No time like the present. I'm not sure where that saying originated but it couldn't be more true than today. A new year. New goals, new adventure. The new unknown. All of it and more.
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Thoughts from a rainy week in May...
To help me get back on track and get out of this "rut" or whatever the heck is was, I decided to focus on my personal health goals and I signed up for my first 10 mile run. I finished the run yesterday and that was my goal, to finish. I know that might sound strange to many but having never run more than a 10K, I wasn't really sure what I was capable of. What I did know was I was definitely up to the challenge. I love a good challenge, I even love a not-so-good challenge. So there you have it. I progressed through my usual race day routine and showed up near the shore of beautiful Lake Waconia at 7:30am ready to rock the run. Once I started running I decided that my new goal was to finish in two hours or less. Now that I have more races under my belt I don't seem to always remember them all, just moments of them sometimes if they're memorable. This one went something like this: an easy first mile; a questionable second mile; I don't remember the next six miles except for some short-lived disposable cups of Powerade, sunny steep hills, and a frequent picturesque glance of the lake on my left. The last two miles, they were the memory. I don't want to bore you with mundane details but once I saw the 8 Mile sign I knew I had made it, only two more to go and I was done! The last mile was mostly uphill (of which I'm not a fan of running, and especially after running 9 miles prior) and the the last half was with a cheering crowd of people who didn't know my name or what I was all about by they didn't care and neither did I. My legs felt like steel rods, tight and stiff and almost ready to stop but when I turned the last corner and saw the timer, I felt compelled to sprint to and across the finish line. What did the timer say perhaps that made me find the energy in my self to look up, smile and sprint after running for almost two hours? It said 1:50:59....and I crossed just as it hit 1:51:06. I won. Not the race but my personal goal for the day AND what I considered to be a major milestone in my personal running career. As I sit here typing, my sore leg muscles and a right toenail about to fall off included, I think, what's next on the list? Anything's possible, and each will get tougher...better, and more rewarding. I've only come to find the runner's high this last year and each run is still a challenge. I also find a lot of peace in running, it gives me time to think and be alone with my thoughts, which is not a frequent occurrence with the "noise" of everyday life. Drop me a line with your thoughts on what I can add to the list. What major milestones have you hit? What is yet to come? |
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