Reflections As I Countdown To My 1st 10K!

As of today, I have completed 15 weeks of training, with 1 week to go. My first 10K is one week from TODAY!

As I was climbing my big hill today at the start of my 5 mile run, I reflected on my training, and how far I've come. I actually started running about this time last year! On my first run, I made it less than half a mile, before I started walking. I was sucking air and felt like I wanted to puke. My heart was pounding out of my chest. It took weeks of walk/run combinations before I could run a mile without dying. Then, it took longer to make it two miles. Last summer, I remember reaching a plateau where I didn't think I would ever break through to 3 miles! Even when I did, I could only run 3 miles occasionally. Most days were my "typical 2 mile runs". By the end of summer, I was running 3 miles regularly, with an *occasional* 4 mile run in there. Then - winter hit, and I determined to keep up my running. With new running gear to keep me warm and dry, and the help of yak-tracks that literally made it possible to run in snow and ice, I battled the cold season! I forced myself to get 1-2 two-mile runs in per week. I ran in the snow, the bitter cold wind, and on days where I just plain thought I was CRAZY to be out running! I drew the line at single-digit wind chills though. So long as it was teens or above - I could hack it out. My goal was merely to maintain my fitness. I also added a weight lifting regimine to my weekly running, which helped me to build strength.

January hit, and I decided to set my sights on the 5th/3rd Riverbank Run in May. Nervously, I decided to train for the 10K. I knew I could do the 5K, and I wanted something to stretch myself and challenge myself - something lofty, but not too out of reach, to strive for. I started the training schedule at the first of February. My 2 days week of running immediately changed to 5 days! The schedule increased mileage every 2 weeks, so slowly, I built up more endurance and more speed.

The greatest enjoyment came from menally conquering running. Running is far more mental to me than physical. Yes, physically, running is hard work. I would never down play that fact, nor would I gloss over the hard work I've put into getting ready for this 10K...... but the harder challenge for me, is the mental discipline. When I'm doing my speedwork, or when I'm increasing my distance, or when I have to go out for an "easy run" and the wind is horrific - my *MIND* wants to call it quits..... but my body is really okay. Learning how to focus, how to play the mind game, how to mentally force my body to relax and to just keep going, to break the run and the tasks into small pieces and mentally tackle them one at a time - that's where I've gained the greatest accomplishment!

I liken it to November of 2007, when I realized that I was 30# overweight, and gaining slowly but surely every month. It wasn't until I overcame the mental obstacles, that I was able to tackle the physical task of losing weight permanently. I had to face the things that were causing me to become and to remain overweight. There was no more "denial". Pictures showed me that I didn't look like I thought I did. There was no more "hiding behind clothes". Losing weight is not a difficult physical thing to do - once you have conquered it MENTALLY. For me, once I determined mentally that I was DONE with being overweight, and I was no longer going to give into the eating habits that kept me trapped in this body, the changes were not hard at all. The weight fell off, and hasn't been back since!

I became a runner AFTER I lost all my weight. I think finally being thin again, gave me the drive to be healthy and strong. I used to be very phyically active. I was alway strong as a little girl, and as a teenager. I wasn't a "soft child", but one with strong bones and muscles. I was very active - out climbing the boys when it came to the highest trees, choosing to run and play kickball on recess even if it meant being all sweaty in school rather than standing around with the girls. I ran track in high school, and taught an aerobics class my Freshman year in college. Years of gym memberships followed, where I took step classes 4 days a week and kept up with my weights. Tom and I went to the gym regularly as newly marrieds - but when I became preganant with my first child, all that stopped. Other than 1 summer recently when I did alot of walking, I had a decade of little to no physical activity. 3 pregnancies in which I gained close to 50# a piece, did me in!

So - last year, after I had conquered my weight, I started running again. I feel like I have discovered the "old me" in many ways. I haven't been this strong and lean in decades!

Today, as I was running my 5 miles, at my comfortable pace - realizing that I'm hardly having to work at breathing, my heart isn't pounding out of my chest, my legs are strong and carrying me...... and I was RELAXED and enjoying the run, I recalled my first day - when I wondered if I'd EVER make it past the "I want to puke" stage! Here I am, 1 year later, a week away from running my first 10K! Now, I'm not competitive runner, and I'm sure I'll finish toward the back of the pack...... but that's okay! Running this 10K is a huge accomplishment that means the most to ME. It is symbolic of just how far I have come, and how good I feel, and how healthy I know that I am compared to where I was just a short time ago.

I want to encourage anyone out there, that you CAN set goals for better health. Maybe running isn't your thing, perhaps something else inspires you to set goals and work toward them. The important thing is to just START with something. Eliminate your snacks and second helpings..... get out and walk around the block. Just START. Work on your mental mindset. Conquer those things that emotionally keep you enslaved to turning to food and sedentary lifestyles that ruin our health and set us up for disease and a lifetime of prescription medications. Start small - and just be consistant. You'll be amazed too, where you'll be in a year's time!!

Shauna