carry you through the miles? Sometimes the thoughts we have that stick with us are profound, but I’ve come to believe that some of the most important thoughts are those that merely pass on through. Maybe they get us through a rough stretch of the trail or maybe it’s the unexpected internal boost of confidence we get just as our stride falls into place and allows the run to truly seem effortless. Do those things come to the forefront of your mind when asked what you think about while running…of course not. But are those the things that make it so incredibly hard to let go? Without a doubt.
We’re all battling and we’re all escaping…it’s that sense of freedom and liberation that sets us apart and draws us together all at once. The ongoing cycle of determination, doubt, and desire keeps us going. And what about accomplishment? Was the goal met at the end of the training cycle? Was a new personal best discovered? Or was it simply an accomplishment to get out the door and make time for what brings you an unrivaled sense of completeness?
I’m sure I could go on for far too long, putting together what sounds good, what I wish went through my mind all the time, but if we’re being honest, sometimes I don’t know why I love running so much. Sometimes I don’t understand how I keep at it during the highs and the lows. Maybe it is out of my control. Maybe it’s just something that was given to me because I needed it.
What I do know however is that I’m thankful for it each and every day. Even on the tough days. Even on the days where I don’t feel like I belong and the ones where I wish I could be invisible. It not only has brought me some of my happiest memories, but it’s introduced me to some of the best friends I’ve ever made. Friends who are genuine and real. Friends who put my dreams, my goals, and my needs before theirs. Friends who believe in me more than I’ve ever believed in myself.
Don’t take that for granted. Take the friendships to heart, take the moments of triumphs and the moments of despair to heart as well. After all, I’d be fairly confident in saying that triumph or despair is what put you on this path to begin with and there’s no turning back now.