I’m in the final stretch of my FIRST half marathon training for my SECOND half marathon. Wait…what? Yes, I’ve mentioned previously that I ran barely finished a half marathon at the 2012 Rock N Roll Half Marathon Chicago with only a handful of training runs/races. I was not smart and even “raced”a 5K and 10K during that training period. Luckily, I did not get hurt during that summer and I am thankful to be injury free, with the exception of my rotator cuff, during this training.
Earlier in the week, I took a look at my packed training schedule and saw that my long run consisted of 12 miles! 12 MILES! When Saturday came, I thought about that run all day and expressed concern to my husband. I was full of “what if’s” and doubt, despite training correctly this time around. He assured me that I would be OK, especially after the stunt I pulled in 2012.
After I put the kiddo down for bed, I headed outside for my first outdoor evening run. The half marathon is at night so I needed to feel what it was like running in the dark. It was just me and the moon for 6.44 miles. I felt happy and free during the run; the hills hurt but I found a rhythm and felt like I could run forever. 
Unfortunately, it got too dark; I was wearing reflective gear and a head lamp and still had difficulty seeing, which kind of worries me for the half marathon! I had to finish the rest of my run on the treadmill (aka: dreadmill for some runners) for another 5.56 miles to equal 12 miles!
WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT THE LONG RUN
- Though I’ve gradually increased my long runs each week, the 12 mile was the biggest run to prove that I am ready for this.
- My mind played tricks on me. Though I generally have a good mindset while I run, after 8-9 miles, it was tough and I wanted to quit. I told myself “8 miles is enough to count as a long run.” I eye rolled myself and kept going by repeating positive mantras.
- It kind of hurts. My feet hurt, my knees ached, my low back got tight, and I got hungry. I can deal with discomfort for 2+ hours and felt like a better person for it.
- There is no easy way out. You have to go through the training and feels the effects to know what it’s like on game day. This is where all the famous quotes come in: Just Do It. Do or Do Not, There is No Try (I don’t think that’s verbatim). No Pain, No Gain.
- I can do it
Have you ever ran 12+ miles? What was your mindset like?
