If you have followed my training at all, by all accounts it seems that it is going pretty well.
I log a decent amount of miles. I do intervals, I do tempos, long runs and easy.
There has been a good amount of balance in my training.
However, there has been a lot of doubt in my mind. For some reason I keep thinking there is no way that I will be able to run this half marathon. Forget my goal time, or getting near my fall PR, I was telling myself that I wouldn't even be able to even get under 2 hours. Questioning finishing even. I have been preparing to write a post about not being able to hit goals and coming to grips with that.
This morning, I set out on a 10 miler. I wanted to get some good mid week miles in and I have been super stressed with work. I have to be in to the office an hour earlier now and my days are lasting until 7 or 8pm. I'm tired, loopy on little sleep. I decided to turn it into a tempo run. And all I can say is I am thankful I did.
Look at this baby: (I know I know it doesn't say 10 - but I probably ran a good quarter to half a mile before the signal picked up. at 5am I am not keen to just stand around the dark streets waiting).
I eased into this with a couple miles warming up before easing into pace. Splits:
9:45, 9:27, 9:00, 9:00, 8:57, 8:45, 8:44, 8:45, 8:39, 9:14
And it was all done with ease. I hit those middle miles comfortably. I was holding back some because my stomach was a disaster zone so I didn't want to really push it for fear of what would happen.
I don't know why, but ever since the marathon I have been doubting my running ability. Perhaps because I was so far off what I hope to run (although I am seriously proud of my 4:33 thank you very much and still talk about it). I think it is because the last half I ran is so long ago back in November and as such it has been a long time since I have held that pace for a long duration.
So here we are now a week and a half out from the half and I definitely have a lot more confidence in my running and training. I've got sub 2 that much I know. Do I have a PR in me? I'm not 100% on that. Do I have sub 1:50. Perhaps if the stars align correctly. That goal is a stretch I haven't been hitting the intervals where I should. I don't know I had enough training time for that.
But what I do know...I need to trust my training. I'm out there busting my butt and it should all come together out there on race day. I have a tough race schedule ahead of me this spring and I am going to keep on chugging and knocking out those miles and hitting those workouts.
So let's get to running some happy miles.
And I will leave you with a couple things.
The beauty that was this mornings sunrise over NYC:
And my new BFF and I have connected over Twitter. I was at work when this appeared and the squeal of excitement I let out was slightly embaressing.
You are TOTALLY going to have a great half. I can't believe how dedicated you've been to your training despite your crazy work weeks lately. It's been so inspiring!
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