I've come a long way, baby!

This past weekend SJR had organized a practice run along the course. I jumped at the opportunity---I knew we needed to get a long run in, but how awesome was it that we would be running the race route as well? It was perfect timing and very exciting.

We made our way out to the meeting spot and were anxious to get really moving---it was COLD & windy out! I pretty much lost sight of my running buddies from the get-go. I could see them bobbing up and down but the trail was narrow and I got quickly fed up with weaving in and out of people. So I cranked up my tunes and set out to focus on just getting to the first landmark. I didn't want to stay too anxious over it being cold and the fact that I wasn't with my buddies. I made sure to focus all my mental energy to something else--trying to sing along with whatever song came on, check out the others' cool running gear, heck I even kept trying to figure out some of the tattoos that I saw around me. If I started to lose focus and start thinking about what might be hurting or maybe I should stop, then I'd just tell myself to run until the end of the current song.

Pretty soon I found myself at my first stop---an intersection. I made myself NOT push my little button to tell me how far I had gone or what my pace was but about 1/4 mile after that intersection the suspense was killing me. It was close to 4 miles! Now that may seem like chump change to some, but it was a LOT to me. I made it through all that time without constantly checking my iPod...and what was even more amazing: I FELT AWESOME! I kept chugging away and taking in the sights. I stopped at one of the bigger water stops and grabbed some Gatorade. I thought this would be perfect for my new packet of Gu Chomps. But I turned my pack inside out and found none. :( Great job, Erica--you left it back in the car. Ok, don't panic--I will just keep on plugging away and see how far I go. Almost 8 miles later, I checked my handy dandy iPod and came across an amazing view of the bay and SF. I snapped a quick picture and saw that I was getting close to where we back-track to the starting area. I had to admit that I got a little too overconfident here. I had the BIGGEST grin on my face. I was already congratulating myself on a job well done...but I had yet to even finish.

This is where I started to really feel the exhaustion and achy muscles. I just wanted to get close enough and maybe walk a bit if needed to. And I did...but that walk was THE LONGEST WALK EVER!! I remember seeing a 2-mile marker and it was loooooong past when I might have made that 2 mile mark. I was done at this point...I even texted the other two girls. This was ridiculous---where was the dang park?! I moaned and groaned my way back and FINALLY saw that big red tent. I was seriously never so happy to see it. 

While stretching and some chit-chat with the girls, I just couldn't help but feel so dang proud of all the little milestones that I accomplished on this long run. This is so much more mental for me than physical. I have every excuse going through my head as to why I should stop, why I should've never signed up for another race or why I am not meant to be a runner. While there are some things that I wish I could've done better along that run, the end is the same: I am still so dang proud. I did it. And I did it better than I ever thought I could. Twelve weeks ago I was not prepared for this race. I can look back at emails and they are filled with lots of motivating words from April & Rachel: 'No excuses! Just go for 5 minutes. Great job on 2 miles!' 

I've come a very long way, baby! All the colds, flu bugs, and injuries that occurred along the way, I still did it. I had such doubt...ok, I still have a lot of doubt that I can do this again in 2 weeks, but really I was already thinking I was just going to somehow write off the 40-some dollars for the registration. But I stuck with it---my goals changed over the course of training. I had originally wanted to match the other girls' times...but in the end I knew I couldn't. Now my goal is just to shave off as much time as I can from my previous race. I know I will do that because I am better prepared. I just can't get off this high I am on from yesterday's run. :) I made it---and seriously couldn't have done it without the other two. (Also don't know how they have put up with me this long, lol.) Now to just keep this positive mentality going for two more weeks! ACK! :)