Hitting My Stride

Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012

Much like the race itself, every passing week is another "mile" closer to the goal. Each one is different, and each one seems to bring a new challenge, but they are all a step closer along the journey.

I am surprised this week by how running has become so much a part of my routine that I miss it sorely when I break from it. I didn't run for two days in a row this week (life happens), and I was already craving it by this morning. I ran what seemed like "fairly often" before I started training, but it's just different now. I "finally" did a short run late this afternoon, 3 miles at Wrightsville Beach, and will be doing 6 tomorrow to make up for the group run I will miss on Saturday. So, if no every day, at least every other day feels ideal. :)  (Side note: I learned in my Shape magazine this month that—unlike muscle strength, which can take several months to wane—your cardio endurance starts to decline within just a couple weeks of not doing it. So if your schedule gets crazy or you've been on a long vacation, and you try to do your normal cardio routine after just a few weeks, it's already going to feel harder. Not that I'm planning in any way to take a few WEEKS off, but wow!)

One thing that I wouldn't say is different this week so much as "increased" is just that sense of accomplishment and confidence you get with running. I always thought the benefits to running, if you could manage to make yourself do it, were all physical: you stay in shape, you gain endurance, you (hopefully) trim down, and you keep your heart healthy, etc. But that sense of accomplishment when you attain set goals and break through challenges is such an emotional and mental win. I can see now more than ever why running programs for children and youth are so beneficial, in ways that I was never able to see before beyond the physical. Of course we want our kids to be physically fit, but there is so much more to it than that. This is something that has really surprised me and that I might be learning the most right now. Plus, clearing your head, getting away from distractions, being outside, having more prayer time, and all the physical benefits combined are also a great way to decrease stress. (I'm not a super-stressed person most of the time, but, really, who couldn't use a little less of it?) Those endorphins are actually real, people... they not only give you that "runner's high," but they carry over into your day-to-day as well!

I have also been excited to learn new routes through friends and through websites like MapMyRun. I've learned a new 4-mile route from my church (where I work) to Mayfaire and back, and I've also learned new ways to make the Loop longer—without simply circling it more times. :) Talking to people about their routes is fun, and it's always good to change things up. I never knew there are as many places to run in Wilmington as there are until I started "networking" and doing the research.

Not mentioning stretching has been a huge oversight. Oh my gosh, YES, I just went there, and, yes, I am that person now. Haha! I can remember playing entire full-court basketball games in high school without so much as a second thought toward stretching. That doesn't so much work anymore. I've been fairly OK about remembering to stretch before working out while in my '20s, but it's usually kind of slack to be honest. Since training (and this is probably the result of several months of doing the Insanity workouts, where they stretch you to death), I have become really diligent out stretching really well before AND after runs. It makes SUCH a big difference. Not like flossing your teeth, where you know it's good for you, but you don't really notice any big difference about anything when you do it (expecting that it will probably end up being a good thing for you in the long, long run). Stretching has kept me from being sore and/or tight in between workouts unlike anything I could imagine, and I know it's preventing injury because as I type, my husband is nursing a torn hamstrings and has been on crutches for weeks. :(  Stretching has been a huge part of this entire process, and I know you may hear it all the time and not get the importance, but I seriously can't stress it enough! 

This week has been pretty good, so I guess I would say my only frustrations would be finding the right times to run that don't interfere with work or home life (or sufficient sleep... hehe). This winter has also been one of the most mild winters, even for Wilmington, that we've had in a very long time. So I'm preparing myself for the coldness to come (and rejoicing over the temps we're reaching currently!). As we add a mile to our long runs each week, I also know I will have to become even more intentional about where and when to run. Especially when I have to run by myself some days, I am literally racing the sun to get one in while it's safe to be out. That is on thing about training during this time of year when the days are shorter. Other than that, my blood sugars have been OK—although I have definitely experienced more lows recently than usual. Just another thing I'll have to become more and more intentional about.

What I'm very much anticipating on the horizon at this point is next weekend's long run... I realized today that, thus far, every group run we've done has been at a mileage I have reached before on my own. The farthest I've run to date without stopping is 6.5 miles. Tomorrow is 6, but next Saturday is 7. I'm hoping that my improvements so far will continue with training (and it not be that I'm just able to do each next week because it's something I've done before). After next week, every week to come will be a greater and greater challenge... but it will also be an opportunity to attain a new personal best—every single week. I'm looking forward to it, but I'm also a little bit nervous (and hopeful) that I'll actually be able to do it. When you combine and add physical, emotional, and mental rewards to an achievement that you really have to work hard to reach, there is nothing like that feeling of accomplishment and belief in yourself once it's done. Running (particularly with distance training I'll say, since it hasn't been this way before) has been all of that for me and more... I'm so glad I've found it!