Thankful to Harrison Hill

I did it!! Today, I ran 8.28 miles non stop! It was the first 6 miles of the Manchester Half Marathon course and then 2 miles off course to make it back. I did not need to stop to walk once! 

Last Tuesday, during the training group, we had a lower mileage day and instead did hill repeats. We ran about 1.65 miles to the hill, ran up and down the hill three times, and then headed back. This hill is both very long and incredibly steep. The first two times that I went up, I ended up needing to start walking about 3/4 of the way to the top. Even with walking, the last part of the hill was so steep that I was taking 3 steps to take me the distance that I normally take in one. The last trip up the hill, I had decided that I really wanted to make it the whole time running. And I did it!! I was so excited when I made it up to the top without stopping to walk - it felt like a huge accomplishment. 

My fabulous running coach really put it into perspective for me when we were talking about my struggle with hills.. None of the hills that we need to run are that bad. "Just keep telling yourself that it's not as bad as Harrison" - she said. Let me tell you, that definitely worked. When I got to each hill today, I just kept going and thinking about how the hill wasn't really that bad. It also helped that I've been listening to "Born to Run" on my iPhone while I've been running. My good friend, Dave, lent it to me a long time ago - longer than I'm embarrassed to admit because I feel bad I've kept it so long! I've been reading the book, but downloaded an audio form so that I could listen to on my long runs if I'm running alone. It has been a tremendous help - especially listening to that book while I'm actually running.. I love it! I'm almost done reading it and I will be sad for it to go.. I might just have to buy my own copy. 

The past few runs, I have left my Garmin at home. I wanted to focus less on pace and more on how my body feels, especially for these longer runs. I've still been keeping track of my pace via the Nike plus running app, but since that sits in my fuel belt, I only hear my pace every mile, and would be okay if it didn't even do that. I have found that my pace has definitely been getting slower, but my runs have felt great! I really want to get a little faster though, especially for race day, but my ultimate goal is to finish without walking.. I think I'm right on track for that.. I mean.. I ran 8.28 miles today non stop! This is my longest run without a walking break yet - and I felt great.. I felt like I could have done more! 

After the run, I met up with my mom & dad, my niece Eva and took Sully to walk a 3 mile Alzheimer's walk. My niece is only 4 years old and walked the entire thing. I'm so proud of her! There were a few times that she whined and wanted to be carried, but we talked her through it. She was really happy when we finished. She got to go in the bounce house and then we went for lunch and ice cream. 

I'm so excited for a relaxing evening tonight. I'm going to my friend, Savannah's, and we are having a good old fashioned slumber party. SO psyched! I haven't had a slumber party since who knows when.. Probably high school, when I slept over her house last. I think it will be a lot of fun!

 

Proud

What's the word up there above in the title? Proud? I'm pretty confident that word does not make its way into my vocabulary all too often - probably far less frequently than it should. It's interesting (I started to say funny here.. but it's not really funny), I was on my group run last night chatting with some people that I was running with and I was talking about just how hard that I am on myself. I beat myself up really bad when I need to walk on a run, or when I feel like my pace is REALLY slow.. like slower than what is my acceptable "fast" pace, which is still a 12-12:30 minute mile. Somebody will say to me "You ran a half marathon"... and I will say back to them "But I walked so much of it, so much more than I wanted to walk". 

Why does there always need to be a but? Why can't I just be PROUD of my runs? It's okay to want more - to want to improve pace and distance - but it is not okay to diminish your accomplishments because they didn't turn out exactly how you had hoped. The funny thing about this is that, I know this. Had any of my friends ever come to me and said "Oh I only run a 13 minute mile, or yeah, I did a half marathon, but I had to walk so much of it that I didn't really 'run' it", I would tell them just how crazy they are for thinking that. I would tell them that they are awesome. That they have accomplished so much. So many people don't even run, period, never mind train for a half marathon. Why is this so easy to say to somebody else, but so hard for me to accept?

Anyways, I started really thinking about this last night on my run. Last night, we did 6 miles with the half marathon training group and you know what? For the first time in awhile, I was PROUD of my run. The funny thing about this, is that it was my slowest pace in awhile. Here are my splits: 

1- 12'56"

2- 14'42"

3- 14'25"

4- 14'22"

5- 13'51"

6- 13'40"

But I was proud because I had to work HARD for this run. I have a tendency to allow my mind to convince my body that I "can't" do something when the going gets tough. This is especially true when it comes to hills - I cannot tell you how many hills that I have walked over the past couple of years. Anyways, so the first couple miles of this route was VERY hilly. My shins were killing me - almost felt as if they were on fire and I was just not feeling it. My breathing was really bad too. But, I kept going. I have always heard the running mantra that you quit when you are done, not when you are tired, and I really wanted to emulate that. I just kept putting one foot in front of the other, concentrating on not giving up. A couple of miles in, we turned off the very hilly road and I turned a corner mentally. I felt great. I did feel like I was going faster than I actually was - but oh well, my body felt great. The rest of the course had some rolling hills and I found myself really enjoying them. I actually feel ready for my 8 mile run tomorrow. 

