Saturday, September 18, 2010

I can DO it!

Wahoo!  Ran my 3rd 5k race today.  I only had 2 weeks to train back up to the 5k distance - 2 miles has been my max since late June when it was so hot I stopped endurance work and focused on speed training.  The speed training definitely paid off as my average mile time was 13:21 vs 14:20 in June.  I didn't run the entire time, I stopped to walk a half mile, then burned it to the finish line.  Bottom line for the day, I still beat my personal best of 44:27 in June with the new time of...wait for it...42:47(ish) - I think I stopped my watch a few seconds after I finished.  :)

I'm pretty excited about today.  Part of me is slightly disappointed in not having run the *whole* time...but the other part of me thinks of how my feet bled a year ago when I first started walking.  And I'm a full minute faster on my average (running) mile time than I was 3 months ago which is huge.  I have come so far and now is not the time to ignore that!  67 pounds are gone from my body - and I'm well on my way to losing another 50.  I can't even imagine how I will feel running this same race next year!

My point in all of this is that you can't give up.  No matter what stage you are in of your journey, there are bound to be bumps in the road.  Hills that seem impossible to climb.  Brownies that seem to appear at every corner.  Just keep going and don't stop.  Remember why you started and reflect on how far you have come!  Set realistic goals for yourself for your healthy lifestyle - don't go on a diet - and don't start eating or drinking something you can't stick with forever...because the journey doesn't end.  It only gets better and you get happier.  That's all there is too it!
 
For today I'm a happy chick because of how far I've come and I'll choose to focus on that instead of how far I have left to go.

Sound good to you?

~Clara

3 comments:

Catapulting Aaron said...

Awesome! Congrats Clara!!!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!! I'm hoping to be following in your footsteps soon!! I've registered for my first 5k in March 2011 and am going to be starting the C25K program after a visit to my doctor (I tried to start, but had a major asthma attack that has pushed me back to walking, for now).
I also started a blog and a FB page to chronicle my adventure
if you'd like to check it out
http://fattysgonnaruna5k.blogspot.com/
Anyway - I wanted to say congrats and I look forward to following you on your journey!

Alex said...

Great job, Clara! You're getting faster!! I think you're doing an excellent job thinking things through and making small but effective adjustments along the way. You're gonna make it!