July 10, 2019
It’s been about a month since my last half marathon training update and things have been going great. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had a bunch of struggles this past month, but the fact that I’m still getting out there and running is a huge success to me. This has been the longest I’ve ever stuck with a fitness goal, and I’m so proud of my progress so far, no matter how long it takes me to reach the ultimate 13.1 mile goal.
In the past month, I reached my goal of running 2 miles without walking at all, and did that at a pace of about 13 minutes per mile. The goal I’m currently working on is making it to my first 5k. This is a huge milestone for me because I’ve NEVER run a 5k in my life and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m hoping to reach 5k by next Wednesday… updates to come!
I want to recap more of the specifics of this past month by touching on my biggest milestones, challenges, and strengths.
Biggest Milestones:
- Going for over 20 total runs – For me, reaching 20 total runs solidified how real this journey is. Rather than just saying I was going to do something, I actually went out there and am doing it!
- Running 2 miles without walking – I couldn’t stop smiling after I reached 2 miles. This is something I genuinely never thought I would accomplish and is such a big deal to me.
- Starting to incorporate cross-training – I started to incorporate some lifting and other forms of cardio in order to train effectively and even though it has made me sore for some of my runs, it feels great to work on training my entire body.
Biggest Challenges:
- Having “bad days” – Some days, I REALLY struggle on my runs and don’t know exactly why. Other days, I feel great. Getting used to this has been difficult and sometimes discouraging.
- Hills and other obstacles – This is really the first time I’ve run outside for a long period of time (I’ve always just used a treadmill or track) and elevation can throw me off during a run. I’ve been working on strategies to combat those obstacles.
- Stretching and being sore – I haven’t been great about stretching before AND after my runs, mostly because I’m usually in a rush to get somewhere else afterwards. I want to improve on this to avoid being as sore.
Biggest Strengths:
- Mindset and determination – No matter what the challenge is, I haven’t been discouraged from this goal at all. I’m so determined to reach each milestone and I’m not letting anything change that.
- Staying focused – I’ve done a pretty good job incorporating my runs into everyday life without missing a day because of other things going on (for the most part). I want to work even harder to make running my habit.
- Waking up early – Because of the hot summer weather, I’ve had to wake up pretty early, even when I’m not working, in order to avoid the heat. The alarms have been pretty brutal but very worth it to have some cooler weather.
For anyone following along, thank you for the support! Feel free to comment with any questions you have.