The Runner I Never Thought I Could Be

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Marathon 2002

4:45

Ok, it's well past New Year's but Happy New Year friends and sorry for my absence! I must admit that I'm not much of a party person, so Wonder Boy and I just stayed up late and watched movies as 2009 slowly crept in for us.

I'm not much for resolutions either. I've tried that in the past and I forget them one week later. What I do have a tendency to do is look backward instead of forward. Bad habit...but in this case....this year...looking back has been quiet an experience.

This has been one amazing year of running......and all I can say is that in looking back over the years....I have finally become the runner I never thought I could be.

The picture at the top of this post is of my very first marathon 6 years ago. It took me 4 hours and 45 minutes to finish and I thought for sure I was dieing a slow painful death. I had no training plan and never knew for one minute of any mile EXACTLY how far I was going. I just thought...hey...run 3 hours and you're ready for the marathon. HA! 

The running years following that marathon were nothing special.....just few and far between races. I completed 5 more marathons all with just wanting to "finish." That is all I ever expected of myself because that is all I ever believed I could do....just finish....because in most endeavors throughout my life.....I quit.

Outer Banks Marathon 2008

3:58

Flash forward to the year 2008...when I ran a marathon with a friend of mine from work who has now become known as "Running Buddy." Everything changed....and I became a runner with a purpose....and the purpose was to not just finish....but to beat every marathon time I had ever achieved. And I did it.

And now.....in the new year of 2009.....I reflect on what kind of runner I was....slow....without purpose...weak.....scared.....no confidence. The runner I am now.....faster.....with a purpose and specific goal, strong, still scared....eh.....maybe not so confident but much better than before!

I am so grateful for my running in 2008....I was sad in that aspect to see the year pass. My running in 2008 certainly taught me how to hold my head a little higher.

As far as the achievements in 2008? Well a bucket load of PR's and accumulated miles that total over 1,400. I went from running slow 10-10:30 min miles at best this same time last year to running 8-8:30 min miles with a smile on my face. As far as running goes...it just don't get better than that!

On that note...I will end with a brief update:

-Track work last week....OMG. The wind gusts on the track were up to 20 mph and I was pounding out 1600 meter repeats x3 @ 7 min per 'peat. Ok, first one yeah....second and third I was off by about 5-6 seconds. I blame the gusts.

-Long Run this weekend....thank goodness Running Buddy came back from her 2 week hiatus at home in PA. We ran 18 miles together at a challenging pace of 9 mpm.

-Today's tempo run.....fantastic.....Running Buddy and I busted out 7:50 min per mile on our 5 mile tempo run. The track beast is giving me the gift of strength. Honestly, it's starting to pay off.

-I am hanging tough on the FIRST plan for a Boston BQ. I have challenged myself to the 3:40 finishing time plan although I only need 3:50. So far so good. We shall see.

Have a great week friends. I will post a few pictures this week of The Hair of the Dog 5K on New Year's Day.....Wonder Boy's debut 5K and pictures of the Tidewater Striders Distance Series 20K tune up for the Shamrock I did with Running Buddy....

Toodles~