Strides of Faith: 10 miles... make that 11 :)

Friday morning was my loner 10-mile run... and I did it!!!

I was out of town on Saturday (the reason I had to miss the group run), but I put on my big-girl, um, running shoes and set out to see if I could "go the distance" alone. :D

What's funny is that the week before was supposed to be 9 miles, and we ended up running close to 10, then on Friday I was supposed to do 10 and actually ended up running 11! I wasn't able to view what had been mapped out for our group, so I did what I thought it was, then mapped it myself when I got home, and realized I did a little more than what I had to... Did that just happen!? :)

Inside my car on the way there...

(I had to be my own motivation!)

I started a *teensy* bit later than we have been starting recently (7:45 instead of 7). It was a GORGEOUS morning; I was wishing halfway through that I could shed another layer. Nothing beats running at the beach on a sunny day! I did Eastwood Road, Summer Rest Trail, the far side of the Loop, down to the Coast Guard station at the tip of the south end, up the close side of the Loop, Summer Rest Trail again (which, as it turns out, I didn't need to do), and back. It definitely felt long, but endurance-wise I was doing great (took it a little bit slower than I probably would be going if I had been with the others). I actually ended up taking TWO gels on this run (Pineapple was good, too—YES!!), and those last two miles were not at all easy, but most of the run was just glorious, full of good music and beautiful scenery, sunshiny, and the kind of "work" that feels good to do: challenging, intentional, and even slow, but incredibly rewarding. Knowing that every step makes you better is such an awesome feeling. Knowing that you aren't taking the easy way out is just icing on the whole sweet cake.

A friend told me this past week that if you can run 10, you can finish the half marathon (13.1). And I really do feel like, from this point, on I can really do it. :)

I ran it no walking, and I want to run the half that way, too: no stopping until the end. But a phrase has gotten lodged in my mind a lot lately: Don't stop—finish. My volleyball coach in high school used to say to us, "Don't play not to lose. Play to win!" There is a big difference. That same concept, in a different sort of way, is beginning to play into My One Word this year ("finish"). Do I do things just to finish them, or do I do them right—and well? (At least finishing is a good start. ;) I'm an INFP to the core... leave things open-ended, and you can always continue to make them better.) But I'm paying attention and not letting myself forget.