Becoming a runner

Spring is here and not a moment too soon. I've been blessed with beautiful weather for most of my recent runs. Last week, I stayed on track with training: 4 miles on Monday, 2 on Tuesday, 4 on Wednesday (it was supposed to be 5, but I didn't realize until later), and 10 on Saturday. That 10 hung over my head all week long. I knew it was coming, I knew it was two miles farther than I'd ever run before, but I wasn't afraid or anxious. I was simply anticipating. I was curious about how it would go, how I would feel. Since Saturday ended up being pretty warm, I decided not to take Polo. The first six miles felt really great, but around the seven mile mark, my quads were feeling really tight, so I took a very short stretching break. It definitely helped, as the next two miles felt much better. The last mile was tough, but I just kept reminding myself that I was about to finish a 10 mile run, and that kept me motivated.

This week is going well so far. Monday- 4, Tuesday- 2, Wednesday- 6. Saturday is supposed to be another 10 mile long run, but I have choir practice in the morning, and I have to work from 2-9:30. Since it doesn't look like I will have much time, I will probably move the run up to tomorrow. It's gray and rainy today, but tomorrow the sun should be back. Lucky me :)

What has been really interesting for me is how much my perspective has changed. Three miles used to be a standard run for me. Now, a four, five, even six mile run feels standard. "Oh, it's just five miles," I think instead of "FIVE miles?!" My mom asked me when I was home for Christmas if I would have ever imagined that one day I would be a runner (I was about as unathletic as you get growing up). The funny thing is, even though I had been running fairly regularly for three years, I still didn't consider myself a "runner." What or who is a "runner"? To me, it was someone who was much more serious and much more in shape than I. Me? I just went out for a short jog every now and then because it's cheaper than joining a gym and I need to burn all the calories I eat. That's starting to change. In just the last week or two, I think I've started to come around to the idea that I may just be a "runner." Whatever it is, I'm starting to feel like one.