OK. Yesterday I ran 14.1 at an 8:41 pace. Wow, did that feel easy. If anything, since I ran it with my training partner of three years with whom I have run many times that distance at 8:00 or 7:45, it felt crazy slow. But it also was better for my body. There is the goal of going fast just to get in the miles. Then, there is the goal of going far now so I can go further and faster later. This is called patience. Some would say that just running 14 miles is a sign of patience. I'd say that I have to remind myself that 14 miles is only the beginning of patience. Fourteen miles at a pace that is right for what I am trying to do now is a sign of true patience. I keep hearing that from a coach I met at Boston last year. And my running partner and I have said that to each other so many times, but finally found a way to live up to what we claim.
What made it more interesting was an African proverb a friend had posted on social media: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. That just fits so well. And a friend of mine pointed out that it described her run that morning, too.
And, of course, we sang a song at church that quotes from Isaiah 40 about running and not growing weary. God will be my strength. I think that on this particular day it was just as important that God was my patience. Maybe strength of character or strength of will rather than physical strength.
I followed yesterday with 6 today at 8:32. Nice and easy. That was after I had worn my Boston Marathon jacket from last year to a lacrosse game yesterday. A friend of a friend (the friend is a fellow parent on my son's lacrosse team), saw it and thought she had to stalk me to ask questions. As it turned out, our mutual friend provided the introduction. This year will be her first time at Boston. I gave her some advice. It was fun. I sometimes forget how fast my running is, as I am always comparing myself with people who are yet faster. Another piece of wisdom I have seen in several posts lately--don't compare but just enjoy being who I am. Take it all in
The miles put me at 561. That is already over the 14 week total I had planned and I still have a seven mile track workout tomorrow. That puts me on South County Road 220 W in Greensburg, IN. I had been tracking along I-74 on small side roads for a while. This puts me between I-74 and US-50, although the route doesn't go south to US-50 for the foreseeable future.
Final fun thought for tonight. A friend sent me this picture:
with the comment that it was too bad I could not use it for my blog. That, of course, is like a challenge. What do I think of when I see this picture?
I think of asking the cat, "Why are you there?" Then the cat would give the answer in the caption. How does that relate to me? Well, why do I run? Because I have legs that can carry me and a heart that can power me. Why am I on a virtual pilgrimage? Because I have the internet to guide me and I use the progress as a way of marking my own progress? Why did I ask a coach for advice? Because I want my running to be all that it can be. Things are there. Things are available. They seem to be there for a purpose. So why not make use of them. Why to run. Why to think it is as a pilgrimage. Why do I worry about all this symbolic stuff and not just be practical? Because that is just how my mind thinks and puts things together. Just like the cat saw something warm and thought it would be useful.
What made it more interesting was an African proverb a friend had posted on social media: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. That just fits so well. And a friend of mine pointed out that it described her run that morning, too.
And, of course, we sang a song at church that quotes from Isaiah 40 about running and not growing weary. God will be my strength. I think that on this particular day it was just as important that God was my patience. Maybe strength of character or strength of will rather than physical strength.
I followed yesterday with 6 today at 8:32. Nice and easy. That was after I had worn my Boston Marathon jacket from last year to a lacrosse game yesterday. A friend of a friend (the friend is a fellow parent on my son's lacrosse team), saw it and thought she had to stalk me to ask questions. As it turned out, our mutual friend provided the introduction. This year will be her first time at Boston. I gave her some advice. It was fun. I sometimes forget how fast my running is, as I am always comparing myself with people who are yet faster. Another piece of wisdom I have seen in several posts lately--don't compare but just enjoy being who I am. Take it all in
The miles put me at 561. That is already over the 14 week total I had planned and I still have a seven mile track workout tomorrow. That puts me on South County Road 220 W in Greensburg, IN. I had been tracking along I-74 on small side roads for a while. This puts me between I-74 and US-50, although the route doesn't go south to US-50 for the foreseeable future.
Final fun thought for tonight. A friend sent me this picture:
with the comment that it was too bad I could not use it for my blog. That, of course, is like a challenge. What do I think of when I see this picture?
I think of asking the cat, "Why are you there?" Then the cat would give the answer in the caption. How does that relate to me? Well, why do I run? Because I have legs that can carry me and a heart that can power me. Why am I on a virtual pilgrimage? Because I have the internet to guide me and I use the progress as a way of marking my own progress? Why did I ask a coach for advice? Because I want my running to be all that it can be. Things are there. Things are available. They seem to be there for a purpose. So why not make use of them. Why to run. Why to think it is as a pilgrimage. Why do I worry about all this symbolic stuff and not just be practical? Because that is just how my mind thinks and puts things together. Just like the cat saw something warm and thought it would be useful.
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