As I approach the dog days of summer so does my 50K training. I set out on this venture not knowing about the ‘what ifs” and stepping out on faith. This is not the first time that I have trained in this capacity for I trained and completed the Chicago Marathon in 2013 but many things have changed in the last three years. First and foremost the mindset is different and I was in a different “state of being” still hyped on the fact that I was truly a runner. Signing up for every race under the moon, just could not get enough of running, so I thought. Fast forward, with many half marathons and bling under my belt, I slipped into a running funk as many of you may know (and may have personally experienced), and it was not an easy thing to shake off. Sometimes we have to go down in order to know how to get back up. Weight gain took ahold of my body, Jedi mind tricks jumped on the bandwagon, and I just did not want to lace-up anymore, but I did. I lost my base and it was so hard to build it back up, even though I was still running, it was just a mere 2 miles here and 3 miles there. I had started to doubt myself as to if I could run “anything” again. Then pride stepped in and I just continued to beat myself up BUT I was still chugging along (I think I can, I think I can). I decided I need a different goal, something for ME, hence I embarked on the 50K Ultra Marathon Quest. I decided to go BIG or just sit my happy ass down; needless to say I opted for BIG. I read, read, and read some more from magazines to books and listened to podcasts, asked some friends and joined a few FB ultra groups. I really became a new sort of RunJunkEe, like I reinvented myself. My outlook on running changed and I started acting and believing my own advice to “run my race at my pace”. Therefore, I decided to do Jeff Galloway walk/run for my training due to my weight. Fast forward again to the present, I am now 4 months out from my 50K, and the excitement level is rising just a tad. My Sole Sister and fellow RunJunkEe Kim Jarrett will be running the race with me for when we met last summer I told her about my plan and she just chimed in and said she would do it with me without any hesitation. I promised myself that I would be ready and train to my fullest but being smart as well. I have that personal trainer and he has helped me to get stronger so I can build endurance and I will need it. He pledged to me that he would get me there if I was willing to commit to the plan, and to this date I have not missed a session. I AM COMMITTED!! Now, I am not perfect by no means for I still struggle with my diet it seems like this is the last hurdle. Well, I am getting ready to consult with a nutritionist and currently have adopted a sort of vegetarian/plant based diet by just eating fish and no meat, yup not even chicken. I have been meat free for a month and quite pleased with myself. I’m not out of the woods but I can see the clearing in the path. I believe I have mentioned before that I am Type 2 Diabetic so that puts a spin on just about everything that I do including my running. While I have been on this journey, I would apologize to people informing them that I am a “slow” runner and I do a run/walk when they ask/offer to run with me. Being “slow” is only relative to the one claiming it for someone’s 9-minute mile can be lightning speed to some and drag ass slow to others. I am no longer going to be a “labeled” runner, I AM A RUNNER, plain and simple. I cross that finish line like everybody else, get the same medal, and put in the same miles to get there. As long as I make the required cut off time, upright, and injury free, it’s a damn good day. So if you run with me (or want to) I run/walk if not, everybody knows that the Solo Ninja will come out and play by herself. So, for those of you who claim that you’ll never run a marathon, half marathon, or just too slow, etc., etc., “As a man/woman thinketh so is he/she”, uhh I ain’t in that club. Get Up, Try It, Train for It, and DO THE DAMN THING. I Am, What Say You!! Peace Out!!
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2016
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