Still Running...

So where am I on my running? I'll be honest... it's been tough to get back on schedule.

You see, when you finish something like a "Half Marathon," your body is sore. They said to hold off one week before starting to run again. That one week actually became 2 weeks. Then I ran and it wasn't the best. I have probably run 5 times or so and they weren't too great.

Last Saturday I ran 7. That was a pretty good improvement. This week I ran Thursday night and only got 3 in. Then Saturday I ran again, and I got 4. I was really frustrated. Living in Dallas these days has not been great for running. It's either raining or about to rain. The humidity level is VERY high, so it's incredibly difficult to breathe. And I also saw our allergens are very high because of all of the rain (everything is growing/blooming).

Today I went to the gym. I figured I needed to treat these outdoor conditions as if it's January/February: FREEZING! My goal was to do 8 miles.

The first 3 were difficult... it was hard to regulate my breathing, but I hung in there. After 3, things leveled out. When I got to 6, that's when I felt a little fatigued. Ok, A LOT fatigued. I pushed on and made it to 7. That's when I upped my speed even more and decided to shoot for 9. I felt that if I could get to 9, then I would be on track with my training.

At 8, I was really feeling it. If you're a fellow runner, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say, "It was like running that last mile of a race." You're so tired but you're determined to finish. Every muscle in your body is saying, "QUIT!" But I didn't want to. Mentally, that is. Physically I was picturing myself over at the water fountain!

Well, I finished 9 miles and then have been limping around the rest of the night. It's a good pain, but at least I know I'm on schedule. I'll run 5 tomorrow but take Tuesday off. Anyway, just an encouraging word that if you put your mind to something, nothing can stop you!