Alas, one more thing to do rather than homework- I'll update my blog! With only a few weeks left of school I'm in total "senioritis" mode. Combine that with my teams that are realizing that deadlines do in fact exist beyond the syllabus, it's been a whirlwind of studying, emailing, planning, and willing time to just..move..a little...faster.
The Parkway Half marathon and 5K is coming up on Saturday. Since I've been working on my running technique & fixing my injuries, I'm hoping for a faster time as a result. If not for this race, hopefully by the time Rock N Roll Seattle comes around at the end of June. A PR is in my sights either way. With school wrapping up, running will definitely take more of a priority.
Feeling inspired, I started a meetup group a couple of weeks ago. It's the Sacramento "Back of the Pack" runners, geared towards those of us who are little slower, and don't always want to run alone as we watch our faster comrades pass us on the trail. So far lots of members have signed up, alas, only 2 showed up to the first one on Sunday. It was only the first one so I can't complain.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
"If Onlys" and Mantras - aka my 12-mile run
Yesterday I completed a 12 mile run, my longest in a while. Considering the setbacks I've overcome, I will knock on wood that I'm not jinxing myself for another venture at 12+ miles again this weekend.
There were several "If Only" moments throughout that run:
If only...I had charged my iPhone a little longer, it would not have died a mile and a half from finishing. On the upside, at least it wasn't during a race. Not only did I lose the audiobook I was zoning out to, I lost tracking of the run on RunKeeper. When I finally got the phone charged enough to turn it on, the route and pace of my run was quite eschewed. This led to another hour lost, spent editing it back to a more realistic pace and finishing time. Perfectionist by nature, I am.
I had never been one for using a mantra while running, although I've read about their success on more than one occasion. However, I found myself repeating a few choice words to keep my mind on something other than the ache in my right knee. It started off as "I am strong, I am fast, I am powerful, I am able" as I tried to time it with my cadence and breathing. I needed some sort of mental distraction to keep me from caving and walking the rest of the way back. After a few minutes, it had been wittled down to "I am strong, fast, power, able." I was surprised that it actually worked, helping keep my pace and pass the time until I was able to get back to my car. Maybe "they" were on to something...?
If only...I had started the run a little sooner. I procrastinated quite a bit that morning about heading out. The clouds, grey skies, and wind were not exactly motivating. It had started raining about 10-15 minutes before I finished...it would figure.
So...here's to a fully-charged phone and better weather this weekend.
There were several "If Only" moments throughout that run:
If only...I had charged my iPhone a little longer, it would not have died a mile and a half from finishing. On the upside, at least it wasn't during a race. Not only did I lose the audiobook I was zoning out to, I lost tracking of the run on RunKeeper. When I finally got the phone charged enough to turn it on, the route and pace of my run was quite eschewed. This led to another hour lost, spent editing it back to a more realistic pace and finishing time. Perfectionist by nature, I am.
I had never been one for using a mantra while running, although I've read about their success on more than one occasion. However, I found myself repeating a few choice words to keep my mind on something other than the ache in my right knee. It started off as "I am strong, I am fast, I am powerful, I am able" as I tried to time it with my cadence and breathing. I needed some sort of mental distraction to keep me from caving and walking the rest of the way back. After a few minutes, it had been wittled down to "I am strong, fast, power, able." I was surprised that it actually worked, helping keep my pace and pass the time until I was able to get back to my car. Maybe "they" were on to something...?
If only...I had started the run a little sooner. I procrastinated quite a bit that morning about heading out. The clouds, grey skies, and wind were not exactly motivating. It had started raining about 10-15 minutes before I finished...it would figure.
So...here's to a fully-charged phone and better weather this weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
