Running is 80 percent mental – Joan Benoit Samuelson

Had a great run yesterday. My goal was to be consistent, no matter the oveall time. One thing I learned last night was that I'm in decent shape (although still freaking out that I'm not ready for my race), but mentally, I'm no where near where I should be!

Sure, running allows you to clear your mind and think things through, but you need to be focused. It was so hard to keep focused and hit my goal for the day. Although a struggle, I'm pleased with the splits I turned in:

Mile 1: 9:36
Mile 2: 9:25
Mile 3: 9:28
Mile 4: 9:29
Mile 4 1/2 +: 5:04

Another thing that hit me with a mental load of bricks was that I started having some pretty strong pains in my abdomen. The past couple of months, the chronic pain has really been under control. I was ready to throw in the towel and call it a day, but then it occurred to me. Hello! This race isn't going to be pain-free. In fact, it's probably going to hurt quite a bit. I've been living with this pain for the last 2 years, so I can get through a couple more miles. So I sucked it up, pushed the pain out of my head (or tried the best I could), and finished. That was a bigger accomplishment for me than keeping consistent splits.

I should've done an ab workout, but since it was late (I stayed in the office later than usual and it was nearly 9 p.m. when I finished my run) and I had some burning knives slashing through my stomach, I convinced myself it was okay to go home. :)

The outcome of my run last night? My two main goals for this half-marathon:

Goal 1: Be mentally tough.
Gotta get ready for that fall marathon. (And, for life in general)

Goal 2: Be consistent.
I may not PR, but I'm getting back into running after taking a year off and this is a great way to get back into it. I'm going to train consistently and get back into my "training-mode" diet (diet as in the way I eat, not as in the new fad diet that's suppose to melt off 20 pounds in 2 hours).

So that's the goal and I'm ready to meet and exceed 'em!