24 days
I have just 24 days until my very first half marathon.
Holy crap! TWENTY-FOUR-DAYS!
yep, that’s me shouting and kinda freaking out.
I go back and forth on my confidence in my ability to complete this task. Why you ask?
Honestly? I have no idea.
I have read articles written by people who are more out of shape & have less running experience than me, who have completed this task. I tell myself, “why you so afraid? if they can you can!” But every time I get ready for a long run, I get butterflies in my tummy. Nerves. I am getting nervous on a run? which isn’t even a race? Why? The only person I’ll be letting down is myself. The only person I have anything to prove to, is myself. I am only competing against myself.
But you know what? I still go on that run and I finish it. Every time.
My lungs burn my feet swell. When we first took off on Sunday my ankle hurt. I was so mad about that. I had gotten over my shin-splints bought new shoes and now my ankle hurts! So I kept running, and eventually the pain went away. I don’t mean I just ignored it, I mean it didn’t hurt. I don’t know when it happened, but about half way through I realized my ankle didn’t hurt. Simply because now my body was warmed up and blood was flowing. The pain wasn’t an injury, but just a little protest from a joint that hadn’t really woken up yet.
I pant and I sweat. I curse and I laugh. And I walk to rehydrate.
Half my brain says “I can’t do this” and the other half shouts “SHUT UP! YES YOU CAN!” And so I keep running. OK, sometimes I walk, but I’m fine with that. If it will take walking intervals for me to complete my distance, who cares?
I go the distance.
This past Sunday we clocked 8 miles in. And the pace was a minute faster than the week before. Even pushing that stroller with Sid in it.
This will be my motto for the race. I just have to keep it in mind.
Just. Keep. Running.
C25K interval information can be found here
