I ran a mile! I ran a full mile!!

Run 15: Monday 5/4/09
Weather: Upper 50's, raining and WINDY

The weather was a little nuts today, but I sort of got a kick out of running in it. Reminded me of being a kid and going out to explore a windy day. I moved on to the official Week 4 program this week: 3/1.5, 5/2.5 repeated. I wasn't sure if I could run 3 minutes right off the bat, not to mention the recovery times cut in half! So, I was a little nervous about moving up to this one.

Here's what happened. I was going to start with a 1.5/1 (run/walk), but I changed my mind at the last minute and just went for it. 3 minutes, first run of the day. After the short recovery, I continued, and on it went. 3/1.5, 5/2.5, then 3/3. After that second 3 minute run, I was TIRED and not sure I could continue. I walked a full 3 mins to recover, and I knew I had another 5 minute run left to do. I decided to go for it.

On my last run, after I was already fatigued, I just refused to stop. I ran at a steady pace with firm determination. I thought about stopping lots of times, but I just kept going. I ran a full loop and went up the dreaded steps and KEPT GOING. One foot in front of the other. The music helped, some songs really get me motivated. I didn't try to go fast, I just went. Another half loop and I didn't know if I could keep going. I tried to trick myself into thinking it was my FIRST loop, not my second, and that seemed to help. (silly mind games... "You haven't gone that far. You're really not tired.") I looked back at where I'd started on this loop and felt good about how far I'd come. And so it went, for 11 minutes and 15 seconds!!! I ran a full mile!!!!!Unbelievable!!! I swear, I did not think I could do that!! And I'm starting to think that I really don't know what I am capable of!!

Just yesterday I was saying I couldn't wait to run a mile. And yesterday, I DID! It's just nuts. I got to the end of that mile and cried; I couldn't believe I'd done it. My body felt foreign to me. Who's body IS THIS? For surely, I've known mine for years and it can NOT run a mile.

It felt like I broke through a barrier. Like I pushed passed my normal "let's stop now" moment. Like my body asked, "We're doing this? We're really doing this? Well, okaay..." and it just stepped up to meet the demands.

One mile in 11 minutes and 15 seconds may not sound like much to some, but to me, it's a miracle.