April 4, 2007 | Filed under: I Run Therefore I Am

I’m pretty amazed at this whole half marathon training thing.

I’m amazed that 12 weeks, or, in my case, 7 weeks, is enough to prepare someone to run a half marathon.

I’m amazed that I might actually be able to do this. My high school track days were spent as a sprinter, so I’d never run more than three continuous miles prior to college. In DC I managed 4 miles on a regular enough basis, but that’s it.

I’m amazed that I ran 8 miles on Saturday. Granted, a good half-mile of it was spent walking, as I talked to another woman on the trail, but still — 8 miles??

I’m amazed at the mental fortitude required to be a distance runner. Sure, some of it is physical conditioning, but I think the greater strength is mental prowess.

I’m amazed that my weekday runs have nearly doubled in length since the beginning of the program, and yet I’m not struggling with the distance.

I’m amazed that, a month later, I still forget to pop some Advil before heading out to run about half the time. My left knee, however, is good about reminding me…once we’re two miles away from the house.

And, on a day when I’m exhausted from work and I set off at the wrong pace for four freaking miles, lungs searing, entire digestive system making it known that it would rather be outside my body than in, blister forming near the base of my Achille’s tendon, I’m amazed that as I ran up the street toward my house, still needing to cover another half of a mile before my run was finished, my brain told my legs not to collapse on the front lawn, but to turn left into the park for that last half-mile, and they did.

1. Horrible Warning says:
   

   Wow…go you! Last I heard, you were doing 7. Dude, you are totally going to do it.

   It is so mental. Isn’t it great?

   April 5th, 2007 at 6:04 am
2. Jennifer says:
   

   Body does what the mind says. Rock on, grasshopper.

   April 5th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
3. Emily says:
   

   Wow! I am so impressed! I am still working on 3 miles at a time…no, wait, I take that back…I am still working on actually GOING to the gym, and then I will work on 3 miles! Good luck…it sounds like you are well on your way!

   April 6th, 2007 at 6:29 am
4. Jennifer says:
   

   Hey, DT. Keep rocking your half-marathon goals. I know you can do it. I’m having some trouble setting up my blog to respond to people via their posts, and I know that you’ve jumped this hurdle because you responded to one of my posts before you upgraded to Typepad. So, let me know how you did it. Thanks a bunch, Jenn.

   April 7th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
5. Jennifer says:
   

   OK, sorry. I meant via their COMMENTS. Oops. I had the hiccups, and my bartender recommended a shot of Rumplemintz. It got rid of the hiccups, but what was he thinking giving me that the night before Easter?

   April 7th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
6. Sundry says:
   

   I am INSPIRED. You rock!

   April 23rd, 2007 at 7:16 pm