800+ Miles: A Year in Review

What's it like to run more than 800 miles in a year? It's hard to describe in only a few words as so much happens in those 800 miles. There is adventure, strife, frustration, growth and victory in those miles. So, in this post I attempt to give a small glimpse as to what it was like to run 853.58 miles in 2018. May this inspire you to run, walk, bike, or get some other fitness in 2019.

____________________________________________________________ The First Run, January...

What does 3 miles look like? It’s pounding through my neighborhood in the burning cold air of the morning and telling myself that I won’t stop. Watching the unknown people in non-descriptive cars speed past me. Do they wonder why I am doing this? Do they even care? Making my way onto a new street I fly down the side of a hill and feel the invigoration. I feel like I’m gliding above the air. My lungs are just beginning to wake up on this blustery Saturday morning. I become more in tune with my body and my mind as the muscles in my legs contract, powering me through the distance. I become more in tune with my own doubts and concerns. My mind tells me it wants to stop, that it's too early, too cold but in my heart I know that I can keep going. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. 3 miles is a quick mental break from the world around me. I’m not thinking about anything else but the miles that lay ahead of me and I need to take each mile as it comes. Deep down I know I can finish this 3 mile run and I will return home victorious.

____________________________________________________________ Some Runs Later – The winter long run What does a long run look like in an ice storm? It looks like this…

Many runners have lamented the use of this machine and I am included in this as well. It’s hard not to feel like you are getting nowhere pounding away on the conveyor belt while staring at the off white wall in front of you. But for me, I’d rather use the treadmill then not train at all. When do I use the treadmill? Where do I draw the line between breathing in the fresh air and becoming a hamster...? I won’t run in ice storms or thunder storms, it just doesn’t seem like a bright idea to go out for 12 miles in the wide open spaces of central Indiana while lightning is striking shards of electricity towards the earth or slipping and sliding across the pavement while trying to complete a 3 miler on a winters day (been there, done that). Just saying! And as much as I malign the treadmill, it isn’t as bad as I make it out to be. It’s another opportunity to keep my body moving, to allow it to be strong and fit. On a frigid cold day when the ice has settled on the pavement in thick sheets resembling wet glass I can turn on a machine, start an audiobook and clock up the miles. It’s also a way for me to choose my terrain and really focus in on specific training. I can climb some steep hills, keep up with the rolling hills or work on speed and it’s all specifically controlled by the buttons I press. So, in 12 miles I can listen to half a book and join in on the adventures of the characters I am listening to in the book. A long run in an ice storm really isn’t that bad. And, with the treadmill at my disposal I have no excuse to skip the run. ____________________________________________________________ The Tuesday Night 5K... The Power of the Group

Its my personal opinion but I think there isn't a more misunderstood individual than the runner who actually LOVES to run. And it makes sense, why would any individual want to put themselves through the agony of 26 miles or race up and down hills at top speed on a regular basis? I can concede that, to the outsider, this would appear to be complete lunacy. And that's why, last February I was feeling the desperate pangs of loneliness. I longed to run with others, and talk about running, with those who wouldn't look at me as if I had cockroaches creeping out of my hair. I was beginning to feel like I was the only person in the world who loved the sport. Deep down I knew it wasn't true but when your co-workers simply shake their head at you and say they will never run... you begin to feel the isolation. So, what does any good Millennial do when looking for like-minded running enthusiasts... We Google local running groups. I did my Google Search and found a few different groups that seemed like good possibilities but one stood out to me the most. I must admit I was most intrigued by this group 1. Because of the location and 2. Because it was free. I'm always good for something free. I sent an email to the contact listed on the website and asked if the group was still meeting. Her response of, "Heck Yes! Of course we're still meeting," sold me on going that very next Tuesday. Her enthusiasm jumped off the web page as I read and I thought, "this could be my running group." I showed up that first Tuesday, anxious and unsure of myself. I knew I would be slow and most of the other runners would be faster than me so I might be judged for being really slow. I was glad to find out that I was wrong and right at the same time. There were runners who were faster than me but there were also runners who were slower than me. Not only that, I found no judgment only encouragement and comradeship. We all came to run, to challenge each other and to fuel each other's passion for the sport not to compete with each other by belittling other group members skills or physical ability. I've since joined this group for the regular 5K run most Tuesdays and have felt the loneliness and misunderstanding I felt leave me. The group has allowed me to learn to encourage others instead of being in my head, how to improve my running (because those faster folks do have wisdom they can impart) and to be more confident in myself. ____________________________________________________________ Running in the Rain, a 5 Mile Journey

