Week 1 of 12: 1 mile

Had a great run today. I had a great couple of runs today. After work today I decided that I'd go for a nice 3 mile run. It was a bit warm out and there's a good chance of rain tomorrow, so I figured why now. Most of the day, things kind of hurt. It seemed like my legs were tired all morning. you know that feeling after you walk a long distance, or your body just kind of aches when you wake up? That was me most of the morning. But, I had to do something. So I did what it is that I do, and laced up my shoes and headed out.

The first mile and a half was great. Really focused and strong. But I started to fall apart after that. I had to stop and walk a couple of times. My mind was really wandering. I just lost focus. No matter how much I tried to get myself pumped to finish, it was just hard. Finally I just went balls out and finished as hard as I could. It hurt. I could feel the cramps building up. I was thirsty. But that really shouldn't matter. My short fight for that last mile is nothing compared to what others have to go through. That last mile is only 8 minutes and some change. The pain I feel, that's like a pinch compared to the full on boxing match that others are in. No matter what, you have to keep fighting. You have to finish, and finish strong. Never give up!!

Speaking of fighting, today started my 12 weeks of adding extra miles. After that 3 mile run, I took a quick break, a little water, stretched the cramps out, and headed back on the trail for one more mile. Like I said in a previous post, every week for the next 12 weeks, I'm going to be adding in miles equivilent to that week. This being week 1, 1 mile. Next week, 2 miles. In 12 weeks, a 12 mile run. I might add these in after a run, or I might just pick a day where I run those miles. I was amazed. After a 3 mile run that kicked my butt, this one little mile was a breeze. I averaged just 8:07 per mile (where as my 3 mile run was close to 8:30 a mile). It seemed to go so quick. This mile, I was focused. I felt strong. The pain left, as I know it is serving a purpose. These miles are my way of fighting alongside those who are fighting tougher battles. I'm looking forward to that 12 mile run, but also fearing it. It's the unknown. Can I really do it? What will it be like? It's going to be special. I'm going to come up with a one way route, ending somewhere other than where I started. So those of you reading, who know me and live near me, if you'd like to join me at some point on that final run, that would be super cool. Those last couple of miles will probably be the hardest and most emotional, where I'll need the most help.