By I did something crazy tonight. On a whim, I signed up for the Charlotte Half Marathon. It will likely be my first half marathon since having Liam. I have my eyes on the Bull City Half Marathon, too. I’ve run that one before (2013) and loved the course, despite having bronchitis during my 13.1 mile jaunt. However, that one is only 2 weeks before Charlotte and I’m not sure I hate my legs enough to do both.
I’m currently training for the Tar Heel 10 Miler in April. I ran my first 5-miler this past Sunday and it was ROUGH. I never though 5 miles would be rough. I used to say that I could go out any given day and run 3 miles like it was nothing, and realistically, I could do 4-5 and feel fine. But that was before having a baby wrecked my body. It took me so long to even be able to run a mile without stopping to walk. It was frustrating. I was mad at myself. I was upset. I was jealous of all the people who weren’t struggling like me after having a baby. For a long time, I couldn’t get past 3 miles. And I thought, “maybe I’ll just run 5ks from here on out.” But… I couldn’t do that. I know I have more in me – it just took more time for my body to be ready to go longer distances.
I’m currently training to get across the finish line of the Tar Heel 10 Miler. The last time I did that race, I was newly engaged, sick with a horrible cough (probably another case of bronchitis!), and not at all prepared for the hills but I still finished with a pace of 10:00/mile. I was okay with that. I’d be 100% happy if that was my pace this time around, too. Though I’d love to be faster again, I’m not sure my body is there yet – or even will be by April. But I’m more confident now than I was 6 months ago that I WILL get there.
I thought becoming a runner at 19 was hard… when I just wanted to lose a few pounds and be active. It’s SO much harder this time around but also feels more rewarding. I’m working against so many more obstacles (like not being able to workout whenever I want or multiple times a day!), all the aches and pains that have come with/from having a baby (mainly my hips and knees), and a significant amount more weight to lose. What I have going for me is that I’ve LOVED running for the past 13 years. It’s my release on a stressful day. It’s my me-time. It’s my happy place.
I have 247 days until the half marathon. 35 weeks. 8 months and 2 days. MORE than enough time to prepare – mentally and physically. I’d love to have some running buddies join me in Charlotte on 11/3. If you’re interested, click the ‘Join Me’ image to sign up! The price increases at midnight tonight!
Chapel Hill Baby 