training for a 10k

guys, i am no runner. i actually used to (still kind of do) despise it. but a while back i was talking to some women at my church who were wanting to run a 10k and i decided i would sign  up as well. really i needed something to motivate me to get out there and make some changes. 

for a few weeks after signing up for the race i just put it out of my mind. i had immediately regretted signing up and i didn't train at all. i even had made up my mind that i was just not going to run the race at all. i had gone on a trail run with a friend who is running the race with me and i could not finish. i had to sit down to make sure i wouldn't pass out. we had to cut through someones back yard to get back to the main road so we could slowly walk home. it was pretty awful and i was pretty embarrassed. i decided i was done. i had given up before i really even started which is something i have done more than once in my life and i finally realized that it's a cycle that i wanted to break. so last week i got off my butt and got outside.

my first run was really hard. i was not in it mentally and i ran/walked one mile in 16:25. i was pretty bummed about that. but i was determined to try again. my second run i ran/walked a mile in 15:19 and was so proud that i knocked an entire minute off my time. my third run i decided to add another mile and my pace was 14:35/mile and i was so proud of myself. i couldn't believe that just by putting my mind into it i was able to better my time so quickly. today on my run i did two miles again but i went a different way and the entire first mile was uphill and i did it with a pace of 14:56/mile which was slower than the day before but the run was a harder run so i still considered it a win.

i have come to learn that your mental power play a huge roll in running. on the days where i felt like i wasn't going to do well or i was limiting myself to what i thought i could do i would barely make it. but i've learned to pump myself up, and to think about my end game and becoming this totally awesome runner and it psychs me up and i can push myself so much harder. i have always felt like i have had terrible mental game when it came to exercise. as soon as i would get uncomfortable i would stop. i never could really push myself. but someone told me that you don't make progress until you are pushing through the uncomfortable and that has really stuck with me. it really helps me push myself. 

also, something that has always kept me from running is that i get shin splints pretty easy. i always have. so that made me nervous that my shins were going to hurt too bad and i wasn't going to be able to do the race. i bought some compression socks and they seem to help a lot. they are an absolute pain to put on every time i run but i'm willing to do anything to help them not hurt so bad. i have also been using a foam roller which also is helping. they still hurt and are pretty sore but it's bearable. 

i am really proud of how far i've come. and i look forward to see how far i can go. baby steps. my race is on nov 5th so i don't have much time. and it's a medium hard trail race which adds a whole other element and i'm a bit nervous about that but i'm committed.