Tomorrow's run is going to be the first 6 miles of the half marathon course - and then 2 miles off course to head back. I won't be running with the group because I have an Alzheimer's walk with my mom, Mike and Eva. So I'll be heading out at 7 am tomorrow to conquer 8 miles. The first 4 miles of the course can be pretty hilly, so I really want to stay focused and not walk on those hills!

Runners = the nicest people

Has it seriously been another MONTH since I've blogged? I cannot believe how busy I've been. I have been on the go since I got back from vacation last month.. and now I am back in school taking two online classes. 

I keep telling myself that I need to give myself a break, but then I always end up filling my day completely. It's just who I am.. The funny thing is, I wasn't always this way. I remember when I would spend my days off sleeping in until 2 pm and then doing nothing but lounging on the couch all day. When I look at myself now, I can't believe that I ever was that person. Now my weekends are more jam packed than my workweek. They are filled with sleepovers with my two favorite little girls (my nieces), spending time with friends and family, and doing active things such as running and hiking. Had you told me when I was in high school, or even a little over 3  years ago, that this is the person that I would become, I probably would have laughed in your face. I really do need to take a break soon, but I am definitely glad to be living my life to the fullest. 

This weekend, true to form, was jam packed. Yesterday morning, I had the annual 5k trail race that is sponsored by my work. I originally was not going to do it this year, as Saturday mornings are my half marathon training group runs; however, the director of customer service at my work had e-mailed me a free entry to the race. I couldn't turn it down. Especially since I was supposed to do it as part of the Move It & Lose It challenge at work. A few months ago, two friends that I work with started this challenge for us to join where we would aim to be healthier - either lose weight and/or be more active depending on what your own personal goals were. I had signed up to be a part of it, but then had to stop attending the weekly meetings due to half marathon training group runs being on the same night and time. 

Anyways, I was supposed to run 7 miles as part of my half marathon schedule. I had planned on running 4 in the morning before the 5k and then 3.1 for the 5k. However, I did not wake up early enough to do this. The 5k was great. There were a few people that I work with that this was there first time walking/running a 5k. I was so excited for them, because I knew the pure joy that they would feel after completing their first ever 5k - there is never another feeling like it. I have a love/hate relationship with this course. I love the fact that it is on a trail because it is easier on my body and my pace is always great... for the first 2 miles. The last almost mile is on an area of the trail that is very steep, winding, rocky and cluttered with roots. There were parts that were incredibly muddy this year. I had to run/walk part of this. Last year, I hurt my foot and it was not worth sustaining an injury again. 

What I always seem to forget is just how nice runners are. I always pictured runners as people who think they are better or faster than others and, for the most part, that could not be further from the truth. As a runner with a slower pace, I have received so much encouragement from other runners, especially when out on the course. The 5k course for Saturday was a loop. The course went out 1.65 miles and then looped back and then veered off to the left at mile 2. From mile 1 to the turnaround point, there was a steady stream of runners that were ahead of me and running by me. I cannot even count the number of people that cheered me (and others behind me) on when I was running past them, saying "Great Job", "Keep it Up" and some even giving me a high five, many of them from people that I had never seen before, and will never see again. When I was almost to the finish line, runners who had just finished took some time to congratulate me on finishing. It is just the greatest feeling in the world, and one of the many reasons that I was so excited for my work friends to experience this. 

Co-workers before the 5k!

 

After the race!

Me after the 5k!

After the race, I was going to just run four miles around where the trail was, but upon second thought realized that the roads were probably busier than I would have liked. I set off to head towards downtown Manchester to run some city roads that I was familiar with, when I received a text from Sarah asking if I wanted to meet up with her to run the remaining 4 miles. I was excited because I definitely was not looking to running an additional four miles... You're supposed to stop at the end of a race! We met up at a flat trail in Epping that we have walked the dogs at. We ran out 2.5 miles and ran back 1.5 and then walked a mile for cool down. My pace was faster than my runs recently, but still comfortable. (aka slow!) It was great to have Sarah there! I'm sure if she was not there that I would have most likely ended up walking some of that as it was definitely hard to break up the run into two runs. She also did great. She hasn't run that distance in a few months and handled it like a pro! OH - and the weather was PERFECT! I love fall running!

Sarah & I after our run and cool down walk

 Half marathon training is going well. I still can't believe that in a few short weeks, I will be a running a HALF MARATHON. 13.1 miles. EEk! It seems unfathomable. But then again, a couple of months ago, I couldn't picture running 7, which I did the past two weeks - one all in one stretch and the other split up this past weekend. I definitely need to work on hills the next few weeks. Any time I have needed to do the walk/run method has been to get me up a big hill, and there are some big hills in the Manchester Half. So, I really need to do this, and stop saying that I'm going to do it. Last year, I had to walk a lot more than I wanted to. I really want to run the entire 13.1 this year, and I think that if I get the hills under control, that I will succeed. 

I've definitely rambled on way too much tonight. Off to bed! :)