33 days till the big day!
February 24 is slowly but surely creeping up! Training is back in full swing after a slight set back due to lack of motivation after my husband left overseas before the holidays. Yes, my husband is in the Philippines to complete six months of teaching service at a local university. He was my running buddy, and quite honestly, the one who would make me go out and run. After he left early in December, I suffered from post-departure running "depression" so I did not run. After a couple of weeks, I decided I have to shake the monkey off my back. I laced my running shoes, put on running shorts and a shirt, plugged my earphones in my ears, set my ipod to Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger", stepped out the door, hit start on my phone app and ran!
At this first run, I ran a 5K along our usual route at 38:35. A week later, I ran a PR of 35:14! At my first ever 5K some ten months prior, I ran a 42:17! Seven minutes off my first 5K, woohoo! This is such an accomplishment for one couch potato who was averse to running! The only explanation I have for having run this fast is that I ran fast and almost nonstop. I usually stop after having run, oh, maybe 500 yards. Today, I kept running and before I knew it, I had gone a mile without stopping! I also attribute this speed to wanting to get home before it got dark! I could see headlights on cars as I took my turn to head back. I believe the fear of running in the dark, alone, is why I ran fast that day!
I have since gone back to the Jeff Galloway training, albeit modified, and happy to report that I have not missed a scheduled run yet! I run Tuesdays and Thursdays for 30-45 minutes. This is how long it usually takes me to run between 2.5-3.5 miles at every run. On alternating Saturdays, I do a long run.
On January 12, I ran 6.12 miles at 1:22! This was my first long run since I ran for 7.28 mi on November 22! I started later in the morning than I planned so when I finished it was almost noon and the heat was unrelenting. I made it home sans injuries but an hour later, I could feel my muscles tense up and I was slow to get up and walk. I slept through the afternoon and went for a massage to soothe my tired muscles later in the day.
This week, I did my regular 3-mile runs as my training continues. With barely 4 more weeks before the race, I hope to do two more long runs of 8 and 10 miles in two weekends. If I had stayed with the 22-week Galloway training schedule, I would have run 12.4 miles on January 26 and 14 miles on February 9 followed by short runs until race day. I hope that running at least 10 miles before race day will get me through to the finish line.
I am equally excited and nervous as the big race day approaches. I do have a renewed resolve to keep training after seeing some of my friends finish the recently concluded Disney Goofy Half- and Full-marathons! I am looking forward to crossing the finish line at the Disney Half, just as they did!
