My mid-week long runs are scheduled for Wednesdays. That doesn't always happen as sometimes I procrastinate, or life gets in the way, and I do my mid-week long run on Thursdays.This week was one of those weeks. Wednesday I just didn't have it in me and Thursday was to be the day. No problem, right? Well, sort of. Dear hubby wasn't 100% keen on me doing my mid-week long runs at home in the mornings and I was cancelling my gym membership. There is no real need for me to pay $30 a month in dues, plus Kids' Club fees on most Saturdays, when I have an amazing treadmill at home. I got away with it when I felt my treadmill was sub-par but now, I felt like I was wasting money.
Why am I telling you this? Because it meant my mid-week long run wasn't just happening on Thursday but on Thursday after work. Oh my! It weighed me down all day long and by the time I got to my treadmill I was a bit cranky with nerves. I asked darling daughter if she thought I could do my 10 miles. She said maybe. Not the vote of confidence I wanted.
I told myself just start running and at least run long enough to get the scheduled intervals done - four 1/2 mile repeats at a 8'00" pace. Okay, I can do that after my mile warm up and take it from there.
I did my first mile and was halfway into my first repeat thinking, man, this is a breeze! Then it dawned on me. I made a mistake. I set the treadmill to my GMP pace of 8'57" not my interval pace. Oops. I finished the interval and said, go with the flow.
I tried to tell myself it would be fine and just do the final three repeats at the right pace. I felt like I was cheating. I did four more repeats at the correct interval pace bringing me to 5.5 miles. Well, 10 miles is only 4.5 miles away. I can do that, right?!
And I did. I ran 10.05 miles with an overall pace of 9'31". My warm up, rest periods, and final miles were at a 10'00" pace. Later that night my legs felt tired and that is good although that seed of doubt is still trying to take hold - if running 10 miles at a 9'31" pace wears my legs out how will I do 26.2 miles at a 9'00"? I really need to battle these seeds of doubt.
I will find strength and solace in two verses my buddy's mom shared with me:
- Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1
- I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength! Philippians 4:13
