Sunday, July 11, 2010

Week 2: Done

Week 2: Complete.

Thursday was still a bit hot to run outside. I totally could have done it, but I would have hated myself by the end of it. Another four miles on the treadmill in the bag.

Saturday morning, I awoke to the sound of rain – a huge blessing but not the best for running outside. And, clearly, I am the center of the universe which means that it should only rain when it is convenient for me. I spent a fair amount debating whether or not I should swap my long run for Sunday – when I knew that the weather would be great – or sucking it up and running on the treadmill. After checking weather.com every five minutes to see if the rain would stop, I decided to suck it up and run on the treadmill. It wasn’t bad, but I definitely started to get bored after mile four. I think that six miles is my max for running in place.

Today, I ran outside for the first time since last Sunday. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and I did a bit of exploration toward the middle of my run. The whole thing took a little longer than planned because I slowed my pace a smidge to compensate for the temperature. Honestly, it was a gorgeous day, but it was still pretty toasty outside when I went out.

Time aside, there was a small victory on the return to my apartment. Depending on my route, the last leg includes two hills. Usually, the hills are enough to make me want to quit running and walk back. Sometimes I give in. Sometimes try to run and end up walking. Neither crossed my mind today. Instead, I ran the complete distance uphill and felt damn good when I was done.

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I’ve been toying with some thoughts about encouragement and the self-esteem boost that I’m experiencing (it’s kind of awesome to look in a mirror and genuinely like what you see), but they’re inchoate at best so I will probably share them at another time. In the meantime, you all should know that you’re awesome, and I'm extremely thankful to have your support! Seriously.

Onward to Week 3! Total mileage: 20. Saturday’s long-run: 10 miles.

With work, pub quiz, Lady Pod, GRE prep, and my never-ending quest for true love (I watched The Princess and the Frog last night, and dammit if it didn't put strange ideas in my head), it should be a great week, and I’m ready for the challenge.

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