Half-marathon training
Week 9, day 4

After my success on the hills last weekend, I was really looking forward to running ten miles today.

Well, until about 5:00 yesterday afternoon, when a little voice popped up in my head. “Come on, you can’t run ten miles.” “You’re 43 years old. You used to weigh 300 pounds. You smoked a pack a day for what, 15 years?” “Remember that orthopedic surgeon who told you that you had the knees of a 70 year old?” “You trip over furniture and break your toes in your own house.” Etc., etc.

I did my best to ignore it, but needless to say I didn’t sleep well last night. I told myself I would just go out and do my best, even if I had to walk or even if I had to quit.

Most of my teammates are training for the Dallas half, and they only had nine miles on their schedule, so they were doing the loop of the lake (which is technically 9.3). My race is about a month after theirs, so I could just run the 9.3 and call it a day. But I knew that wouldn’t do it. Training is as much mental as it is physical, and if I didn’t do 10 today I would still worry that I couldn’t. I needed to hit double digits. So I turned back at the end of the loop and finished my ten miles.

Yes, I finished. I ran ten miles! Which means I only have to add 3.1 more to get to race length. Interestingly, once the checks I mailed today go through, I’m $315 away from my first fundraising goal.

I think Angi would be proud of me. Actually, I’m pretty damn proud of myself.