omg. Running, DUH! That's where I've been. School picked up, family came into town, we went out of town, with that and kids, our house, food, friends, love, a dog and this and that...I've been busy. Less time to write but still running strong.
I've shortened a few of the scheduled training runs- totally okay. It's a vigorous schedule and I'm doing well. It got tough around week 5. My cumulative total after 5 weeks was almost 80 miles (EIGHTY MILES). I was physically exhausted and my body needed to get used to all the steps it was taking! I'm back on track and feeling great. This week's schedule:
Day 1: 4 miles (Tuesday)
Day 2: 6 miles (Friday)
Day 3: 4 miles (Thursday)
Day 4: 14 miles (Sunday)
Again, OMG. That's 28 miles in a week for a total of 154 miles of training. Commitment.
Why am I running all these miles? Why am I training for a marathon?
The level of physical and emotional commitment it requires is huge. Each week I push myself past what I thought was possible. It's an extraordinary accomplishment that can only be done through perseverance. When it gets tough, I keep going. When I don't want to run, I keep going. When I'm tired, I keep going. And all the while I love it. Each time I push through a difficult time I feel proud of the accomplishment. Talk about a boost to the self esteem! To be able to get through 16 weeks of training, almost 400 miles and to run 26.2 miles straight is kind of special. It's a peak experience that doesn't happen very often in life. Like climbing Mt. Kinabalu or having a baby, it's special. To work so hard for something and finish it gives a sense of pride rarely felt on such a scale. I'm running a marathon because it's difficult and I'm up for the challenge.
