It was a rough weekend weather wise. Many of you raced: some did beautifully, some overcame illness, others fought injuries, some were disappointed by race cancellation. Maybe you didn’t race at all. Whatever you did though, stop, reflect on it and OWN IT.
I pushed through a 15 miler. Yes the weather was tough and it was kind of a big increase after last week’s 10 and not running (except in the pool) for the previous 4 weeks. It made me think back to a time not so long ago when I thought of 15 as a ‘short’ run. A yummy tidbit not unlike a 5k is to someone used to going much longer. A welcome respite in a sea of 18+ milers. It’s all relative.
That 15 miler was haaaard, not to mention slow. My legs still ache a little. Physically it wiped me out. Mentally it fortified me.
Rather than worry about how hard and slow the run was, I’m going to appreciate how far I’ve come in my journey that I ever considered 15 miles ‘small’. There is really nothing small about 15 miles.
15 years and 50 pounds ago 1 mile was way beyond me.
Too often I think we are so focused on our day-to-day baby steps, we don’t notice how far we’ve come and we are quick to minimize our accomplishments. Running is not easy. Neither is sticking with healthy eating, balancing family, school, work, finances or any goal for that matter. They all take motivation, persistence, and determination that at times we need to dig deep to find.
Great, motivating post! I ran my first track session of the year today, so I consider that my way to be awesome today!
Great post!
Amen! You are so right – it can be easy to beat ourselves up when we only look at one run or one day – but we have all come so far and accomplished things that I am sure many of us, including myself, never thought possible even a few short years ago.
Way to go on battling out in that 15 miler – you are awesome!
Loved your post today, just what I needed 🙂
and well done on your 15 miler!
Great perspective! I agree with you. Running is hard. But that's what makes it so gratifying!
Okay, love this motivating post!!!!
Great post! I often catch myself saying "ONLY this distance" and "ONLY that distance"… in reality, there's nothing "ONLY" about it, whether it's 5K or 50K. Thanks for the reminder and AWESOME job on the 15 miles!!
Very nicely said!
now that i'm trying to get my 5K time down i've went from a 10 mile "long run" to a 5 miler. still can't bring myself to call it a long run, but there is sits on the training plan for Saturday.
Thanks for the uplifting post! It made me smile!
Congrats on how far you have come!
My 'awesome' today will be in getting back out there and getting ready for the next finish line that comes…whether that be another ultra or just a morning jog with the little one. Because after every run – hard or easy – I am also a better mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister, worker and person. Everytime.
Love this post! This is what I try to tell everyone I know – get out there and just be happy you are doing it!!!! Slow, fast, it doesn't matter! One foot in front of the other gets you out the door!
Nice job on your 15 miler:) You are doing so awesome Marcia, look at everyhting that you have been able to achieve!! Own it girl:)
today you were my mental fortification!! Thank you, it is always inspiring to read how far some of you run, it is also sometimes embarrassing that I cannot run further or faster, but when I think about where I was 3 months ago, and the term "runner" was so far beyond me I would laugh at it…..and now I just go ahead and say I am "one bad ass runner" haha owning it makes everything worth while some days!!!
Love this post! Congrats on all of your accomplishments! 🙂
Hmm I will be awesome by pushing through my sleep depraviation for a great running time with the group tonight…seriously in the past I would have just skipped and missed out on all the fun
great post. i think i'm overly emotional or extremely sleep deprived (or both?) because i misted up and i am not the kind of person who usually does that. i think it's great to take a step back and OWN YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS 🙂 love it
Great post, so true!
So true – I think that when we only talk running to other runners, and especially to other marathoners, it is easy to lose sight of the awesomeness of our accomplishments. I told a co-worker that I was happy to get my 20 miles done Sunday before the snow hit, and he said, "I didn't even drive 20 miles this weekend!" To me it was one 20 miler of three this cycle. To him it was awesome. I think I'll go with "awesome"!
Almost every time I run, I remind myself of how much progress I have made! It's so inspiring to think of how much we improve as runners, and how much we take on.
Great work on the 15!
True! Great post.
Such an awesome way of looking at things, Marcia! Sorry to hear you've been out of commish for a while. Take good care.
Good post! I ran a tempo run today and I avoid speed and tempo like the plague. But if they are in a plan I am following I do them. I am anal and do what I am told. But I have to say I rocked my tempo run today!
Love it! I am all over my awesomeness so watch out! It really is all relative, isn't it?
Great post! 15 miles is still in my future…but, I'm darn proud of my first hills today 🙂
Love your outlook and reminder to look at the big picture. Something I need to do more often!
nice job chica. agree, agree, agree. Love the running/tri bloggy world for posts like this;-) thanks.
Way to rock the 15 miles!
Thanks for the pep talk! I needed that to get over my pity party! 🙂
I am going to own the couch (you hear that couch?)!
GREAT POST! having a Log book has definitely helped with seeing how far I have come. Instead of focusing on the micro, look at the macro. The Big Picture. Loved this. Take care.
This was an awesome post. Yesterday I was trying to tell my friend who was frustrated that she could only run about .1 miles at a time at a 9:30 pace that this time a year ago, she was about 70 pounds heavier and 1 mile walking was a challenge. Now she can walk 4 miles like nobody's business. 🙂
Thanks for commenting on my blog. I think you should try one 24 hour relay. The hardest part for me is from 2-5am when I am exhausted from no sleep. It is then when I ask why I do it. Once I get a 2 hour nap I'm better and then its fun again.