As I write this, it’s been raining all day. By any normal person’s account, it’s been a pretty crappy day out(weather-wise). That being said, I knew that it was the perfect day to go for a run…
a long run…
a 13 mile run….
Walking versus Running
After having walked for almost 2.5 hours yesterday, I am convinced that walking is more difficult than running (at least for me) because today my legs felt as if I had been walking for the past year non-stop. If you recall from my last post, the longest I’ve ever ran (continuously with no stopping at all) was 11 miles. I remember that run VERY WELL because I literally thought I would die if we didn’t stop. My long runs were/are usually between 9-10 miles. Isn’t it amazing what adding on another mile can do to a person?
I digress.
I had wanted to try running something really long like 13 or 14 miles for a little while now-with my thinking being that if I can run at least half of what a marathon is, then I definitely know that it’s not out of the realm of possibilities for me down the line (should I choose to do it of course). So, today I decided to turn my 8 mile loop into a sort of figure 8 loop in order to add on the additional 5 miles. Normally, my regular run pace is around 7min/mile or just under, but today I was EXHAUSTED, so I ended up running around 9min/mile (shh, don’t tell anyone).
Today wasn’t about how fast I could run 13 miles though…No, today was about having the courage to start and the continued forbearance to finish…..
And finish, I did.
The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy…It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed. -Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon Champ-