Progress, Not Perfection

I have less than a week until the Peachtree Road Race I am on the verge of having an anxiety attack. I am as ready as I will ever be. Today my intention was to run six miles. My knee is not feeling so great so I didn't want to risk injury. I walked about four miles and decided to give my knee a rest.

I am going to continue stretching, hydrating, and preparing myself mentally. No matter what happens on July 4 I am so proud of myself for what I have accomplished. The Peachtree Road Race has been on my bucket list for years. I am going to cross that finish line!

Crosstraining

The Peachtree Road Race is coming up fast and I had to scale back on my running. My left ankle is giving me a little bit of trouble. I think it's my new sneakers. I tried lacing them differently and this seems to help. I also need to pay better attention to my form.

Anyhow, I've been walking. Yesterday I decided I was going to try to run. I took a quick nap after work, woke up, and it was storming! So...I went to the gym and jumped on the Elliptical.

I was planning to run this morning before heading to the airport. Thanks to scattered thunderstorms no can do. I'm torn. I don't do so well with running on the treadmill. So, I guess I will go to the gym and hop on the Elliptical again. I know I need to keep up with my cardio but nothing is going to prepare for the Peachtree but running.

Run, Rest, Repeat

Starting to feel very anxious during these last week before the Peachtree Road Race. I felt really tired on Wednesday. On top of that my left ankle was bothering me a bit. Even though it was National Running Day, I decided the only way I was going to participate was to read my latest edition of Runner's World. I even had to avoid social media because I was felt conflicted about not pushing myself to go out for a run.

I ended up going for a quick 20-minute walk. The next day I was still feeling pretty run down. A huge part of me wanted to push through the fatigue. I decided I needed another day to give my body, especially my ankle a rest. I reminded myself that rest and recovery is a very vital part of training. I'm so glad I did.

I just returned from completing Week 12, Day 1 (run 18 minutes, three times). It felt pretty great. I kept checking in with my body and I felt like I had another mile or so in me. This is a good thing. I am no where near 6.2 miles. I know if I keep up with this pace and listen to my body I will finish without feeling totally wiped out.

I am slowly, but surely learning that resting is just as important as running. The problem is knowing when I actually need rest and when I am just being plain lazy. I will continue praying for this wisdom and trusting the process.

Peachtree Countdown

I went for a walk today and ended up running a little. I decided to run up the little hills for about a 1/4 miles. I did this three times during a four-mile walk. While out out my walk, I saw another person wearing his Peachtree training tee. I felt so grate ful for his smile and encouragement.

I also decided to keep a food journal and begin measuring my food again. This will really help me stay on track until the race. If I can stay healthy and injury-free, I'll give myself a great chance to have a really fun time during the race. I have no time goal (I did but I have been reading that it's a huge mistake to do so for my first 10k). I also read that I shouldn't expect that I will finish is double the time it takes for a 5k. I will finish when I finish. I just want to have the strength and endurance. I just want to cross that finish line with a big smile on my face.