June 3, 2010

Solemates

I recently got back from a week in Cancun and then a long weekend in NY. In total, I was off traveling for about two weeks, which didn't really bode well for my running schedule. I took too much time off, was jet lagged, exhausted, and hungover (what else do you expect from a week in Cancun?!), so it was no big surprise that my 12 mile run ended after only 4 miles. I was burnt out and felt incredibly out of shape. Also, my half marathon is in 23 days. I wasn't ready to quit, but I also wasn't ready to step it up. I didn't know what to do.

My friend that's running the half marathon with me knew exactly what to do. She told me she was going to run 7 miles on our race course last night. 7 intense, hilly miles. She asked me if I wanted to do it with her. Did I want to? No. Did I? Yes. Turns out, that was the best run I've ever had. Ever. It was fast and there's a good two-mile incline at the end of it, but I never felt better or stronger. We ended up sprinting the last few hundred yards, forcing the other to go faster and faster, racing to see who could tag the car first. At the end, we were breathless, giddy and so proud of ourselves and each other.

She believed in me. She wouldn't take no for an answer and she knew I was capable of doing those 7 miles, even when I didn't think I was. Not only was I able to do it, I kinda wanted to keep going. It was exhilarating, running in such a beautiful place. I wasn't expecting to enjoy that run, I wasn't even expecting to make it. But I loved it! Thank you, solemate. I cannot wait to have that much fun with you on race day!
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1 comment:

  1. Cat DieselJune 3, 2010 at 1:56 PM

    You just gave me the biggest smile at work :) SUCH an amazing run and you are an amazing runner!!!

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Welcome to Head Over Heels!

Like many 20-something women, I woke up one morning exasperated. It seemed like every day I would find a new passion, a new dream, and get excited about yet another project, just to find that they would all crash and burn. I wanted something that I could control and that would be all mine.

Because our 20s are a time of exploration and discovery, it's very hard to find that path that directs us exactly to our dreams, especially because our dreams have the habit of evolving overnight. I had worn myself into a tizzy of exhaustion, disappointment, and an overwhelming sense of having no control over my own life. And that's when I went for that first run.

Two minutes later, I arrived back at my apartment steps, panting. As long and as torturous as those two minutes felt, they also gave me a sense of liberation, a feeling that had been severely lacking in my life. The next day, pathetically still sore, I again put on my sneakers. Three minutes, yes! This routine was repeated daily throughout the summer and now, I'm a half-marathoner! My ultimate goal, a marathon, still looms in the distant future, but the even bigger goal is one I can actively work on every day: learning to gain control over my own life and learning to fall in love with myself one step at a time.