This is within my reach!

This is within my reach!

What a revelation!

Especially since four days ago I was thinking there is no way I will be able to run 13.1 miles!

Today I increased my long run by two miles, from six to eight.  This was a major milestone to say the least with 10 weeks remaining before the race. I was needing to see some major headway in my distance and endurance to convince myself this whole half marathon thing is doable.

I had committed to Jeff Galloway's Run/walk system last week                                                                  ( http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon.html )despite the doubts I had about it.  I felt like if I did it I would somehow be in the "Special-Ed" category of marathoners.  I mean seriously- running for just three minutes and then "giving-in" to a walk for a minute over and over?!  But I became increasingly aware that I was having absolutely no progression in my endurance and had to do something to break the barrier.

Jeff Galloway, Olympian Marathon Champion, & RunDisney's Official Traininer

I started this mindset change by doing two workout runs on hills because I felt my legs must be suffering from lack of strength.  It's amazing what little changes and challenges obtained can do to your mental confidence.  I got a new app on my phone that featured a run/walk workout with prompts telling me when to start running and when to walk.  It also allowed me to set it to the pace I needed for my "magic mile" time which worked out to the 3/1 ratio.  With many doubts I did my six mile long run last week.  I finished 6 miles at 77 minutes which I wasn't sure was good or not but I was not tired or hurting when I finished nor did I have ANY muscle discomfort afterward.  This is a perk of the run/walk that I liked.

So this week - I kept with one major hill run and a couple more normal runs with just a little increase to 4 miles and awaited my long run today.  I started my morning having gotten six hours of sleep- blah!  But I was hydrated, full of vitamins and having eaten well the entire week.  I put on my app and concluded I would run eight miles no matter what because I needed to add two miles to gauge my max miles coming with a decrease a week or two before.  I really needed to see myself come up in numbers so that I was well over half way there to my goal.

As I started my first three minutes I was fighting with myself mentally with exhaustion!  I did that for the next 4 intervals until I was well past 3 miles!  You would think running three minutes is nothing - but when you have a battle mentally about how tired you are going in - it doesn't matter if its three minutes or three seconds, you are crying out "just go home"!   The good news is this - when I hit 5 miles I got excited that I was almost at my last long run distance which for some reason made me hit the roof with determination to go eight!   This stuff is 90% mental belief!!!

I finished my 85 minute prompt program at 6 1/2 miles.  Now I was on my own to finish eight.  I quickly put my stop watch on and counted three minutes in my head and a minute to walk.  But when I started back up to run I had such a rush come over me I continued to run the complete eight!  I have to just testify that it was some miracle of adrenaline or mental resilience or "By God Jeff Galloway is a GENIUS the program WORKS".  Jeff states that if you stick with the system you will run your last two miles more powerfully than your first and I CAN SAY THIS IS TOTALLY TRUE!  At least today and for eight!

So I got in my car with my body tingling from adrenaline and endorphines and my mind racing with the thoughts "this is within my reach!"  I only have 5 more miles to add to hit the race length- I can do it!  I can do it!  I can do it! Yay, yay, yay!!!

I am going to wear this medal!