First 4 Mile Run: Pushing Farther

I planned to go running at about 10 AM but that didn’t happen. I was battling myself in my head.

You can’t do this.

It’s hard enough for you to just run a 5K. How are you EVER going to run any farther than that.

Maybe running isn’t for you. Find a different sport.

But I really wanted this. I wanted to be able to run farther than that 5K distance, the farthest I had ever run before. I wanted it so bad I could taste it.

So I drank a Propel Zero and prepared myself to at least give it a try. It took me until almost 2 PM to find the courage.

I told hubby, “This should take me about an hour. I hope I can do it. Here goes.”

And off I went.

How am I ever going to do this?

Just Slow and Steady, Alissa.

Slow and Steady wins the race.

The weather was perfect for running. Cloudy with a little breeze.

But I don’t have to be SLOW. I want to at least finish at a faster pace than my WALKING pace. I AM running, none the less.

So my mantra changed.

Strong and Steady, Alissa. Strong and Steady. You can do this!

2 Miles in, half way done.

Remember when you could barely run 12 feet? Now look at you!

And somewhere at around 2.5 miles, I found some place in my mind where I could think about other things besides my breathing, how my body hurt, and how much farther I had to go. I hope to be able to tap into that place again!

Before I knew it, I was at 3.45 miles.

Wow, I just passed up 3.1 miles and didn’t even notice it! I’ve never run this far before!

Imagine—with every single step I’m taking, I’m running farther than I’ve ever run before!

What a great feeling!

Strong and Steady, You can do this, Alissa!

I bet I could even run 5 miles. Shoot, I KNOW I could run a 10K!

And at 49 minutes and 37 seconds I ran 4 miles at a 12:23 pace. For me, that’s really good! Remember, I was anticipating it taking me an hour.

You did it!

You can do anything.

I.Can.Do.Anything.

Today, I ran 4 miles. And while that distance may not seem insurmountable to many of you. It pushed me past my limits. Farther than I have ever gone before.

(after my 4 miles. Happy. Red Faced. Proud.)

It makes me wonder what else I can do if I put my mind to it.

And that, my friends, is exciting.

(another run crossed off my training plan!)

And on to the next goal…