I woke up earlier than normal this morning to start my run around 4:45. I planned for a 7 mile run today. I ran 2 miles to the Y to meet some friends for a run. We took off and ran together for about 3.5 miles. At Tanglefoot we split ways with me heading towards my house and them heading back to the Y. I finished up my nice easy run of 7 miles which allowed me to hit my 1000th mile of training this year.
Sitting here typing this up I can hardly believe that I actually have put in 1000 miles. I know seasoned runners hit this mark way earlier than October, but this is a huge number for me. Looking back at my monthly mileage I started the year off rough. I put in only 4 miles in December of 2010 when I was injured. This lead me to falling apart in the motivational aspect as well as my overall fitness. This injury allowed me to make excuses which did not do anything positive for myself. I needed to kick start me and eventually this would happen. However, to start the year off I put in only 6 miles in January.
I finally picked things up in February by getting in 57 miles. At this point I kept toying with the idea of a marathon, but not really committed yet. March I gathered 97 miles as we were training for a half marathon. I had a training partner and things were turning around. April continued with 62 miles and May I ran my first 5k in 21:27. I ended up with 55 miles in May.
June was my turning point. This was when I finally flipped the switch. I wanted to be better. I wanted to prove to myself that I was tougher than I believed. I committed to the challenge of running and a marathon. I put into place small checkpoints(races) along the way to help me stay aligned to my training plan. I added my bike to the mix and next thing you know I put in 158 miles in June, 231 in July, 177 in August.
As you know the marathon was in September and not only did I accomplish my goal of running under 4 hours, but I finished the month up with 141 miles which is not bad considering I took a week off after the race and two weeks of tapering.
I don’t know where the rest of the year will take me. I keep tossing around several races and possibly learning to bike and swim for a triathlon next year. I can only hope to take things one day at a time and just enjoy my lifestyle change. I have transformed many things in my life. I have slimmed down, I feel the best I have ever felt, and I realize that I can tackle any challenge I set out for myself. The hardest part was back in January trying to get over that mindset of making excuses. The hardest part is getting started. Now it is almost impossible to slow down.
It is amazing how easy it is to convince yourself that you can’t do something. I used them all from injuries, not having time, not having the right body type(which I don’t, but I have adapted), etc. Now I use that as fuel to stay motivated. Not everyday is easy to get up and run, but why would I leave behind what all I have accomplished. I have placed myself at the point of no return. Too much has been invested to not continue. That is what is so great once you get started down any path to your goals. Once you get going it is hard to stop once you really, truly believe.
I leave this post knowing that I have accomplished and met another milestone. It is one that only I can truly appreciate as I put the miles in. For others, 1000 miles is too easy and for others 1000 miles may be out of reach. Each person is unique. I only hope that those on the path to success take time to stop and celebrate what they have all accomplished. That is part of GETTING IT DONE! – taking time to celebrate. Just remember that once you celebrate it is time to get back to work towards that next goal.
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