I've been gone for a minute but I'm back. School is back in session, which means I had to return to my day job. Between motherhood, work, and workout time I've been pretty busy. Oh yeah, plus I'd rather sleep than blog so when I do have a free moment that's what I do.
Despite my schedule, I have managed to keep up with my running schedule. There are only two weeks left until the Suntrust 1/2 Marathon. Wowww, time flies. Today I ran the farthest distance I have ever run in my life...wait for it...12.4 miles. It amazes me that anyone, including myself, would run that far without being chased. Was it easy? Absolutely not. Was it fun? I could think of more exciting things I could have done with my Saturday mornings. Was it exhilirating? ABSOLUTELY!!!! I'm amazed at the things the human body is capable of doing.
Last week, I struggled running seven miles, which was surprising. At that point I had already run nine miles, without so much as a hiccup. But, there I was struggling to get in 7. At the end of that run I reflected on my week and realized that my diet was horrible the week prior to the run and it was cold as hell. Keeping that in mind, I made sure I monitored what I ate more carefully leading up to this 12 mile run and wore weather appropriate attire. It made a heck of a difference. Now, I'm not going to lie, I snuck in two cookies and a brownie (or two), oh and a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (my inner foodie) but for the most part I ate well. I felt strong during the run and mentally I felt like Super Woman.
My headphones were bumping, my running buddies and I were weaving in and out of the other runners and it felt good. With each strike of my foot on the pavement, my confidence grew. I started to envision the finish line...then I realized I was only on mile 5...I had 7 more to go. LOL. It actually wasn't too bad. Stopping at every rest stop to refuel with Powerade helped tremendously. The stops were only a few seconds but they were necessary. I was able to tune out the run for the most part, which made the challenge of getting to the finish line easier. At about mile 9.5 I got an adrenaline rush. At that point I felt like I could do anything. The rest is history. We finished out the run with a time of 1hr and 48min, picked up our bagels, stretched and headed home.
This 12 miler was excellent preparation for race day for many reasons. First, it showed me that "Yes, I can do this". Second, I know what I need to do to prepare for race day in terms of diet and attire. Third, I now know that I need some new music on my ipod (if you have any suggestions, please throw them my way). Halfway through the race my playlist ended. I had to tinker with it to change the playlist. No bueno!! It wasn't as easy as it sounds.
Anyone can complete a race...yes, I said it...anyone can complete a race. Whether you walk it, run it, or a combination of both, you can get it done. There are people training for this same 1/2 marathon who walk or have a really slow running pace. All you need is a plan, some motivation, and most importantly a support system. Joining the Sportsbackers training team is the ONLY way I could have been able to make it through the long runs we've had. You find people who run at your pace and who keep you going strong. When I feel like saying "screw this" I just look around me and see people still going so I keep going.
Race day is almost here and I can officially say I AM READY!!!! Let's Get It!!!
