Sunday's training plan called for a 3.5 run which I am amazed to say I was actually looking forward to. I knew if I did that, then the 3.1 race would be shorter and more obtainable.
Funny how I've moved from having to trick myself to get out the door to actually craving a run. Yes, craving! Who knew?
I headed out into the full humidity that only South Jersey can deliver and brutal sun. I was starting much later than I like to for a run but didn't give myself a second to entertain postponing. The shuffle on my music list worked in my favor that morning and the first two songs had me feeling absolutely jubilant. Of course, I can't possibly remember what they are now but they made me feel accomplished and proud.
And so I finished the run. Yes, I had to walk a bit and yes, even make a pit stop (Note to self: Don't eat big plate of scrambled eggs on morning of race. Second note to self: Somebody else had damn well better be cooking for me that day.) but I finished the run. I did it. The race is almost secondary now. I never in my life thought I could really do this and I did.
And so I've begun to wonder how I will keep myself motivated without the carrot of a race and with the complication of the return to my full-time single parenting (Kid's dad lives out of the country and won't be back for at least 6 months). But I've made it this far and I'm just not going to let these things be excuses for me to slip back into my previous lazy state. OK, maybe not lazy, but certainly not as physically active.
Then today, at a pool party play date I actually found myself saying the most unbelievable thing out loud. "How many miles IS a 10 K anyway? That's like 6 miles, right? I could do that." And so it starts again. I found a local running club and joined up. I'm just going to assume that I'll figure out the childcare piece of it as I go along and I love being able, as a parent, to say to my son "What kind of exercise are we going to do today?".
By the way, my son tells me that when I finish the race I get my "Super Mom" cape and can enroll in his super hero training academy. Definitely sounds like a plan to me.
Hey! - They still didn't post the results. Very frustrating for a closet Type-A personality.
ReplyDeleteI saw it, though! You finished and looked fresh sprinting across the line.
Congratulations, Sarah, you are amazing. Can you really believe what you've done? Think back to two months ago...or six...or a year...or six years. Would you have even dreamed of accomplishing what you've accomplished?