My long run on Saturday was 10 miles, and it also happened to be July 10. Ever the math nerd, the tens make me smile. A nice even number if you ask me. I wish I could say I have 10 weeks of training left but I’m down to 9. Nine weeks! I don’t know if I’ll be ready, but whether I’m ready or not, I’m fully committed to finishing this race.

This has been an interesting journey so far, and I still have two grueling months to go. I’ve learned a lot so far about finding where my physical limits are. I’ve learned that those limits are not static. As I slowly increase my mileage, I find those limits get stretched out a little further. I still marvel at what my legs can do. I don’t get the drop foot that I used to, but my left leg is still much weaker than the right. I have to be careful not to trip, or to get over fatigued. My vision gets more foggy as the miles roll by, but since I’m never moving at lightning speed I just trust that I’m not going to run anyone over. And with the trails I’ve been running on, there aren’t really any obstacles for me to worry about.

One of the things that’s been a challenge is finding running routes in my area that are accessible to me. I live in a town that has trails all over the place. Trails that I’ve run before, with a friend, while training for my half marathon last year. When I committed to this marathon I knew I was going to have to utilize these trails or else I would just keep running in circles around my immediate neighborhood. That gets super boring, especially after the miles get up in the double digits. When we trained last year, my friend always picked me up to drive to these trails. Since I am unable to drive, I needed to find a way to get there on foot. And I am happy to say, especially after this 10 mile run, that I have found it! It took a couple tries, but when I run this route it feels familiar and safe. So my plan for next week’s 15 mile long run is to run it again but take it further. From looking at the Google map, I’ve confirmed that I can (fingers crossed!). But if I get on the trail and find it doesn’t go where I thought it did, I’ll just turn around, head home, and make up the rest of the miles by running around my street. And it will be just fine! See, I’m trying to learn to be flexible and resilient. It’s quite the process.

Also on Saturday, I was reminded by Amazon that it’s been a year since I had this running buddy tattooed onto my leg. He doesn’t have a name really, but I’m open to suggestions! This tortoise here is to remind me that even though I’m a slow runner, I am still a runner. And I never give up. I gave him the bib number of 38 because that’s how old I was when I ran my first official race. Okay, actually 38 is just a random joke number in our family, with a really long and stupid back story, and that’s why I picked it. But then a friend asked me if that’s how old I was when I started racing and I had to check. Turns out, it is! And I think that’s definitely more significant, and a pretty awesome coincidence.

In closing, I want to share another lesson I’m learning, and that’s to rest when my body tells me it needs it. Resting is important, folks. Last week I had to postpone a scheduled run and that was hard. I went to bed the night before fully intending to run the next morning but when I woke up the next day every muscle and joint in my body was screaming at me to stay home. So I did. I took the whole day to rest, to take it easy. When I woke up the following day I was ready for that 7 mile run. I didn’t struggle, I didn’t feel fatigued. I ran the whole way with a smile on my face. Well, not literally, of course. But it was there, nonetheless. Keep smiling, folks, even if it’s only on the inside 🙂