I'll try to keep this brief since I have a ton of packing to do, but I knew I couldn't let today pass by without proper documentation.
I ran my first double digit run today! 10 miles! How's that for a rite of passage?!
I just woke up from an hour long nap and am scarfing down almost everything in the kitchen and there are no pictures because I already packed my camera but... 10 MILES!
My total time was around an hour and a half and my average pace was about 9:10min/miles (I'm too lazy to hook up my iPod, sorry!). I allowed myself a few 30-second walk/water/Honey Stinger breaks every two miles or so. I got super hungry around mile 8 (like last week) and then nearly bonked entering mile 9 (is my husband the only person who uses this term?), so I need to rethink my AM fueling strategy. I also ran with a new water bottle and I liked it a lot better than my old one.
The really neat thing about running on Saturday AM is that all the other distance runners are out doing their longs runs too! Because I kept doing the same 2-3 mile loop, I saw a lot of people multiple times. I felt like I was part of a really cool club. Also, Team in Training, San Jose Fit, and the Red Power Divas were all out doing group runs this morning as well. There were tons of runners on the trail! Usually this bothers me, but today I needed the encouragement of seeing a lot of other people out there.
I came home and did some yoga and then just lay on the floor for a little while, thinking about how incredible our bodies are. 2 months ago, I considered myself an athlete but never would have thought I could run 10 miles. And now, with training and a lot of mental preparation, I feel ready to tackle 13.1 next month (I still have four weeks, crazy!).
I think I underestimated how profoundly completing this run would affect me.
Running, for me, is almost as mental as it is physical. Every time I lace up my sneakers, I have to get past the mental roadblock of, "You can't do this." I don't know where that comes from, but it's a powerful sentiment and it has kept me from running for a long time. I will be so happy and so proud to cross the finish line at 13.1, but I think I'm even more happy and more proud about the weeks of preparation that went into getting me there.
I am a runner. I don't feel like I'm lying when I say that anymore.
- What is one moment in your life that you felt the most proud of yourself (exercise, or otherwise)?
Today was a clearly a big one for me! I also remember feeling incredibly proud of myself when I walked across the stage to receive my Master's degree in 2008. Like today, I felt like I had a accomplished something that not everyone has the strength or the patience to accomplish!
Big hugs from my graduate advisor!
We had a yummy lunch (B got the Norcal Nicoise Salad with seared Ahi tuna and I got a Thai Turkey Sandwich with basil and thai mayo - just a little, on the side!) and then headed home to putter around and pretend to get a lot of stuff done, when in reality I just laid out by the pool for a while. But hey, it's summer!
