I followed my training schedule today and ran for 30 minutes. It was a lovely morning, the temperature was 62 degrees, and in 30 minutes I was able to run 2.37 miles, which is a pace of 12:50. That is information from my new super-deluxe Garmin Forerunner 305. I am going to stop looking at what my Nike + iPod says since it is obviously very wrong.
I am so grateful that I got this "ugly truth" teller before the race. I would have crumpled to the ground in profound dispair had I found out DURING the race that I am this slow. As it is, I will just go there with my head held high, knowing that I am doing all that I can with who I am today.
This is who I am. I am a 55 year old woman. I am healthy, I am strong, in spite of some pretty serious challenges. I am doing my best, and putting it out there on the line. I am not sitting at home talking about it, I am out there doing it.
This morning while I was running, I recalled something my ex-husband (the jock) used to say. "You get tired mentally before you get tired physically." I would think, "who cares? I am TIRED! It doesn't matter if it is mental or physical." but today I know that my major limitations are those imposed by my mind.
This is an incredible journey of self-discovery.
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Ponderings of a 58 year old woman trying to outrun father time!
7 comments:
Thank you for stopping by. I am so glad everybody loved my race report.
I do believe in slow and steady. Why second-guess yourself? We are kind of wired to be competitive and strive for better times, but in essence it doesn't count. We are not training for the Olympics, after all. The body does not care at what pace we run. It just cares that we give it the liberty to move.
Mary - you are right, just go and run your race, be yourself and be all that you are meant to be. Whether you finish in 2 hours or 6 hours the critical thing is not even so much that you finished but that you had the initiative and courage to start. 26 miles is a long way in anyone's mind, and you are overcoming the demons that plague all our minds to back away from such a challenge. You are ready, you know your body is, and it sounds like you have your mind going in the right direction too. Before you know it the race time will have passed and you will be saying that is the quickest that that many hours has ever passed. It's magical, it's spiritual, it's real, and it's yours. Go have fun with your Garmin and then sit back and gloat for all the couch potatoes that won't make the effort.
When someone asked me exactly how long a half-marathon was, and I told him "13 miles," he said, "That's a car trip!"
And for most people it certainly is. I felt so powerful completing that distance ... sounds like you're well on your way!
I found running to be a journey of finding limits and then breaking through them - at least that is when this trip has been most rewarding for me. Enjoy your last few days of tapering...
That's a GREAT attitude to have!!! You're absolutely right, you're not at home talking about it . . .you're doing it!! What is it that John Bingham says? Instead of being a dreamer you're a doer!!
tired IS tired!
you are an inspiration, thanks
People are always telling me to run my own race. I've let myself get worked up over my performance compared to others and it not only adds a mental barrier, it takes the joy out of the experience.
Get out there and run your own race, take in all the sights and sounds and enjoy it for what it is. The finish line is sweet no matter when you get there!
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