Reinvigorated...

Whoa, I can't believe it's been nearly 2 months since my last entry...I'm sure you've all missed me! HA!

So, I'm still deep into training for marathon #6, Twin Cities on October 4. For the most part, training has been going well. But, there were a few weeks recently that had me nervous. I typically have trouble with the highest mileage weeks. Usually, I'll skip one of the half long runs altogether and then have a horrible long run that weekend (lots of walking and being mad).

THIS time, I wanted to do my best to make it through those tough weeks and prove to myself that I could do it. Well, the good news is that I did complete those high mileage weeks. The bad news is that they weren't all that pretty.

Both weeks were very busy for me outside of work and then the weekends were jam packed with out of town trips and family stuff. There was a horrible downpour on the day of my 17 miler, so I ran 17 miles on the treadmill - blech!

The following week I had an 18 mile run and it was downright terrible. I am helping a friend train for her first half marathon. So, I told her I'd run the first 10 and she could meet me for the last 8. It was particularly humid/muggy that morning and I tried to keep a good attitude. But, as I began my run, my Garmin wouldn't show anything other than a 9:15 pace. I'm not knocking a 9:15 pace, but it's a bit frustrating to see that when you FEEL like you're running 8:40 pace. No matter what I did, that was the best I could do. Needless to say, my poor friend was waiting on me and a bit worried. By the time I had taken a GU and some Gatorade, I wasn't too interested in running 8 more. The next 8 miles consisted of running slow, then walking, then running, then walking...you get the idea. I felt bad that my friend wasn't getting a good run, but I also knew that I had to do whatever I needed to do to just get these miles IN!

So, for those few weeks and the week after the 18 miler, every run felt a bit like torture. They felt long (even if they were 4-5 miles) and they felt grueling. It's not fun to feel like that for 5 miles, let alone 18 miles. These are the moments when you doubt yourself. You start thinking, "Ooh, maybe I'm done with the whole marathon thing...maybe I can't do it another time?"

You can imagine I wasn't sure how my 13 miler would go last weekend. I was honestly just hoping to be able to do it, no matter what the pace. As soon as we began the run, I felt great! I felt exhilarated and light on my feet. The weather was gorgeous and I had 3 great friends with me. What a change! This was JUST what I needed!

This past week was more of the same. I did more treadmill runs due to the rainy weather, but felt strong. I had a 20 miler to run on Saturday. In the past, 20 milers have been the bain of my existence (and I'm sure several other marathoners). I ran the first 9 miles with a few friends and then broke off. I felt strong, even after 10 miles! That doesn't always happen for me. Honestly, I've had many 18-20 mile runs where I couldn't wait for them to end. This was for various reasons: fatigue, boredom, hunger, boredom...seeing a theme here? But, this time, before I knew it, 20 miles was DONE!

This wasn't my fastest 20, but it was right on pace with my goal time for a PR. Better yet, I felt strong at the finish and I know I could have kept going, if I needed to. I think I've had to stop and walk at least once, probably more than that, in almost every 20 I've run. I never once felt like walking this time, so that is huge! It's T minus 5 weeks until Twin Cities and I'm feeling good!

It just goes to show you that no matter how long you've been a runner, you can have highs and lows. It's all part of the deal you make when you sign the contract. It's in the fine print, I didn't read it before I signed, now I'm stuck... Either way, I'm in this for better or worse, but I'd prefer it to be "better" the majority of the time.

Happy running!