holy smokes…18 miles is no joke everyone! i can’t believe that i have officially hit the 18 mark with my training. that just means the chicago marathon is getting closer and closer. only one more “long” run to go, the 20+ miler?! thankfully i don’t have to think about that run for another couple weeks and celebrate the fact that i finished 18 miles. heck, even my watch celebrated since today was my longer run to date. i don’t know about everyone else, but i love those garmin accomplishment badges.
today’s mantra was “yes, you can!” there were so many times during the run where i wanted to quit as the heat was brutal (thanks a lot florida). literally it was over 80 degrees in the early hours of the morning. but i knew that i had to get this run done – because if i didn’t do it today then i would just have to move it to another time and place. i’ve realized that with these longer runs, it’s more about the mental game than the physical. physically, i know that i’ve put in the preparation but that mental game can sometimes derail you.
thankfully, i had a great group of ladies who joined me today who really kept me going. it’s amazing how running with a group propels you to overcome challenges. i seriously don’t know how i would get through some of my longer runs if it wasn’t for them! and today’s run allowed me to observe how well i am progressing from my previous training runs. after looking at the comparison, i realized that i had finished 16 miles in roughly 3 hours and 45 minutes. and today, i finished 18 in just under 4 hours (3 hours and 59 minutes to be exact). literally just sneaked under the mark. i seriously could not believe it?! but it does make me realize that all of this training is paying off.
so what’s next? well, over the next couple weeks i am planning to taper down my miles a bit to recoup my legs. i have found that my recovery weekend runs have been what’s gotten me through, especially with protecting my knees. and, i am so excited that the track shack running series starts in just a couple short weeks with the celebration of running 5k. yesterday, i had the chance to see all of my fellow team track shack teammates and it got me so ready for the upcoming season. so many of us have goals for this upcoming season, and i just love the vibe that i get from being with the team.
stay tuned for more upcoming run recaps. only 63 days until chicago.
until next time
xoxo
kpmoments 