Hey Fellow Runners,
For those of you keeping track, I had to push my long run back a day or two due to downpour. The day finally came, however, that my long run was staring me in the face and I had to take up the challenge. I tied on my running shoes and headed out the door, ignoring the cold wind that slapped me in the face. My goal for the evening was to continue where I'd left off with my regular run the night before: to continuously run 5 or 6 blocks (a quarter mile) for most of my running intervals, and maybe even reach the vague dream to run 10 straight blocks (a half mile) for one of the intervals. I'd been sticking with running and walking intervals all this time, but now it was really time to kick it up a notch, as my overall goal is to run the entire half-marathon in March.
After my warm-up, I started my normal running pace, watching the blocks go by. I reached 5 blocks in the first interval, and felt good. I decided to shoot for 10 in the first go, and with a true feeling of triumph, reached the half-mile mark. The true amazement came, however, when I realized I still felt good...and so I kept going...until I reached a full mile! I took a walk break for about two blocks, then started again...and ran another mile!! This may not seem like much, but it was revelatory to realize I was capable of this, and that I would make it through the entire seven miles. And that's what I did, taking only a couple walk breaks the entire time, and running nearly the whole length. I clearly had been the only thing holding myself back; I'd been hiding from the fear of trying to run consistently and not being able to make it. Once that fog was lifted, however, I knew I could keep pushing and keep improving. Towards the end of the run, I thought Just run another 10 blocks then you can walk for one, and laughed out loud at myself: all this time I'd been afraid of running 5 blocks, and now I was thinking to "just" run 10! As I look at the progress I've already made, and think of the hurdles I'll continue to face, I think it truly is our own mental blocks that create the biggest challenges, and we are the ones that put them there.
As you lengthen your course, and face bigger and bigger challenges, don't forget that you have gotten yourself this far, and can take yourself even farther. Don't let the mental block of one more mile or one more loop stop you; don't let those blocks intimidate you. It all comes down to finding the ability to push through them, and showing yourself exactly what you're made of.
Recent Comments