Saturday, January 30, 2010
Yes, I had another 8 mile run this morning and I finished it successfully. I woke up early this morning very weary about attempting the 8 mile trek. I logged a very small amount of miles this week: 2 miles. Haha. I was able to get 2 hours of cross training in and a 1 hr. muscle toning class for some strength training, but with such little running time I was wondering how my body would respond. It definitely did not want to get out of bed at 7AM on a Saturday and quite frankly I don't blame it. Thankfully, I have an awesome running partner who motivates me and keeps me accountable for my long runs because we run together.
The first 45 minutes of our run was killer! I felt worse that I have on a long run in a month. My pace was a little slower than usual and my body was fighting me. Once we got to the 45 minute mark we tried some of the gummies I bought at the Track Shack and they were delicious! They were a little heavy on our stomaches during the remainder of the run, but about 15 minutes after taking 2 of the Cliff Bar Blocks I could start to tell how they were giving my body the extra push it needed to finish 45 MORE minutes of running.
We had great conversation during the run. We pretty much talked the whole time. Lianne is so encouraging and such a pleasure to be around. I am thankful for her. We were talking about how even in spite of exhaustion during the run and definitely after, along with a side of PAIN, we feel calm and refreshed during the run. It is a fantastic feeling. Right when we got done with 8 miles and lots of hugs and high fives (we always get excited when we make it to the end!) it started to rain. Perfect timing. God has been so gracious to give us the strength to do things we never thought our bodies could do :) Lianne always reminds me to pray and ask the Lord to give me the ability to run and complete my runs successfully. I always put the pressure on myself and my own abilities, knowing that if that were the case I probably wouldn't be able to log the miles I have been these last few weeks. He has been my strength and has brought me a long way. Thanks, Lianne for the much needed reminder!
The race is a little more than a month away. I can't believe it! I have come such a long way and the training is finally beginning to pay off. Next week we will tackle a new goal for our long run: 9 miles. From here on out we will add 1 mile each Saturday, hopefully building up to 12 miles. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength!
