Sunday Runday: I Saw the Sign

There were two conversations between my physical therapist and I this morning that disturbed me more than the fact that he likes to push on my hip flexors so hard that I start to think that I was exaggerating the pain of that one time I ran a half marathon on a stress fracture and what it feels like to get a tattoo on your ribcage. They went something like this:

Him: You really need to start cross training and strength training.
Me: I don't understand the question, did you just say I should increase my long runs?

Him: I really don't think it's a good idea for you to wear high heels.
Me: I don't understand the question, did you just ask me to stop breathing?

I don't think English is Noah the PT's first language because I have difficulty comprehending the things he is trying to say to me. Maybe I'll ask him about his homeland on Thursday.


Yesterday was Sunday aka long run day and my plan was to run 7 miles. Well, that's a bit of a stretch, my plan was to attempt to run 7 miles. I wasn't sure how far I could go because to be completely honest I have a hard time getting through 3 miles on my own because I wuss out every time. I "run" 7 miles on my own once a week or so but there is a lot of walking involved so I usually average 12:30-13 minute miles. When I got to the lake my friend that I have been running with said that she was planning on doing 10 miles because she is one motivated lady. I, on the other hand, had eaten my weight in dinner rolls and wine at my cousin's lovely wedding the evening before so I was aiming for 7 which was the distance that our coach had mapped out for us.

Another lady I have run with on occasion joined us and we talked and ran and when we got to the water stop at mile 2 that was where we were going to split. If you can see where this story is going then brownie points to you...I decided to try 10 miles. I figured why not? So what if I had only been running 4-5 miles as my long runs? I could do it right? Of course I could! I wasn't going to chicken out in front of other people! And I didn't want to be left behind!

And that right there is the entire reason I signed up for this half marathon training group, because I will always push myself a lot harder if there are other people around than if I am alone. And it turns out that I ran the 10 miles just fine. It was pretty slow, probably 11minute miles but so what? That means that more than a month before my race I am basically ready to run it and that makes me extremely happy. I wasn't even sore at all this morning (until Noah the PT beat the snot out of me so I came home and took a nap because everything hurt) which, combined with the fact that I have been running 4-6 miles with no issues for the last few weeks, means something awesome: my base is finally back! After a long summer of taking things slow and building it up I finally have a decent base and that, my friends, makes me ecstatic. To be able to run 10 miles with no real issues is exactly what I have spent the last 3 months trying to get to. I could cry with happiness.

And since I can't leave this post without a picture, here's the only thing that could make me even more ecstatic: seeing my babysitter, aka my other mom, and her husband at my cousins wedding. I don't get to see them nearly as often as I would like and I love them even more than I love running.