Sunday, October 3, 2010

Warning~new mile zone ahead

16 miles

Yesterday I woke up and it was a chilly 54 degrees outside.
It was very difficult leaving my bed, my husband and my snugly cats.  But I got up and got ready for a new challenge.

Once I started running I got warm pretty quickly but there were a lot of nervous feelings prior to the run regarding the distance and my clothing choices.  I opted for short sleeves but its been a while since we have had weather like this so I felt the a new runner again, not sure what to do!  In the end I made the right choice...

The run:
I ended up running with a group of 3 and it took us 2 hours and 50 minutes.  I thought that was a pretty decent time considering we ran around the city and the stop lights were less than cooperative.  Stopping was a bit annoying because you just want to keep going.  Every time we stopped, more effort was needed to start again.  Besides the stopping, there were also some challenging hills.  Luckily the scenery helped immensely.  In the beginning of the run, we ran to the top of the Ben Franklin Bridge. What a gorgeous site!  I was thankful to be there and to be strong enough to endure the steep incline.  

As the time went by, it seemed that I went on a physical roller coaster~ some moments feeling strong and pain free, followed by fatigue, soreness and thoughts of wanting to stop.  It was interesting to feel my body go through stages of ups and downs.  The positive I took from this experience was that pain will cease, even if only for a short time, and I will keep running.

If I have learned anything from all of this long distance running, its definitely a test of patience and endurance.  I have realized that for me, slow and steady is the way to go and to remember that time will pass and the end is in sight.  I might as well enjoy the ride while I am on it.

~One foot in front of the other...now repeat

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