Training Week #8

Felt really good about my runs building up to Saturday's Fort14 race. My Monday run was nearly a record breaker. I felt really good about my pace. I took a picture of this beautiful part of my 3 mile route. You come around the corner and boom--adorable little foot bridge, beautiful flowers. It's about a mile from the end of my run, and it makes me feel hopeful :)

As a runner, weather is one thing you have to contend with. Wednesday was rainy. I came home from work, ready to run, and it started down pouring. So I had some dinner and waited out the storm. Once it was done, I figured that I had better get going, because anything can happen in 7 miles. I chose a new route for a longer run. Four miles in I had made it to Kopps, and was about to take a picture for my "picture of the run". But then came the rain. Welcome, on a long, humid, run. And, while I thought I was solar powered, I'm now thinking I'm hydro powered, because I had a great pace throughout the entire run. Super excited about it, as you can clearly see.

Thursday's run...well, let's just say it's a good thing I chose my tried and true 3 mile route. Because my watch died halfway through. Which is a bummer, because my first mile was at an 11:00 min pace. Full disclosure, I doubt my other two miles were quite as spectacular. But I guess we will never know!

I decided to do this run backwards. This meant may downhills were uphills, which made for more of a challenge. But what I really like about running a route I know well in the opposite direction, is that I see things I don't usually see. It seems funny, I suppose. Often when I'm running, I don't really see much at all. I'm super focused. But Thursday's picture was a little hidden bridge and arbor, that looked way more picturesque in person. There are lots of little pathways, surprise sidewalks where you wouldn't expect them, bridges, arbors, etc where I run. It makes me think about paths that lead to different places, and how sometimes you don't know what those places will be. Not just in the literal sense, but in life in general. 

So Saturday was the big day. I had mentally prepared for this, but I was nervous. It was HOT. And HUMID. If it had been just a normal training run, I wouldn't have done it.

The first 7 miles were decent. Not a terrific pace, but made it. The course was beautiful, lot to look at. Ate some grapes at one of the water stops, which was a first for me.The first 5 ish miles were shaded or partially shaded. And then. Ugh. 

I ran/walked the second half. I hated having to do it, but it was necessary. No matter how many water stops there were. So I guess the point is that I finished. I do, however, have serious doubts about running a marathon. I've spent a lot of time thinking about it this week. I'm going to register. Because I thinking finishing is the goal. As much as I want to run the entire thing, I just don't know if it's going to be possible. But I'm going to keep training. And just see what happens.