Forgot to post this yesterday post-run…4 FLAT miles courtesy of the Erie Canal Pathway which I am extremely grateful for because let’s face it – sometimes you just need a reminder of what you are able to do when there are no obstacles (hills) in your way.
The other night I had this reminder – mental not physical – of that feeling you get when you truly push yourself. Your lungs are ready to heave out of your chest you’ve pushed yourself so far, but in that comes a sense of freedom, a sense of – look at what I can do! I haven’t really felt that in some time, and so I set out to run on the Canal Trail because I needed that reminder since I have been feeling so defeated and needing a re-charge. Well the goal was to start out slow and steady for the first mile and then pick it up while keeping my form in check. I started out on the trail and felt like I was flying! I looked at my watch and I sure was – a 7:30 pace! Whoa I’d better slow it down…I look back down and I’m running 6:57 now…okay something must be wrong with my watch I’m thinking, so I settled back into a solid stride and looked back down to yet another 7:30 pace. After about 3/4’s of a mile I did slow down to a more expected 8:20 pace, but I hit the first mile at 8:12 and took a bit of a breather because my lungs were on fire! I had that feeling though – that feeling I’d been looking for, letting me know that I could do it. That I still had it in me.
My goal this week is to hit 100 miles for the year. In the past I have hit that mark typically in March or April so I am definitely way behind where I would like to be. I am roughly 14 miles off of 100 this week but shouldn’t have a problem hitting it by next weekend.