Running My First 40-Mile Week

I hit a milestone with my running last week. I always try to take time – no matter what is going on in my life – to let the challenges I meet resonate with me.

I finished up week 9 of my marathon training plan with the highest mileage I have ever run. The most I had up until this point was 38.95 when I was training for Oklahoma City, and that in April.

After Saturday’s long run, I hurt from my neck down to my toes. But I took a moment to congratulate myself on the 41.2 miles I ran all week. I’ve come a long way in two and a half years.

It’s perfectly acceptable to pat yourself on the back. Make sure you take time to notice – and be proud of – the milestones you pass in runner. Whether it’s your first mile with no walking, running your first 5K, or your first 20 miler, enjoy the progress.

 

 

 

Be Alert

I had no trouble coming up with a subject for this week’s post. As always, my life gives me plenty of writing material. While I don’t want to start off on a low note, I do think this is a topic that needs to be addressed.

For more than two years I have gone to a fairly busy city park to run. I usually park in the same parking lot which is across the street from an elementary schools. Police typically patrol the area due to the school zone, and I do my weekday runs after I drop my children off at school.

Last week I returned from a seven mile run – where I ran 1 1/2 mile loops around the park – to find my passenger side window busted in. My running backpack and my purse were gone. It was 9 a.m. Talk about messing up my post-run recovery.

Now, I don’t say this as a “Woe is me.” I can’t account for my stupidity. I am writing this for one reason:

Be Alert!

I had become complacent. My windows are tinted, and I always move my bags to the back of the car where they can’t be seen, but for some reason, this time I left them in the seat. I clearly made sure my purse was covered by the backpack. It wasn’t enough.

Even if you are not a runner, make sure you always keep your stuff stashed out of sight. The officer told me the thief was probably in and out in under a minute.

Consider this a safety reminder for the week. Stay safe out there!

Tyler Rose Half Marathon

I punctuated the first phase of my marathon training on Sunday with a half marathon in Tyler. I have been looking forward to this race for two reasons. First, I welcomed the October temperatures. Over the spring and summer I discovered long runs in heat and humidity make me nauseous toward the end. I expected the cooler temperatures along with higher mileage training could lead me to a PR. Second, it would be the race where I would complete the Four Seasons Challenge I started in January. By completing a specific half marathon in winter, spring, summer, and fall, I would receive an additional medal and technical shirt.

The weather was perfect running weather for me. It was chilly at the start, but after about two miles, I felt great. My goal was to run another sub 2:00 half. I’ve done it once before – in January – with 1:59:58. I considered running with the 2:00 pace group, but they took off too fast for me for the first mile. I stuck to my pacing plan of running the first seven miles near a steady 9:10 pace, then I kicked it up a bit.

The course was hilly, but I tackled the hills with pride. The first phase of my marathon training has had me trucking up and down hills for 6-8 miles each week. I know some people find it difficult to run hills, and try to avoid hilly courses. But the training made a distinct difference in my race. I was able to complete the course without any walking, and I knocked 31 seconds off my time.

A beautiful finish line area in the Tyler Rose Garden

I then claimed my Four Seasons medal to add to the collection.

This was my last big race before the Dallas Marathon. The Tyler Rose half marathon gave me the confidence and motivation to continue on with my training.