Running is alone time that lets my brain unspool the tangles that build up over days” – Rob Hanisen
13 years ago I ran my first 1/2 marathon and I did it without training for it. It was miserable and for days after I was miserable. I swore I would never, ever, ever, never do it again. I obviously lied or maybe I just misspoke, because on Oct 4 of this year I found myself running a second one – the Colorado Springs 1/2 Marathon. I didn’t actually train to run this one, but it was a distance that was in my marathon training so I figured I should get a medal. I had to tell myself over and over that this was just training run, not a race. How did I do? I was 4 minutes faster. I am also 13 years older. Elevation is 5200 feet higher. I’ve recovered from hip surgery. I’ve recovered from cervical disk replacement. And I have heart failure. So I’m pretty pleased with those four minutes.
I also finished that race feeling like the Marathon is doable. If I had to do it today I could. It would be super duper miserable and recovery would be ugly. Thankfully, I don’t have to do it today. I’ve got another 2 months of training to build capacity and confidence.
A Heart for Hard Things 