Week 2 is a wrap! I forgot to report last week that I had run a total of 12.48 miles, so there you go. This week I had two midweek runs and today’s long run of 11 miles, for a weekly total of 18.47 miles and a grand total of 30.95. We’re not counting the training I did for the half marathon, which is actually kind of relevant so I may go back and tally those miles. It’s important to understand that you don’t typically start a marathon training plan running this many miles. It really depends on your fitness level. This particular plan I’m following, I jumped in at week 8, because I had just completed the Bayshore half marathon and knew it wouldn’t be much of a stretch for me.

I had no issues with my midweek runs, and none with the 11 mile run either. But I’ll talk about my long run anyway, because isn’t that why you’re still here reading? One of the things I’ve really been struggling with is to slow down. All my reading and research from the experts says to train slow. Jeff Galloway says to run at a pace two minutes slower than usual, and that’s been challenging! Its so counter-intuitive, but running slower builds up the same endurance as running faster, but without the added risk of injury. There’s so much science behind this method so I’m doing my best to follow it.

I started this run not really wanting to. My legs in particular needed a lot of warming up, and I needed some encouragement. It was in the first quarter mile that I saw a birdie standing in my path. Then, as I approached, he hopped to a nearby rock, and then another rock, and then a branch, each time looking back at me as if to say “Let’s go! Are you coming? I know you can do this.” And then, a few seconds later, I saw a bunny cross the path right in front of me to hide under a tree. I freaking love bunnies, and we have a lot of them living in our neighborhood. Every time I see one while I’m out running, I smile and thank Jesus for that gift. So that was a nice start to my run, and in moments of boredom along the way, I thought back to my birdie and bunny friends and it helped keep me going.

When I approached 8 miles I was starting to feel fatigued, but my legs still felt strong. When the weather gets hotter, running gets harder so you just have to stay properly hydrated and slow down a bit more. Let go of those expectations and just keep moving. I was equipped with my hydration backpack, so I just kept sipping that at every walk break.

When I had two miles left to go I was really starting to struggle. I had been talking to myself since mile 8, telling myself I could do this, I wasn’t giving up, one step at a time, etc. etc. but after mile 9 my legs were starting to tell me they were done. I trudged along, not discouraged because I knew I was still building endurance no matter how slow I was going. For safety reasons, I walked most of the 11th mile. There was a lot of uneven sidewalk and I knew my legs and feet weren’t going to lift the way they needed to navigate those obstacles. So to avoid tripping and falling, I just walked. And then when I was back on the street with fewer cracks and holes, I ran again. That was reassuring to see how my legs responded to the rest (walking). A little time to rest and they were ready to get back to work!

I’m still enjoying running, especially in the early miles of these long runs, and in the later miles I have ways of keeping myself motivated. I remind myself of how far I’ve come, how much God has blessed me through this running journey. And down the road when the miles are adding up and I’m wanting to quit, I’ll read some inspirational stories and watch some Rocky movies to remind me to never give up.