Well, happy to report i'm not waiting another 3 weeks for a blog update. Yay for that!
So, there have some "minor" changes going on over here in regards to my training for the half marathon.
I am no longer training for it.
WAIT!?
WHAT?!
Yes, you heard (er, read) correctly. The girl that felt determined, focused, confident and passionate has backed off the 13.1 mileage challenge. Why you wonder? "You should still do it!" You may say...but here's the thing.
I am listening to my head and yes, heart. The truth is that the reason I discovered the world of fitness nearly a year ago was because I wanted to feel STRONG and get strong. As I discovered my love of running not long after, my workouts became more about how to keep my body strong enough to maintain longer and longer runs. Which, is not necessarily a bad way to frame it all. As a newbie runner (just under a year) I think its safe to say I became VERY wrapped up in the obsessive drive to RUN RUN RUN. Further, faster, keep up with the Jones'.
Well that's not who I am. It never has been. But running took hold and I gripped it back. Running has brought me SO much as a person that I feared backing down would erase the runner that lives in me. But now I know, that's not possible.
Everytime I start to push distance, I get injured. A bad injury, one that sidelines me for a while. And that seems off to me. Instead of feeling "stronger" the more I run, running when I push harder and go further, makes me feel weak. My knees began to hurt so bad, I was struggling up and down the basement stairs...and NOT because I wasn't pacing myself, or training properly or building core and glute strength...but I believe its because this body of mine...yes, it can run...but something about pushing myself past 4-5 miles starts to break my body down. I know that's somewhat normal and fueling yourself is critical (which I also suck at!)...but something about all this was hitting me wrong.
And that's when I realized, it was time to return to the original vision I had...to get STRONGER. And if that means I need to shift focus and redirect, than that's what must happen. I'm a strict minimal run schedule per my Personal Trainer. This means no more than maybe 3 runs a week running 2-3 miles at a time. That's it. The focus is now on building muscle and transforming this body in a different way. I got to see what my "runner" body looks like...and I LOVED it. But I want more. AND since I'm going into the personal trainer industry, its important I understand what it takes to build muscle and transform. What these challenges will look and feel like for my future clients.
I realize as I write this I'm probably explaining all this more for myself than for anyone out there in blog land. But, I have come to realize that I am STILL a runner, even if I don't do that half marathon. I am a runner right now as I sit here writing this all down.
And to be honest, I am LOVING the weight training. Its a new challenge and one that is re-motivating me. And it excites me to think I'll be stronger as a runner too when I do those short little runs now, (but shhh, don't tell my trainer!).
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