It's All Relative

First of all, may I just say, "August?? Really??!" 

So here I am, training Week 6, Day 1, on the eve of Day 2. It's funny how the weeks of this summer have now become referred to in my mind as Week 1, Week 2 and so on. 

 

When I last left off, I had completed my first 9-mile run.  In the meantime, I have covered a 3, a 5, another 3 and a 10-mile run.  Tomorrow will be a 3-miler.

 

It's funny how this has all become relative. When I first started to "learn" how to run 6 or 7 years ago, I followed an amazing plan called the Couch to to 5K (or C25K) running plan.  The premise was simple; following the plan would get you off the couch and comfortably running 5K, or approximately 3.1 miles, in 9 weeks. Prior to following this running plan, my attempts at running involved well-intentioned but poorly-executed sessions which involved running too hard, too fast and too far.  This resulted in shin splints, side stitches, quick burn-out and frustration.

 

The C25K plan was so good and so effective and I was/am such a passionate believer in it that I actually presented it several years ago as an oral assignment during one of my required undergrad classes, Voice and Diction. (For clarity's sake - I attained my undergraduate degree as an adult, completing my B.A. in Human Behavior and Development/Psychology in 2011.)

 

Anyway, at that time, and pretty much until I started training for this event, 3 miles seemed pretty far.  And it is, until a 3-miler becomes your short run day.  Toward the end of my 10-mile run this past Saturday, I knew I had reached a breakthrough of sorts when I realized that I only had 2.5 miles to go - "Wow!" I thought, "I'm almost home!"

 

If learning, or re-learning how to run interests you, please visit www.coolrunning.com.  Search for "Couch to 5K". If you choose to follow the plan, follow it to the letter - the beginning will leave you feeling like you can do a lot more than what they're asking, but be patient.  You won't be sorry!