33 days until the half marathon and I am finally making really good progress. Yesterday I ran the 7.12 loop trail at Town Lake and had a great run. I must admit I was quite a bit nervous and a little down on myself about my ability to run it. And of course, scared that if it didn't go well, that I wouldn't be able to run the half in February. Why? Injuries. Lack of fitness. Up until yesterday my longest run was 5 miles and that was a while ago. For the last month or so, I have focused on running shorter distances more often until I fully recuperated my foot. I have consistently run 3.5-4 miles with little discomfort. But yesterday's run, I am happy to report, was fabulous.
I set out at my regular comfortable pace but had to slow a few times due to the number of people on the trail, passing, hills, and just plain ole unfamiliarity with the route. However, I ran the entire way and completed it in 80 minutes. Not bad considering I just started training in late November and had several setbacks. Considering all the aforementioned and my nervousness, I was sure that it would take me at least 90 minutes. You can imagine how thrilled I was when I saw my finish time. YES! I know it's not a record setting pace but now that I know I can do it, I think I will be able to push myself to go faster and finish in 2:20. I just need a few more long runs under my belt so I can get my pacing down.
Even better, I had absolutely no pain in my feet and I felt comfortable. My ankles and calves did feel a little tight after running a couple of hills but that was it. YAY! Yesterday was just one of those days when everything comes together - perfect weather, challenging route, comfortable pace, no pain - it was almost fun. It definitely inspired me and gave me a sense of personal accomplishment. It's amazing what you can do when you just try and not psych yourself out about what you can and can't do. And of course, it's always wonderful and inspiring to read posts from fellow bloggers and see how they motivate themselves. Thanks for inspiring me to try.
