Half marathon training...

I've always wanted to run a half marathon. The farthest I've ever run before is the 8.something mile race that I did in Hawaii over 5 years ago. So I added this goal to my list and decided to try and do it. I asked my best friend C if she wanted to do it with me and she jumped on board the crazy train with me! She found a race that would fit with both of our schedules this summer and that race is just over a month away.

I started running in March and would do about 3 runs a week. But I was slooooooooow and not progressing very much. It took me 2 months of running to be able to struggle through 3 miles. The beginning of May that was all I could do... 3 miles. I was starting to panic a little. How was I going to add 10 miles onto that and be able to do this race? I noticed that I started having this inner dialogue with myself that the reason it was so hard for me to improve my running is this extra weight I'm carrying on me right now. I've got a good 35 lbs of weight I'm running with this time around that wasn't there 5 years ago. It's like dragging a dead horse behind me, I would think as I slowly worked my way through my route.

C and I had a heart to heart one day. I told her that I didn't know if I would be able to do this race. It was so hard to run and I didn't want to drag her down if I couldn't do it. I told her that I felt like I was too heavy to run that far. It hurt to run. She then told me of a few people she knows who run races who are my size or bigger. They run marathons and half marathons just fine. I could do this.

I decided that I needed to change a few things if I wanted to run better, longer, faster.

1- I needed new shoes
2- I needed to run more - 5 days a week.

I was still running in the shoes that I had 5 years ago in Hawaii. It was time for new running shoes. I found these beauties and I love them! They have helped my feet, knees, legs, back so much. It's a whole new world running in shoes that actually fit and help correct the problems that I have with over pronation, etc.

I then downloaded a half marathon training program that I have been following pretty closely. I run 5 days a week. The first week of running 5 days I could barely do a full 3 miles on Monday. By Saturday I ran 4.5 miles.

Last week, I finished off my week of running by doing a 7 mile run!!! Amazing! It felt so good. I could not believe what I've actually been able to accomplish in this last month. I'm still pretty slow, but I'm moving! And I'm getting better every week.

The runs are getting longer and harder. Every run is a challenge, but I get up everyday and do it. I finally passed the point where each step is a struggle. Now the first mile is a struggle, but once I've made it past that the runs are really enjoyable and feel great on my lungs.  My legs have a constant dull ache to them but I'm starting to see my body toning up again. I'm sleeping so much better at night since doing this and have not needed to take any sleep aids (melatonin) for the past month. That right there makes it worth it to me.

So yes, my life has suddenly become consumed with running. But in a month I will be accomplishing a big goal that I've had for a long time!