I began running on my own, to get in my miles, and had arranged to pass by Joy's office when she got off work. I reached the three mile mark right as she came outside and then we began running together. When Joy felt like she needed to slow down we did and at one point when she felt like stopping, we power walked. We picked the pace back up and when she was at a point of desperation I informed her that she had already run four-tenths of a mile and needed to go just one more. The look on Joy's face was priceless - instead of worry it was suddenly "hey, I can do this!" She ended up running 0.66 mile and didn't give up. My total mileage was 3.66 at a pace of 11:03 per mile. Joy agreed to run a half-mile again in the following days to get stronger at it. I'm so proud of "Joy" and am sharing this story to remind all my readers that you've got to start somewhere to move forward!
64 Days to Go - I really wanted to reach the four mile mark and knew that I'd need a little motivation so I called on Sharon to run with me. Not only did she agree to help me get in four miles but she also brought along three other inspiring ladies to run with us. One of the ladies was this week's guest blogger, Tiffany.
The route we ran had 315 feet of elevation gain and was a bit of a mental challenge as one of the hills was a steady and looooong incline. The group of ladies kept me motivated and even though they were capable of running much faster, they all stayed with me throughout the run. They each had helpful tips to share along our run. For example:
- Shorten your strides when running uphill in order to get more power.
- It's perfectly normal and acceptable to say silly little motivational things to yourself while running! :-)
- Be sure to try GU (an energy gel that is available during the race) prior to race day to ensure that the taste does not make you feel sick. (Since I have a history of being sensitive to certain food dyes this was excellent advice!)
- Remember to drink lots of water throughout the day while training.
We made it to the end of our route and I felt great accomplishing my goal. We ran 4.06 miles at a pace of 9:47 per mile. I was so thankful for everyone's support! All four of the ladies agreed that others had helped them to become runners so they we're happy to help new runners get started.The wonderful thing about the running community is that no matter what level you are at, there is someone who is willing to help you move forward. I'm very happy to be involved in the MHC running community!
63 Days to Go - This is a rest day from running and we're hosting H's birthday party...a great day to take a break!
62 Days to Go - After taking a rest day, it was difficult to get motivated this morning. Taking that first step out the door was the hardest for me but I did it. I ran 3.12 miles, in my neighborhood, at pace of 11:11 per mile. I can say that being motivated by others or trying to motivate someone else beats the heck out of running alone! During my run, I was getting bored but I remembered advice from Tiffany about setting small goals along the route. When I felt sluggish, I'd find an object ahead like a mailbox or light pole and challenge myself to run harder to that point. A few moments after reaching that point I'd select another location in the distance. This really helped to keep me motivated about finishing my run. Afterwards, I felt so good. It was definitely worth pushing myself.
My goal for tomorrow is to get in another three or four mile run but on a different route to have some new scenery.
How is your training going? I'd love to hear about it so be sure to comment below.
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