This thing called "running"

I know, I know....shut up already about the running. 

However, I can't shut up about it because I love to do it, it fulfills me, it brings me joy.....even when everything hurts. 

Like during yesterday's 12 mile run, my last long training run for the San Antonio Rock n Roll Half Marathon.  My entire body was sore and tired BEFORE I even began running, so I knew that running 12 miles was going to be hard.  It was hard from the get go but I did not for once think that I wouldn't finish my run.

I had a lot of time to think about things while I was running yesterday.  A lot of those thoughts centered around how far I have come in just ONE YEAR.  My thoughts also centered around how this marathon training has differed from the last half marathon training.  I also thought about how much of running has to do with the mind, the mental game if you will. 

I have learned SO MUCH about myself in one freakin' measley year, all due to running, to the other runners I have connected with, to the hundreds of hours I have spent by myself, pounding the pavement in the wee hours of the morning, on hot days, on cold days, through a left hip injury, through a right hip injury, through right heel/foot pain, through more aches and sore-ness than I ever thought possible, through crossing the finish line last Thanksgiving for my first race (a 5 miler and done with my husband- one of two times that we have run together), through crossing the finish line in San Diego with Team Shrinking Jeans.

I have learned the basics, the mechanics and the how-to's....like picking the right shoes, wearing the right gear, hydrating before and after a run, how important rest and recovery are, and also, how important core strength and flexibility are for your body.

I have gone down dress sizes, have toned up my upper body, and have lost weight.  I want to lose a bit more weight but right now, I am reveling in this body I have, still expressing delight and disbelief when I have numerous friends, neighbors and acquaintances tell how how good I look, how skinny my body is, and how strong I must be to run.

My body is strong.  My legs are stronger.  My mind is the strongest.

Let me repeat that.  MY MIND IS THE STRONGEST.  I have never felt as mentally strong as I do now.

Commitment
Discipline
Follow-through
Dedication
Support
Motivation
Encouragement
Routine

Sure, running is hard and I am by no means the fastest runner out there.  However, running has taught me so much in just one year, it makes me wonder where I will be one year from here.  So yes, my half marathon is two weeks away, but I am ready for it, more ready than I have ever been.

Slow, fast, or whatever- I will cross that finish line in San Antonio and I will be so incredibly ecstatic to do so.

Quotes I love:

• "It doesn't matter how fast you are, it just matters that you GO."- My favorite and I don't know who said it.
• "I tell our runners to divide the race into thirds. Run the first part with your head, the middle part with your personality, and the last part with your heart." - Mike Fanelli, club coach
• “The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” - John Bingham
• "Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you're probably right." -Henry Ford
• "The difference between a jogger and a runner is an entry blank." -George Sheehan

Happy Halloween!