I’ve actually been enjoying my running for the first time ever in my life this month.
I’ve had fun doing some interval runs at the hotel.
I’ve been experiencing different weather changes…Saturday 60 and super windy, Tuesday 75, humid with no wind. (Lots of Gatorade is needed in both windy situations and sunny, hot ones.)
My proudest moment yet, however was completing my 9-mile run on Saturday.
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If you follow me on DailyMile, you will probably know that 9 miles is a lot for me. The most I’ve run before that was 6 miles.
I was going to run around a local lake that is ginormous, but last time I ran there myself…I got lost.
Hey, I don’t have the best sense of direction and there are lots of different paths and trees and multiple parking lots.
Saturday I had to get up at 4am to be to work at 4:45am. Yes. Very early.
The plan was to run right after work before I crashed, however, the best laid plans…
I didn’t end up running until the afternoon which turned out to be much windier and sunnier than the morning. (Has anyone ever noticed that? Windier in the afternoon?)
Despite the 25mph winds I made 3 loops around the Daddio’s.
I stopped the first time for water and some gummy vites. The second stop I had water and a starburst and decided to grab the gatorade I got from my 5K and took it on the run with me. I wonder if I still have that bottle…nice and little and easy to hold…
What was different this run (besides it being super long) was that I didn’t run with headphones the first 6 miles. It was nice to be able to focus on how I run, my breathing, and to just pay attention to my surroundings.
The third part of the run I decided to conquer the giant hill. Don’t ask me why I decided to do it at the end of my run…maybe because I knew it would take about 4 miles and that’s about what I needed to run?
This hill is no joke. This hill is steady upward for half a mile and then steep for another half of a mile.
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At the point I started up the hill I was at about 6.5 miles into my run…already further than I’ve ever run before.
I decided I was going to run the whole dang mountain of a hill.
I kept my focus just on the path just in front of me and tried as hard as I could to not look all the way up the hill…sort of like not looking down when you’re climbing something I suppose. I figured if I saw how much further I had that I would give up. Not that I’m prone to giving up, but I tend to listen to my body…and after about mile 6..my legs were hurting!
It’s interesting how in recent years I’ve focused intently on listening to my body. If something hurts too badly, I will generally stop for fear of injury. If I’m hungry, I will eat. If I’m tired, I try to get extra sleep. Noticing things about my body to help keep myself healthy.
In running, however, there are times when you have to make calculated guesses on whether you’re in too much pain to proceed.
I figured that my legs were only sore…so I should just keep going. I also felt that I was properly fueled and hydrated so I wouldn’t really hurt my body too badly.
Pain is pain, though. My body didn’t really know what was going on as I climbed that beast of a hill. I think the majority of it was barely faster than a walking pace, but I was so determined to run the entire thing.
And wouldn’t you know, the good Lord gave me a song that helped me through it. (Go to minute 2 or 3 if you don’t have time to listen to the whole song below.)
As I feel my legs dying, the lyrics of Flyleaf’s Arise tell me “Arise and be all that you dreamed, all that you dreamed.”
Possibly, I was a little fatigued and possibly dehydrated but when I got to the top of that hill I started crying, not believing that I’d made it 7 and a half miles AND ran the whole daunting hill. Seriously, who knew running could be so emotional? I’m pretty sure cars going by thought I was a crazy person.
I turned around and ran down that hill with a smile on my face and really felt like an athlete.
I’m not sure at what point in running that you become a “runner,” but I felt like a runner that day. And even when someone asked “Why would you run 9 miles??” I just smiled, and probably rolled my eyes and said something about needing to train for a half. Not caring, because I was on the top of the world.
I kinda think I like running. For now. 🙂
What is your biggest fitness accomplishment to date?
Do you consider yourself a “runner?”
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