Sooooo last post I mentioned I was about to enter into my first post Flat Lands workout, where I saw my mile time shrink by 35 seconds! The thought of giving up that kind of progress was very hard to get over! Hard to get excited and get out and run the hills again! But I did it!
Appropriately, this day was a day of severe weather... There I stood, gazing out the window waiting for a break in the clouds, waiting for the tornado watch to be lifted, waiting to seize my moment to claim victory over the odds and maintain my flat lands mile pace!
The moment came between storms and I ran. A quarter of the way into the run it rained again, which was nice. It both cooled my temperature and served as a metaphor for what was happening in my mind as I struggled through the realization that my time, gonna be not so good!
During the run I told myself, just finish with split times in the 9 minute range. Sub 10 minute miles and we'll call it a win! So I kept on my course.
In an earlier post I mentioned how we fail to enjoy and rest in the down side of the hill. I want to amend that concept with a new realization I had today. I was running down the same hill, telling myself to catch my breath and get ready for the next hill. I found myself forgetting to keep running.
I laid back, slowed down and began to forget I still needed to run. When we get in an easy seasons in our lives, we can tend to stop running. We enjoy the rest TO much and stop strengthening ourselves, improving ourselves for the next rough season.
If I'm not getting stronger when I'm not being tested, how could I ever expect to have strength for when I am?
So I RAN down the hill. I ran up the hill and I didn't stop running until the end of my race. I felt so slow at times, I felt so tired at times, but I told myself no matter what I feel, I'm going to keep trying, keep pushing! I made it!
When I was finished, I pulled out my phone, where I keep track of my workouts and prepared myself. I reminded myself to celebrate any number but to be elated if I was in the 9's for my split times. In Wisconsin, I improved my time to 9 minute 16 second miles. On my first run back in Kentucky, My average mile was 8 minutes and 37 seconds! My splits kept getting faster as I ran! my last half mile I ran at a pace of an 8 minute 14 second mile. I was blown away. I was knocking on the door of the 7's!
consistant 7 minute miles for my run is my goal. For the first time since I started, I believe that goal is within reach before September.
We can't give up. It may be hard, but that break through is around the corner. Who knows how long the tunnel will last, but the only way it will never end is if we stop walking.
I felt like quitting my run because it hurt and made me feel weak. It was because I didn't think I could run as fast as I did on vacation. If I would have quit, I would have never known I was actively putting down my best run time since I started! I wouldn't have known! That blows my mind!
I remembered to run down the hill. I remembered to push myself when it was easy and because I didn't coast, the hill didn't break me. The run was hard, but it didn't break me. It turned out the run was hard because I was pushing myself harder than ever before!
Sometimes we don't have the benefit of perspective. All we can do is push.
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