Training Underway

Training for the half marathon. Mind over matter... it is something that has been talked about many times and is certainly not a new concept, but I am going to tell you some of the things that I have to overcome in my head as I am running.

First thing I have to deal with is the thought of leaving a comfortable bed knowing that I am about to run. Running is not my passion, but it does make me feel good...at least parts of me feel good. Running itself is a means to an end. So as I am stretching I feel pretty good, but my mind is always fighting the awkwardness I feel as my body is not extremely limber.

As I begin my run I realize that my Achilles tendon seems a bit tight. I don't know if I am going to make it through this run. Then I feel a slight cramp in my ribs, this definitely is  going to make for a long run. Sometimes my lungs have a hard time adjusting to my rhythm and or my asthma just does not want to loosen its grip on my lungs. Everyone of these things used to stop me dead in my tracks. Now they are just annoyances. It is that voice inside that has told me I can't that has haunted me all my life. It mocks me as I take each step, but each step I take grows stronger and stronger as I tell that voice it's wrong. I can do it.

There are times when you need to listen to your body and there are times when you need to ignore your body. If you are honest with yourself you know when that is. No one  knows your body like you do. Learning how to explain it is another matter...

Since starting my training routine I have been running on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Saturday is our big run day which will eventually build up to 12 miles, but for now we have done a 4 mile and a 5 mile run with this week we will be running 6 miles.  Is it hard on me? yes, but will it be worth it? Absolutely, and along the way I will find out more about myself and my body, it's capabilities and its limits. To me that is worth it. Learning more about what makes us tick and how to control this body which we possess is just part of what this life is all about.