Half way there!

This morning I find myself reflecting upon our adventures from last week and missing my little running Buddy.  The little Mister and I talked on the phone Sunday so I could find out about his first week of school and the things he learned.  I asked him if he had shared about our visit to Florida to try and learn about his life since I've left his home.   “Grandma, I told them that you and I went jogging!”  He was still so excited over that and pushing us to move to Florida so he and I could be best friends.  Wouldn’t it be so cool if we could keep that excited fervor in the midst of a major training plan???  HA!  ;-) 

One of the things that I found last week on our trip that really made for a pleasant run was a great path.  I wanted to run this same route the next morning but I simply could not fit it into the schedule.  Drats!  I asked the young man working the front desk of our hotel where he would suggest I run.  Earlier in the week at a different hotel that was next door sent me one direction, while it was ok, it wasn’t really anything superb.  WOW, did he ever change my thoughts about the views in Tampa!!!  I ran an out and back along the causeway that had fresh asphalt on the path and it was amazing!  It was so wide, easy to see as there was no over growth and had spectacular views.  I saw a few runners and some walkers and I shared with a lady that they were so blessed to have this available to them.  It was currently about a 3 mile path one direction but would soon be 5 miles giving her and others a nice place to run without worrying about the traffic for 10 miles or more!!  How very awesome, makes me excited for a return trip and to be blessed to run this area again.

 

 

Talking about a training plan, keeping my excitement and running routes well those things can be difficult from time to time as I’ve come to find out with increasing my mileage this summer.  Summer finds each one of us so busy with life, kids at home, vacations, yards and gardens, etc that I’ve found myself doing most of my runs on my own.  This really isn’t anything new to me except I was blessed this past winter and early spring to have running partners from time to time.  BLESSED!  Then life happened and it was back to me, myself and I.  I think that was God’s divine plan for me as I moved into my marathon training as this whole clean eating, getting off of my meds, seeing the miracles and moving my body has been totally God!

 

Late this summer I’ve been able to do a couple of long runs with the Sole Sister’s and I’ve appreciated them as 16-20 miles can really take a toll on one mentally way more than physically when you basically see no one and aren’t listing to music or a pod cast.  I've easily given up a few hours of sleep for the drive that I need to make to be able to run with them, to not be running high miles all by myself every time.   I would like to thank each one of you that has EVER ran with me for any distance!!!  You all, ALL, are so much appreciated and I would love to encourage you as well, to not give up on your dreams! 

I am in the midst of Week #9 training of 16 weeks, and being ½ way there to 26.2, I am also realizing that really when it comes down to race day, it is going to be all about that:  me, myself and I.  And of course, GOD!