Becoming a runner....

Ok, so five seconds after that last post, I actually remembered what I wanted to blog about. *blush*

I read about running looooong before I ever laced up my own running shoes. I remember reading about people doing an "easy three miles" or running tempo runs. I read about long runs and how they should be a few minutes slower than your race pace.

Hello, it was all Greek to me. Once I started running I got even more confused. In my world, you ran. You ran your slow, gut wretching, tear inducing, cry for Mommy pace. It was the only pace there was. I just couldn't fathom changing speeds based on what "type" of run you were going for. WTF? Just go run. In my world, I ran my heart out every single time. I ran until my legs simply said "F#ck You" and wouldn't go another step. I thought that was the way everyone did it.

This past Thursday I wanted to be able to run the full distance and not take any walk breaks. I thought about it and came up with the plan that if I wanted to do that, I needed to take it slow and not tire my legs out very quickly.

Whoa...hold the phone peeps. What did I just say to myself? I'm starting to talk like a real runner. When the hell did that happen? I wrote it off as a fluke and went along my merry way.

Today, the sun was shining (in November, in the Northwest) and my husband was actually home on a weekend. I took this as a sign from the gods and quickly laced up my running shoes.

I set out for a run, but wanted to push myself a little bit. I decided a few walk breaks would be ok in order to push myself harder. Wait....I'm sounding like a runner again. WTF?

**side note here, I wasn't sure if I wanted to run 2 miles or 3 miles. I was doing an out and back from my house and I figured I'd get to the 1 mile mark and then decide if I wanted to keep going and or turn around and go home. I got there (ran the whole way, thankyouverymuch, and started to walk a bit as I was trying to talk myself into turning around and going home. Then that song came on again and I realized the gods were truly speaking to me and subtlty wasn't their speciality. I went the whole 3 miles in about 41 minutes and hardly walked at all**

So anyway, after these last two runs I think I'm finally starting to get it. I'm making enough progress to have more than one pace. I'm finally "a runner"