I'm Getting Better!
Every day seems to be better!
Except for the day when I realized the track at the middle school was short - that day was a total let-down.
But, today, I set out for four miles. Again. My goal was similar to a goal I've set for myself time and time again. Run as far as I can without walking, but still not killing myself so that I end up walking the entire last mile.
I've been feeling like my endurance is not where it should be at this point, which was highlighted when I walked for TWENTY MINUTES on Monday's 67 minute run. Yesterday, I walked one minute for every mile, which was much better. 4/38 seems a lot better than 20/67.
As I started running "Proud" by Heather Small played first on my mp3 player. THAT, I have said to myself since I got this, is my power song. The song that makes me kick it up a notch and keep going. Fortunately, the last two runs, that happened to be the last song that played.
But today it was the first. And I'm *very* proud of myself for this very reason:
I only walked two minutes. Two minutes out of four miles, or 37:00. That, my dear friend Heather Small, is what I've done today to make myself feel proud.
I literally ran ALL THE WAY to Family Video. All the way to that corner, in 18:18, without stopping to walk. That is exactly two miles. Now, I will say this. Come marathon day, I would not feel at ALL stupid if I stopped every two miles for one minute of walking. I would actually be quite proud of that. However, come marathon day, I would hope that I have the capability to run 5 miles without walking. Whatever it is, I know I will not do my maximum run/walk ratio, as I want to finish strong, not dragging along. I'm not doing this to win a race, but instead, to finish a marathon...a goal I set for myself 3 years before marathon day.
I'm trying to think of a cause that I like the best. I'm thinking of trying to take advantage of my marathon run to raise money for something. Perhaps a domestic abuse shelter in Janesville? That's what I'm thinking.
Oh, and I found what is *really* my power song, and anyone who still reads this will laugh at me, but it's the "Faulkner Remix" of Howard Dean. That was the last song playing as I finished today, and it pushed my all the way to my finish line quite well.
Oh, what's even prouder about myself doing this run is that today was so crazy with check-outs, and I didn't have time to run during the day. I didn't leave until 11:00 to go running....and even though it was still late, I still did it!
Why? Because I'm a marathon runner. That's what I do.
That, and update...
Today's Stats:
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:00 *exactly*
Minutes per mile: 9:15
Days to Marathon: 106
Total Run: 123 miles
Except for the day when I realized the track at the middle school was short - that day was a total let-down.
But, today, I set out for four miles. Again. My goal was similar to a goal I've set for myself time and time again. Run as far as I can without walking, but still not killing myself so that I end up walking the entire last mile.
I've been feeling like my endurance is not where it should be at this point, which was highlighted when I walked for TWENTY MINUTES on Monday's 67 minute run. Yesterday, I walked one minute for every mile, which was much better. 4/38 seems a lot better than 20/67.
As I started running "Proud" by Heather Small played first on my mp3 player. THAT, I have said to myself since I got this, is my power song. The song that makes me kick it up a notch and keep going. Fortunately, the last two runs, that happened to be the last song that played.
But today it was the first. And I'm *very* proud of myself for this very reason:
I only walked two minutes. Two minutes out of four miles, or 37:00. That, my dear friend Heather Small, is what I've done today to make myself feel proud.
I literally ran ALL THE WAY to Family Video. All the way to that corner, in 18:18, without stopping to walk. That is exactly two miles. Now, I will say this. Come marathon day, I would not feel at ALL stupid if I stopped every two miles for one minute of walking. I would actually be quite proud of that. However, come marathon day, I would hope that I have the capability to run 5 miles without walking. Whatever it is, I know I will not do my maximum run/walk ratio, as I want to finish strong, not dragging along. I'm not doing this to win a race, but instead, to finish a marathon...a goal I set for myself 3 years before marathon day.
I'm trying to think of a cause that I like the best. I'm thinking of trying to take advantage of my marathon run to raise money for something. Perhaps a domestic abuse shelter in Janesville? That's what I'm thinking.
Oh, and I found what is *really* my power song, and anyone who still reads this will laugh at me, but it's the "Faulkner Remix" of Howard Dean. That was the last song playing as I finished today, and it pushed my all the way to my finish line quite well.
Oh, what's even prouder about myself doing this run is that today was so crazy with check-outs, and I didn't have time to run during the day. I didn't leave until 11:00 to go running....and even though it was still late, I still did it!
Why? Because I'm a marathon runner. That's what I do.
That, and update...
Today's Stats:
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 37:00 *exactly*
Minutes per mile: 9:15
Days to Marathon: 106
Total Run: 123 miles