It was a recovery week this week after last weeks 31km. I juggled things around a bit due to a few appointments and to ensure my Easter weekend was running free.
Monday I ran 7km, as I had a dentist appointment at 8:30, so no time to squeeze in anything longer. Pleased to report no dental issues and also pleased with my run after Saturdays long run. I ran a 5:32/km pace and felt really good, it was a beautiful morning, perfect conditions for running!
Tuesday morning I ran on my own again, this time my distance was 12km. I ran a 5:39/km pace and again, felt really good, if not somewhat lonely though. It's weird, I'm finding my longer runs I can motivate myself well and don't really need company, but now my weekday runs, I feel like I need a friend!
Wednesday was a rest day, I had an Osteo appointment and felt like I did not really need to go, however afterwards, it was amazing how good I felt!
Thursday morning was another lovely morning, this autumn weather is definitely putting on a nice show. Again, I felt lonely. I ran past a place where they keep a Turkey and some other farm animals, the turkey normally gives me a good old gobble, today he said nothing! I ran 10km and kept it a bit slower, 5:47/km, as on Friday I had my long run so wanted to feel fresh.
Friday morning was Good Friday, so clearly it was a day off work, but not a day off running, I wanted Easter to be running free to allow me some time to have a few drinks and eat some yummy food without having to think I had to run the next day. I headed out at 6:45 and ran the same path from home along the creek and past the grammar school. I really like this path as I feel like I am in the middle of nowhere. As the sun comes up it is just beautiful.
Funnily enough, today I did not feel lonely, had my music playing and just enjoyed the run. I ran out for 11.5km, turned and ran back, but the highlight of my run was when I cam across my own personal cheer squad! A Mum and her two young kids were walking on the path, they saw me coming, so pulled off to the side to let me pass, they had 3 dogs with them. As I ran closer to them, the Mum called out to me "Keep going, you can do it" and the kids yelled out, "Great work, keep going, you're going really well!"
It seriously made my day, I was so chuffed and it made me think about the marathon and how it will be to have people cheering you along. It made my lonely week a distant memory, and made me focus on the final goal, crossing the marathon finish line. That's why I'm doing this, that's what I want to do, cross the line. I don't care how long it takes, I want to feel the glory and achievement of finishing something I never would have thought I could do.
I will take those cheers with me this week and use them as motivation to do my runs, long and short.
Thanks to those random people who cheered me on. You'll never know what it meant to me and how much it made my day, let alone motivated my to keep going, not just on that run, but to keep training! Not that I'm about to stop, I'm too close now, I've got 6 weeks to go. But there are days when thinking about going out for another run can be a little bit of a challenge.
So as week 14 draws to a close, I will remember those cheers and look forward to week 15!
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