Baby, We Were Born to Run!

Today I ran the entire half marathon distance, 21.1 km. I wanted to do the whole distance a couple times before the race on the 29th so that I could get an idea of what my finishing time would be. So, incredibly, my time was.... 2:01. I've never been good at talking about my accomplishments, but I'm going to do a little bragging here. Last week when I ran 20 km, I finished in 2:04, so this is a huge improvement. I'm pretty blown away that I was able to run this fast, and it was a pretty consistent pace throughout, based on my times at the 5 km, 10.5 km, and 15 km points along the route. I was dead tired by the end though, although I don't think it was because of the pace, it was because of the wind. I hit a nasty head wind once I turned west to head home, so the last half of the run was brutal (I swear the wind was coming from the north when I started- every corner I turned it seemed to change direction. I was a very pissed off runner by the end). But good news is that based on this pace, and how I was feeling at the halfway mark, I should be able to run the 10 km race this Sunday in under an hour (which is my goal!). Let's hope I can keep up a similar pace when it comes to the actual race day for the half on the 29th. And let's hope that there is no wind, or else I will once again become a very annoyed runner.
And this time is definitely going down as one of my personal bests!!
- Meg

And the Thunder Rolls...

For me the only negative aspect of running is that it occurs outside. And this is only a bad thing when the weather sucks, like today. This past winter was my first winter training outside, and I did a pretty good job, I ran through the cold, snow, and ice. But I still hesitate sometimes. I had planned on doing my 21 km run today but the weather is pretty dicey. I'm ok running in the rain and wind, but I'm nervous about getting caught in a thunder storm with an hour left in my run. This guy I work with is also a runner and he did some intense training throughout the winter, he ran through every snowstorm and extreme wind chill. I wish I was that good! I hate having to rely on the weather in order to get a good run in, it is on days like this where I wish I lived somewhere where there is hardly any weather.

Looks like today is going to be a swimming day at the local pool. 

Luckily, my trusty friend The Weather Network, is predicting sun tomorrow, let's hope they pull through. 

Either way, I'm stuck running tomorrow because I'm running in the Sporting Life 10k on Sunday, so I can't do my long run on Saturday as per usual. Everyone pray for some good weather tomorrow!!

-Meg

 

Make it Hurt So Good :)

So I ran 20km today, and I finished strong with a decent time, which I am very proud of. But boy am I sore now. I've decided that there are 3 mindsets I go through when I'm on a long run. #1- thoughtful and reflective, where I think about random things in my life, what inspires me, what I am proud of, etc. #2- totally happy and blissed out, where I feel strong, powerful, unstoppable. #3- tired and aware of every ache and pain, where its just about putting one foot in front of the other. Believe me, today was a lot of #3. But its the hard runs that I'm most proud of. It's easy to keep going when you feel great, but it really speaks to your determination when you can run through the fatigue. I definitely think long distance running is 90% mental. It would be too easy to sit down on the side of the road, whip out my cell phone and call someone to come pick me up. Imagine those people who run ultra marathons (like holy crap- 100kms in NUTS!) no matter how in shape you are, you are going to be exhausted- Its all mental (or in my case, stubbornness). I definitely think my mental strength and clarity has improved dramatically since I started doing this. In the end, it doesn't matter whether it was amazing or a struggle, I always feel strongest (both physically and mentally) when I'm running.
- Meg

Hello, I Love You, Won't You Tell Me Your Name?

In the last week or so I've been surrounded by people writing blogs, and my curiosity got the best of me. Prior to this the only experience I've ever had with a blog was that one episode of House a few seasons ago where the patient was a chronic blogger. Never being much of a diary girl myself, I was surprised by how much the idea of starting a blog appealed to me. Some how the idea of people potentially reading what I have to say makes it secretly thrilling. I've also heard that blogs tend to have a theme, so here is mine: Running. I've embraced a new lifestyle in the last year and I'm loving everything it has to offer so far. I want to share everything I've learned and explore what else is out there. Being a new vegetarian and a new yogi as well, I have found that these go hand in hand with the happy and zen attitude I have found that runners in general all seem to possess. Already in the past year, I've had some great experiences and insights, so there will probably be a lot of posts coming your way  as I reflect on what has happened. Hope you enjoy my recollections.
- Till next time, Meg.

P.S. Loving the title of this blog, it's inspired by this shirt I bought that at the Goodlife Marathon Expo that says "Ya I run like a girl, try to keep up"