Just got real!

I received an email the other day from SpaceCoast for the 1/2 at the end of November.  And it hit me. I need to be training. And running. And more running. Since the SFSF (bleep bleep Stress Fracture) I've had to ease back into running again.  Basically it's like starting all over, except the mind is louder and ever present. 

I've been following a Run/Walk plan. You know, run for X number of minutes, walk for X number of minutes. And repeat for X number of minutes. The plan also calls for cross training and even a long run that is calculated in miles and not minutes, but, still has the run:walk ratio spelled out. I am digging this "run for time, not miles" plan. 

Of course, it has been tweaked just a little for me by Dr. Pat: run 3x and 1 XT vs run 4x and 2 XT. Since I don't want to overuse my foot and to avoid the risk of re-injury and seeing as I'm still in "recovery mode", it makes sense. I'm not doing speedwork. I'm not doing hill repeats (pretty sure FL is flat). I'm not doing tempo runs. I'm basically just running for time. And it feels pretty damn good. 

So as with everything else, the running hasn't been constant. I do what I can when I can. I've ran 6x in the last 3 weeks. I've gone hiking twice. And this past Sunday I did my long run of 7 with the self-understanding that if I got 5-7 miles in I would be okay with that. I got 7.66 miles. Gastrointestinal issues got me at the end. 

 It was a 9:1 run:walk. So I estimated a 15 minute mile (as a cushion only) and figure it to be 10.5 reps. Well, you can't do 10.5 on my watch so instead of rounding down, I rounded up. 11 reps.

Right about rep 8 (3 to go) I was telling myself I could quit. I'd done enough, probably. I said I'd settle for between 5-7,  so I was probably there.   But the reality was, I set out to do 7 miles. My phone wasn't ringing with the boy calling because he was hungry or bored.  Actually phone didn't ring at all. I really had no place to be. Browns weren't on tv. Laundry was started. The sun was shining. It was perfect weather.  Just. Run. It. Tami.  

And I did. And it felt amazing.  When my watch beeped that it was done I was shocked! I did it. And it didn't matter that the pace wasn't fast. All that mattered was that I ran 7.66 miles. And I felt great! 

Now, this morning, yeah I was kinda in some pain.  Some soreness. Stiffness. Chafing in places unmentionable. No pain. No gain. Or as BondiBand sums it up :

So that's where I am. 8 miles up this week for a long run. Easy peasy.  SpadeCoast 13.1 is just a few weeks away... Time to be challenged!

Run. Strong. 

-t-