Monday, August 10, 2009

Faith Restored....

I have not yet mentioned the fact that I have been a little scared... okay... HORRIFIED that I may have jumped in over my head with this half marathon decision. Lately, I have not been able to run over 3 miles and it has been frustrating me severely. Especially since my sisters in running are running well over 3 miles. In fact, Carmen ran 5 miles on Saturday. GO CARMEN!!! (I'm so proud of her!!) I was afraid that maybe I was trying to push myself too hard by trying to complete this half by November 15th. (Which is a day less than 14 weeks away today.)

But last night I restored my faith in myself and this half marathon decision by running 3.5 miles entirely! I felt so relieved, elated, accomplished, hopeful, happy, confident... I was almost overwhelmed.

When I completed that 3.5 miles, you would have thought I completed a marathon!! I felt so amazing and proud. And that made me realize something else about this marathon training.... one day I will start at a finish line and run 13.1 miles and complete that race and feel so great. But in the mean time, I am going to be winning many other (mental) races all along the way. Every time I am able to go a little farther than before it is going to make me feel like I have crossed a finish line! And every time I am going to feel those same emotions. What more could one ask for?!

But okay... on another note... Some new worries have manifested throughout the past couple of running weeks. This has been occurring almost every time I run lately, but last night it was extremely apparent because I ran so much farther instead of stopping when it began.

Last night, around the 2.25 mile, my right foot began to go numb. By the end of my 3.5 mile run, my whole right foot and leg all the way up to my knee was completely numb. It literally felt like I was lugging around a block at the end of my leg. I could not feel it at all. This has begun to worry me. I know many people talk about pain while training for a long run... and one must push through it in order to succeed. But what about numbness? I'm thinking of all the different things I should try....
  • new shoes?

  • looser clothing?

  • More stretching?

  • an MRI?

I have no clue.... Any suggestions?

In the mean time, I am going to continue running. This week I have a run scheduled with all of my sisters in running on Wednesday evening... I am so looking forward to it! Hopefully by Saturday I will be AT LEAST up to 4 miles! We shall see...

I will leave you with a couple of my favorite running quotes:

"It is not just about running, it's about all that comes with it: goal setting, empowerment, a belief in ones' self, being true to ones' self." - Julie Berg

"... The whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the real competition is against the voice inside you that wants to quit." -George Sheehan

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the great comment on my blog :) I'm looking forward to keeping up with yours as well!

    Foot issue - have you been fitted for running shoes? It sounds like they are to tight - either size or tied to tight. But if you have not already done this - go to a quality running store (not footlocker) but one that specializes in running shoes that have actual runners working there. They will fit you to a shoe that will keep your feet happy. Happy feet are SO IMPORTANT!! :)

    Keep on training and don't give up. You will totally work that 1/2 marathon!!
    Chloe

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  2. I am so glad you are finding joy in running! It is a great endeavor! You will definately complete the half!! Often numbness can be attributed to shoes being too tight, so put your shoes on with the laces untied, walk around the house in them a bit, then tie 'em up, not too tight, now. Plus, your body is still adjusting! Have fun

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  3. Hi Katie, thanks for stopping by my blog. Be careful with what you are undertaking... going from zero to 13.1 miles in 14 weeks isn't going to be easy. You don't want to over do it and then get injured which will result in time off while you heal. Just listen to your body. Take it from someone who has been there and donbe that. I'm just getting back to running after being off the better part of 4 months.

    Have you been fitted for shoes? That might be the problem with your numbness or perhaps they are laced too tight? Sometimes it's just the newness of running that your body has to get used to. Keep an eye on it and if you haven't been fitted for running shoes at a real running store, get there NOW!

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  4. are your shoes too small? mine are a size 9 and i wear 7.5-8 in normal shoes. like everyone said go get fitted for running shoes if you havent... that is KEY!

    dont get frustrated girl.. you have 14 weeks still and you WILL run that half marathon!!! believe in yourself :)

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Thank you for your witty, fabulous, and intellectual Comment!
XOXO,
Katie