So once again I'm finding myself 16 miles behind on this blog, but the point of this blog isn't supposed to be perfect its a record its a form of communication and a way of making memories. My last post came after my disappointing run on Friday. "oh what the difference a day, week, month, year makes" Right? I find its hard to look at each run independently but rather as a collection of what has been done and a projection of what is to be. I find patterns. I search for them. The same is true with my running. One bad run tends to find its way into the next, despite my best efforts at starting anew. My run on Saturday was a perfect continuation of Friday's run. The first mile I realized my mistake of doing two pace runs in row. My legs felt like with every step I was fighting quicksand. My goal for my pace run was 9:00 minutes/mile. The first mile I hit 9:09. Blazing right? well I hate to say that it was the highlight of my run. My miles fell slowly and labored with each new beep of the watch. The times were an impressive 9:29, 9:47, 9:56 and finally 10:01. I told you. The entire run I kept trying to up the pace and yet I watched the minutes add up. Almost 4 miles in a quote popped into my head. From The Incredibles, Mr. Incredible asks a little boy "what are you waiting for?" and in a response that few would say but all think the little bubble blowing boy says "I don't know,something amazing, I guess"
I couldn't help but laugh. After 4 miles of labored, terrible running there I was laughing because I was waiting for something. Something Amazing. I am wanting to be perfect in my training. This simple quote drove in to me a lesson. That lesson was that I am not the one waiting. I am the one putting in the miles. I am the one who is almost at the end of week one training. There's 17 more weeks to be perfect. For not having done a paced run in almost 8 months, the disappointment seemed to give way to a peace about my runs.
This takes me up to my long run on Sunday. With a lighter step and a new resolve I set out. My total run was 8 miles. My goal was 80 minutes so a 10 minute mile. This is 75 seconds off of what I am wanting my marathon pace to be. (turns out this was a good guess as to how much slower long runs should be) Immediately, I felt as though the miles were running themselves. My times were 9:50, 10:03, 10:12, 10:07, 10:15, 10:04, 10:02, 10:10 for total of 1:20:49. I wound up less than a minute off the pace. I had to improvise a route as I guessed distances wrong. On my run the only thing I was thinking about was 10 minutes, stay at ten. I fell slower but overall only 49 seconds over eight miles. Twice in the run I decided to run through puddles and not go around. Terrible mistake. I ran the remaining miles with soaked shoes and socks. I made wrong turns and I ended up seeing new parts of the city, but i kept hitting that 10. I was obsessed even as the legs began to give out. What a difference a day makes......Is definitely the truth my bipolar runs continue but still I long for the runs like Sunday.
On a different note. We have our trip planned out for christmas! We are going to London. Then we are meeting Mark and Natalie in Madrid then going to Paris and Barcelona. It is going to be once in a lifetime trip and i'll get to see some of these cities while running. On an even lighter note Stevie found out today that she will be getting paid in the next couple days! thank you for all the support and love. We are definately learning from this experience and adventure. Until another time.
later days,
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