So far so good with my Holiday Running Streak - I've managed to run 1 mile or more every day since Thanksgiving so far! Yippee!!! I rarely run every day, so I was a little concerned about whether or not I'd be able to keep up with this, but it's honestly been easier than I thought. 1 mile is like 10-15 minutes of my day, so even if I'm in a hurry, there's no reason I can't spare that small amount of time, right?
The part I wasn't expecting was my apparent inability to take it easy every now and then once I get outside on the trail or hop on the treadmill. Tonight was supposed to be my rest day because I haven't really taken one since I started this streak. I was a starting to get a little worried that I might injure myself by not resting, so I tried to be serious about the rest day today. Gaaaahhhh!!!! I vowed not to run over 1 mile, and to take it slow. I stepped onto the treadmill and walked to warm up, then set the pace to a nice even 6 mph for myself. As I started running, though, I had one of those out-of-body experiences where I could see my own hand reach out and bump up the incline on the treadmill, even though my mind was yelling at it and scolding me. My head was saying "go slow", but my hand (aka my competitive side) was hyperventilating at the thought of not giving it my all. And so I ran my slower, shorter run for my rest day at an increased incline. ....Sigh.....
At least it was better than my attempt at an easy day earlier this week. I have been running 4 miles now, so I was just going to run 1 mile, but make it intense. I didn't want to over-do it on the distance; I'd heard that runners shouldn't increase their weekly mileage more than 10% per week, which meant, I couldn't run 4 miles every day. So 1 mile it was. To satisfy myself, I was going to make it a hard mile though and really go all out. I took off at 7mph (the speed I usually try to end my runs on as my last-ditch push), and it felt fast. Really fast. I felt like I was sprinting. As I ran/sprinted, I quickly figured out in my nerdy accountant brain that I'd finish my mile in around 8:30 at this pace. Wait - what?!?!?!?! I'd never run a mile that fast in my life. Sweet! Now I had to do it. Because that would be totally awesome. :o)
The only problem was, that my crazy lady mind thought it would be even more awesome if I could keep that pace for 2 miles. Because that would mean I would run 2 miles in around 17 minutes. 17 minutes! Yes, you read that correctly. (My previous best for 2 miles was somewhere in the upper 18 minute range.) That seemed so completely outrageous to me, that I decided I was going to do it. I was dying, but I could make it. I mean, I had to be almost 1 mile in by now. Except when I looked down, it was way closer to a half mile in - and I already couldn't breathe. I wasn't going to make it 2 miles like this. But 17 minutes!!! That was more than 11 minutes faster than I could run 2 miles when I first started running. It would be AMAZING! I looked down again. Still not close to the 1 mile mark. BREATHE!!!
I closed my eyes for a second, took a deep breath, relaxed my shoulders, and tried to convince myself that 7 mph was a nice, easy pace. I wasn't sprinting. I could do this. I just needed to relax. I opened my eyes, and although I wasn't much closer to reaching a mile, I felt better. I alternated back and forth between relaxed and within inches of sure death, past the 1 mile mark, and past the 1.5 mile mark. I was so close. I couldn't give up now. I just kept thinking of the 17 minutes. I hadn't tortured my body for a mile and a half to give up now. So I concentrated on breathing and relaxing rather than on my legs, which wanted to just give out. I started counting down the tenths of a mile. I couldn't even kick up the speed the last couple tenths of a mile, but I didn't care. I was going to make it - and I did. I ran 2 miles in 17:09 that day. Despite the fact that I wanted to fall over the side of the treadmill in exhaustion or sit right down even though the belt was still going, I was full of smiles and felt fantastic! I was pretty sore the next day too, but it was so worth it. :o)
Now I just have to keep the streak going for another few weeks until the end of the year (scary that it's so close, actually!), and I'll have conquered another goal in my running adventure. I never thought I'd be where I'm at right now, and I have no idea where this journey will take me next. But I'm excited to find out!
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