Since school has started I have had very little time to run. In fact, I have only been running on Saturday mornings. That is not the way I was hoping to train for the Vegas Half Marathon coming up in December. I was getting really nervous. Even when I would run 8 miles on the weekends, I would feel so tired by mile 4! I felt like I needed to wrap my mind around 13.1 miles again. I needed to mentally KNOW I could do it. The Bakersfield Half marathon was coming up, so I suggested it to a coworker/Friend Brenda- who has never ran a race before but has been training. She signed up and asked me to run it too. I agreed.
I was worried.
People at school think I am some crazy die hard runner. What would happen when she found out I was pathetic and couldn't even finish??! Well, it turns out, I was able to finish and tying my best time ever! Who knew! I know it's because I had Brenda to run with. She kept me at a great pace- faster than I normally run- and kept my mind off the race. It was a lot of fun and so nice to have someone to run with.
I feel like such a big part of running long distances is a mental thing. So of the smallest things can throw me off. If a race loops the same course or back tracks it gets to me. If there's no water or I don't have my ipod, it gets to me. If I don't know where I'm going or I go further than normal, it gets to me. Even listening to myself breathe or hearing my water slosh around can throw me off.
So, with three weeks 'til Vegas. I feel mentally ready. If I could run 13.1 in boring Bakersfield, I KNOW I can do it in entertaining Las Vegas with 10,000 other runners. I still don't feel totally prepared physically- and my legs/knees are reminding me that tonight, but at least my mind knows I can do it.
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