After 3 days in a row of working it out, I get a rest day today! This video encapsulates how I’m feeling right now and how I felt last night after finishing all 6 miles!

This is me getting ready of doing something I haven’t done in what seems like forever…

For the first time in forever, I finished training workouts in three consecutive days! I still have 2 more workouts before hitting my goal for the week of 5 workouts this week. However, it feels good to have earned a day off today! After weeks of slacking off and giving in to excuse after excuse, I’ve felt super focused this week. Back during the training for the Dumbo Double Dare last year, I gave up on the idea of 5 workouts per week being sustainable. That may prove to be true. However, when you’ve been slacking, you just need something to kick-start the momentum the other way. So, back on Sunday, I set a secret goal of making 5 workouts this week. As of today, I’ve got three in the books and two more to go.

Last night, I laced it up and hit the streets again for another run. The goal for me last night was to at least finish 3 miles. If I could get 6, that would be amazing! I had no time goals. I just wanted to finish. This run was hard. I’m not gonna lie about that. From the very first mile it was hard. Until the end of the third mile, I was convinced that I would only last 3 miles. This run was filled with problems. At the start of the third mile, I needed a restroom break. Fortunately, even thought it required a little back tracking, I was close to a restroom! As I walked back to where I had to pause my run tracking, I wondered if that bathroom break would be my key to finishing 6 miles. However, even after the break, it was still difficult. I was in my best part of the running loop I do around where I live and still not finding the run to be easy. As I approached the end of the third mile, though, something inside of me said I had to try to get to 4 miles. I felt my back start to feel a little pain as I started the fourth mile. However, it wasn’t as bad as on Tuesday. So, I kept going. By the end of mile 4, I knew 6 miles was going to happen. I had no idea how slow I would be. But, I really wanted to finish 6. So, I kept going and I did it!

Tuesday was difficult because I had to quit after 3 miles. I began to wonder if I needed to build back up to 6 miles. Clearly, I’ve lost some conditioning with the sporadic workouts since the Surf City USA Half Marathon. However, it felt so good last night when I finished at 6 miles! This is what I want my mid-week training runs to be for me. I want 6 miles twice a week. I told myself, if I can get 6 miles on Thursday, my Saturday run has to be 9 miles. I know that this differs from my training calendar. However, my conditioning just isn’t there yet. So, if I hit 9 miles this Saturday, I’ll consider it a victory. In this first week of hitting it hard on the training front, time doesn’t matter as much to me as finishing the distance. Time will come back as my conditioning improves. Come April 5th, I want to finish the Hollywood Half Marathon feeling good about myself. It may not be the 2 hour, 30 minute half I’m seeking. It may not be a PR. But, if I put in the work this weekend and the next three weeks, I’ll arrive to the start line feeling pretty good and will accept whatever that day will bring. I have no control over what happened in the past. I can only control what happens now and in the future. Hollywood Half Marathon…I’m comin’ at ya!

Still loving this song and feeling it. This week is not finished yet. However, it feels great to have earned a day off. Tonight it will be time to recharge the batteries and get ready for tomorrow morning’s run. You’ve got to take each day as it comes and celebrate every mile you finish.

Have a great weekend everyone!