6.62

Wow. I did it. The longest run I've ever done in my entire life.

Not so bad!

I ran pretty slow and steady the whole time. I was honestly pretty anxious about running it. The hardest part - hands down- was just getting out there and doing it. I felt more confident with every mile, but also stayed cautious to make sure I didn't overdo it.

It was a really nice run, it's 79 degrees outside- so strange, but I'm not complaining. At the beginning of the run, my new shoes kinda hurt the arch on my left foot. I just kept running and eventually, I stopped noticing it. I also felt my IT band starting to tighten up right as I hit about the middle of the run, but again, just tried to take it easy and keep going.

Here's a screen shot of my route, from Carrboro to the Old Well to Gimghoul and back to Umstead:




I also double-knotted my shoelaces to make sure they didn't untie while I was running. I didn't anything breaking my pace and my focus.... also meaning I was more tempted to stop running this time than usual. I did stop once at the Old Well to get a quick sip of water. I figured it wouldn't hurt to do that, since I'll be stopping at water stations during the half 'thon also. Plus, legend has it that drinking from the Old Well on the first day of classes would make sure you got good grades all semester- why it can't be a good luck potion for me while I train?

I also noticed that flowers are starting to bloom- there were daffodils in bloom and trees in the Arboretum with pink flowers on them. Looking a lot like spring, bring it on!

This is the point in my training where things really start to get serious. A week from today, I do 8 miles. I've decided that I want to dedicate this training and the half marathon to my mom. Anytime I start to feel like I'm weak or I can't do it, I think about how strong she was, and how she always encouraged me. She knew I was strong, too, and she knew I could do whatever I set my mind to. When I was running the Gimghoul loop, I noticed a shallow wooded ravine that reminded me of the view from the top of our Mountain Farm, where she's buried. She used to go up there to re-fuel and calm her mind. I try to think about how hard she fought and channel that strength to keep my mind open and help me keep running.

Tough week ahead, starting with 5 miles tomorrow.