After Sunday's run I was feeling pretty down about running. After finishing the half marathon with a really great time, I've been putting pressure on myself to keep getting faster. It was starting to take the fun out of running. I've been in a running funk lately - I haven't been looking forward to running. All of my runs have been about beating the clock instead of running for pure enjoyment . Tonight I finally found my running spark again, but it didn't come until mile 5. I started my watch at the beginning of my run, but decided I was going to keep my watch set to the clock and not the stopwatch. Time was not of importance tonight. Tonight was all about going the distance (7 miles) and enjoying the beautiful evening. Lately, I've been running a lot in the morning before work. Because time is tight my runs have been rushed and running hasn't been as enjoyable.
Tonight I was inspired. My thoughts were all over the place and for the first time in weeks I was really able to reflect on life while running. Tonight I took time to reflect on how blessed I am to be able to run. Two people at the park really inspired me, a man with a prosthetic leg and a woman who had problems walking. Despite their handicaps they were still out there. Seeing them made me appreciate the fact that I can run without problems. I need to learn to appreciate my body more. The human body is an incredible machine. Despite all of the crap we put it through with our diets and bad habits it keeps chugging along. I am fortunate that my legs are able to train for a marathon. I know most of us have body image problems. I know I do. So from here on out, instead of waking up every morning and saying - my butt looks big in these pants or my pants must of have shrunk in the dryer because they're feeling tight, I am going to start appreciating my body. Our bodies do amazing things. Just think of all the muscle fibers, nerves, bones and other systems that all must interact for us to live our daily lives. It's pretty fascinating when you actually sit down and think about how powerful the human body is.
I am going to learn to respect my body more. If I have a bad run, I am not going to get discouraged. My body did the best it could that day. And if I don't have a good time during a run, I'm not going to stress about it. My goal for the marathon is to finish. That's been the goal the whole time. I'm not going to be concerned with times anymore. I am only at week 3 of this 18-week training program. It will be a long road; it's just started.
So here's what the past week has looked like in terms of training:
Sunday I blogged about my hot, not-so-successful run.
Monday: Elliptical
Tuesday: A 34 minute hill run (not sure how far)
Wednesday: 3.5 miles (my time was 30:05 although I am not concerned about times)
Today: 7 miles (1:03:11)
Friday: Off
Saturday: Not sure
Sunday: Not sure
Monday: Not sure
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