Much better when the sun shines.....

Transcending labels that you've placed on yourself or that others have placed upon you opens you up to the opportunity of soaring in the now in any way you desire. - Dr. Wayne Dyer

Placing labels on yourself is sort of like telling yourself you can't do something...before you even try....You need to do things within reason, but placing limitations on yourself is not fair....not fair to yourself and not fair to others around you.

This week was an odd week.  Part of it may have had to do with the constant rain we had....It seems that everything is in slow motion and mentally I am fighting with myself.  Not in the sense of being negative, just trying to be realistic.  I know I can go ahead with the Marathon...I know before even doing it that I will.  But I also know the most I've ever run is 13.1 miles and I also know I've never been able to run for awhile after.  So as optimistic as I am, that cloud still lingers over me and this weekends long run 12 miles is another step.  Pass it and a little bit of the cloud becomes sunshine.  Fail and well, I'm not sure, since I'm not thinking about that.

My Tuesday and Thursday runs were pretty smooth, 4 miles each.  Tuesday morning run my legs felt a little heavy, coming off my 10-Miler last weekend, but nothing major.  Thursday was a planned run in the park with Marla, but mother nature did not co-operate, so I stuck with an evening treadmill run.  I'm finding I like morning runs alot better or maybe it had to do with pain popping up in new areas.  Nothing major, or at least that's what I'm telling my stubborn self.

Headed out for my 12 mile run today feeling good.  Took some talking into with Marla, but we settled on an 8am start time.  Part of the reason was the half marathon next weekend starts at 8, the other was plans to head out of town.  Was a bit chilly, but it was fine once we got going.  Started out nice and easy and kept around a 10:45-11:00 mile pace for the first 3 miles.  As we closed in on mile 4 I was told to keep going.  I have learned by now there is no arguing with a female, and thought about asking her if her boyfriend learned that yet...lol  So I headed out on the trail and focused on a steady pace.  At this point, the trail was new to me, since I've never run this far on Antrim, so as long as I kept reading the signs, I'd be good.  Turned around after 5.75 miles (yes, I know it doesn't add up to 12, but I had my reasons)  :-)
On the way back more and more people were on the trails and that was a good thing and a bad thing.  Good that I could pick a pace to follow and bad because some people think they own the whole trail.  I was holding a steady 10:00 minute pace for a few miles and actually felt like I was getting stronger.  I may a sprinkled a mile where I was close to 9, not sure what is was, might have been a stretch of Eminem songs on my iPod or maybe I had some girls to follow  heehee
As I headed back to our start point I caught up with Marla and she finished her 10 miles and I continued for a bit as I had less than a mile left.  All in all, it felt really good, the last 3 miles all sub 10 to finish strong....12 miles in 2:02:41

I had to laugh because we get done and as we are stretching, I hear...."I think I just run better without you....I feel I hold you back"  Ok, really...this is the SECOND person in as many weeks to tell me this!!!  I need to try a different deodorant....heehee

Up next...2 runs during the week and then the Cap City Half Marathon next Saturday....One step closer to making it to the starting line in Cleveland.  But right now, just thankful for today, thankful for being able to finish the run....

Until next time....