Summer Solstice Scaries

In the last mile of my most recent half marathon PR (1:27:55) from November 2020.

It's June 2021. 

I've ran over 13,000 miles since I started tracking March 9, 2015---through temperatures as low as 4 F (with a real feel well below that) to as high as 90 F. I've ran over 150 races and yet I haven't even begun to tap into my potential as an aspiring elite athlete. 

Now is the time to talk about my story as a runner. I'm ready to do so, even though I don't know if anyone will care or read this. 

Almost all of the women I'm competing against- in training and in racing- ran at the collegiate level. I didn't. That makes me unique. I ran one senior season of cross country in fall 2010 where my 5K PR stood at a relatively unimpressive 25:11, which I ran twice that season. Now I've ran a 5K under 19 minutes a few times and understand that soon I will run under 18 minutes and eventually maybe even under 17 minutes. Without years of training and racing for a team, I'm doing this on my own with the backing of my very supportive coach, a few training partners, and other runner friends who see more potential in me than I do right now. 

Any runner can tell you that running is hard, even on the easy days. It's something I've chosen to calm my mind, to give my days purpose, to find out what happens when I put in a certain input to reach a high level output. Even after a bout of plantar fasciitis and a demoralizing metatarsal stress fracture, I still continue to show up every morning and train. I still care a lot about my workouts, my races, my sleep quality, and my nutrition. I owe it to myself to show up and work hard even though it feels like I'm starting the race farther away than where I should be. 

This week's training will begin a slow build up to high mileage weeks in August and September with the A goal crushing a fall half marathon. I have mostly easy miles with a short fartlek on Tuesday and 5x20 second hill sprints on Thursday. There's gonna be a short break in the hot and humid weather for Track Tuesday, and I can't wait to breathe in that cool, crisp air to run some fast intervals (my ideal running temperature is 30-45 degrees). 

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. I'll try to update a few times a week.