As a kid, I watched Gene Kelly twirl around a light pole with ease as he blasted out melodies under an umbrella. Gene was celebrating a success and he didn’t care what the weather was like. Back out of the idealism of the movie world I laced up my Sauconys and rationalized that it was just rain and it wasn’t going to kill me to run in it. Turning to my husband I bellowed, “I’ll see you in 5 miles.” Staring at me from behind his silver computer situated on our dining room table he raised one brown eye brow and looked at me as if I had just grown horns. “But it’s raining…. You’re going to run 5 miles in the rain?” I looked back at him just as I began to turn the knob on the front door, “It’s just rain, I’ll get wet but it’s not going to kill me…” His look expressed how ridiculous he thought I was being. Shrugging his shoulders he knew it was no good to try and talk me out of it… I was going anyway. The rain beat down on the ground like plastic pellets hitting concrete. Zipping up my waterproof jacket I began the foot fall down the sidewalk as my warmup started. My feet were wet already, but I rationalized again, “It’s not going to kill me.” Heading out of the neighborhood I made my way down the sidewalk past manicured lawns and well-designed houses. The hair that had swept into my face because of the fierce wind was now adhered to my forehead as if pasted there by a kindergartner. My shoes began to squish as I stepped in puddle after puddle. I was already beginning to regret this run and I was only in mile 1. Was it a bad idea to run in the rain? Trudging up the next hill I began to feel more doubt and was quickly talking myself into turning around. That's when I saw him... like a flash this black figure came rushing out of a neighborhood towards me. Was I about to be attacked? Then, looking more closely I realized it was another runner. As he turned to go beyond me onto the sidewalk he nodded, smiled and waved. He knew the reasons I was out here. He understood the drive, the desire to train and the need to conquer the mileage even when the rain was rushing down in torrents. I felt my heart lift and decided I could carry on. And carry on I did. Five miles later I turned back into my neighborhood, victorious! I didn't quite and found some help along the way. There's no better feeling than knowing you wanted to quite but chose not too. Thank you Mr. Runner, you have no idea what your wave and smile did for me that day. ____________________________________________________________ Learning the Mantra

The mind is the hardest thing to overcome when your tired and sore. Your brain is telling you its time to quit. It wants to desperately conserve energy and strength. But there are times we have to learn to push past those thoughts. A good example of this is when you are 3 miles into a 6 mile weekday fartlek (not a bodily function I promise, it means "speed play" in Swedish) and your legs start to feel like a pile of bricks and your calves are on fire. Every ounce of your being wants to stop but you have 3 miles left to get home. This is how I was feeling the other day as I was getting in some training. I desperately wanted it to be over and for me to be home. My brain was telling me that I couldn't go on because of the soreness. Its in these kinds of moments that I consider calling my husband and having him pick me up. But I knew I would also feel disappointed if I stopped now. I knew I was going to have to work through my mind's inner voice to conquer my urge to quit and make it home on my own steam. Being the geek that I am I like to learn as much about my interests as possible. When I learn to do something I am all in. So, when I began running I started listening to blog posts about running. How to encourage yourself, how to become faster, how to improve running form etc. I had listened to podcasts in the past that indicated the importance of the power of the mind. Its often the strongest indicator of whether we continue or whether we stop. In one particular podcast the speaker suggested giving yourself a mantra when you are beginning to feel the powerful urge to stop and go home. At the time I thought this a bit silly but decided it couldn't hurt to try. But I wanted my mantra to be truthful. If I was to believe it and for it to be used effectively for me it had to be one that I could actually believe. So, as I made my way up the longest hill in my neighborhood I began to recite my mantra, "You are fit, you are capable, you've got this." "You are fit, you are capable, you've got this." And I found that the more I repeated this the more I was feeling less soreness and stiffness and the more I wanted to run up this hill. It was as if I received a new store of energy that could power me through this workout. "You are fit, you are capable, you've got this." Before I knew it I was almost home. Reaching my last hill, and knowing I was almost home, I thought about taking a walk break before finishing the distance. Then I thought about my mantra again... "You are fit you are capable, you've got this," and I realized there was no reason to quit. I knew I could finish strong. And finish strong I did! ____________________________________________________________

This is only a snapshot of my 800 mile journey this year. I wish I could impart more wisdom, more encouragement and more fun from the miles I logged. Unfortunately this post is already quite lengthy so I will leave it here. I will end this by asking, "What journey will you take in 2019?"