Well, not all at once, but this morning, I hit the 500-mile mark for the year.
And when I set out on the journey that is 2011, I only had a goal of trying to run 750 miles during this stretch of 365 days. But as I got in the rhythm of training for a half marathon, I saw my mileage racking up and I thought, "You know, I wonder how far I can go?"
It's amazing the places you'll go when you simply put one foot in front of the other.
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be doing the things I've been able to accomplish. For example, another goal I had this year was to run a mile faster 9:06 - the fastest mile I recall ever recording at any point in my life. Not only have I eclipsed that mark, I've been able to have runs where my over pace is faster than 9:06. Case in point, the Thin Mint Sprint 5K saw me run the event in 26:34 for an average pace of 8:34!
The beauty of running to me is the constant challenging of oneself. There are always new roads to run, new hills and mountains to climb, and PRs to set.
So, where to do I go from here? I'm not 100 percent sure.
Hitting 1,000 miles for the year appears to be in sight, but I'd love to see if I could hit 1,100 or even 1,200 miles for the year. Running a couple more half marathons before attempting a full marathon seems to be in order, and after completing a full, then perhaps a 50K.
I don't know what's in store, but what I do know is it's going to be a fun journey. One step at a time.
Photo by: Visual Photos
Great job Jay! Isn't it amazing what we can put our bodies through? Keep pushing yourself! Next up...Half Fanatics!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats! my 2011 goal is 700 miles.. Im nearly half-way there.. But ramping my mileage up even more now that I have a half coming up soon.
ReplyDeleteSharon - I soooooooo want to be a Half Fanatic. My issue is finding half marathons close enough in date to qualify that don't conflict with my crazy work schedule.
ReplyDeleteKhourt - Keep up the good work! You'll be surprised what you can do! I'm closing in on 650 miles now and should hit 1,000 some time in October thanks to training for the 2 half marathons I'm running.