Just finished our last training run for the Army 10-Miler -- Ginny, Andrew, Elizabeth and I -- nine miles on a crisp, cool, perfect fall morning. And we all felt great! Finished in about 1:40, or 11-minute miles, which is ok because you're supposed to do the training runs up to two minutes slower than your race pace. I'd like to do the race in under 1:40, since my best previous time is 1:41:something, but you never know. Last week I felt lousy during the entire run, today was a piece o' cake. It's always a crapshoot. Last year it was unseasonably HOT the day of the race.
If we have good weather and if I feel good that day, I just might meet my goal. But the big news today is we're DONE -- one more track day left but all the long runs finished. And tonight we're going to see Old Crow Medicine Show at the 9:30 Club: rock me mama like a wagon wheel -- yeehah! I'm not driving, and I'm not getting up early in the morning for any damn long run. No sir, we are done!
And -- as the icing on the cake -- I leave at dawn on Friday for the last best place again. Gonna learn about screenwriting at my workshop; run alongside the rushing river in Big Fork; listen to Jane's friend play guitar at the Whitefish Boat Club; ride at the Bar W; and dance with the wranglers at the Blue Moon -- someone pinch me, I must be dreaming! :)
1 comment:
I second that YEE HA! This weekend marks the end of our long training runs. After doing the Reston Sprint Triathlon I swore that I would never do another event without training first. Of course many of us could go out and run a slow 10 miler but I wanted to feel GOOD this time around.
Sometimes we complain about "having to" do the training runs. We grumble when we "have to' watch what we eat and drink much more closely during our training period. We get a little tired of "having to" get up early to run.
Of course none of us HAS to do any of this but we WANT to. Setting these little goals makes it fun to get and stay in shape. Training with old and new friends makes it so much easier. For most of us, the thought of going our and running 8 or 9 miles alone is not very enticing. I have always been a big proponent of group fitness; it's just better to workout with others. We tend to push ourselves a little bit harder and when we feel as if we can't take another step our fellow runners and exercisers are there to encourage us and spur us on.
It's really all about the journey. I always say that the most fun and interesting people are those who have accomplished the most. What better feeling than to achieve the goal, no matter how small, that we have set for ourselves.
I am proud of all our runners; especially those for whom running a ten mile road race is a new goal!
What a great feeling it will be to cross the finish line on October 5th knowing that we can do whatever we set our minds to! An added bonus is that we might inspire the younger generations by our example.
Good luck runners. Keep up the good work!
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