There is no mile that feels longer, or is more painful for me, then mile 1. Why is that? I should be full of energy, right? But my brain is saying, "Are you kidding me?" The other part is my body, screaming "Seriously?!?" That's not to say miles 2 and 3 are by any means easy, but they go so much faster then that first mile.... The funny thing is, when I look at my stats, my first mile is almost always my fastest (note: "fastest" should not be confused with the word "fast"). But it really does take me about a mile to warm up, and for those initial aches that I sometimes feel when I start to run, to melt away. Mile 1 is also when the doubt comes creeping in. "What am I doing? 365 miles? Am I INSANE?!?" But if I can just get through Mile 1, I usually shake these thoughts and can turn them on their head: "365 miles? Damn straight!"
With that in mind, it's been a while since my last post. How am I doing with this "challenge" I came up with for myself? The stats so far aren't great, I know. I really thought I'd have at least 60 miles under my belt at this point, but I am finding myself falling further and further behind. I have had a few random injuries here and there that are slowing me down, but what I really need to work on is just improving my consistency.
This past month has been tough. It's still too dark to run by myself before work. Then I go to work and sit at my desk in front of my computer for hours on end. Then job #2 (the one I love more than anything) kicks into high gear the minute I leave work, race home to get the kids, and begin the evening craziness of dinner, homework, baths, and bedtime. I wouldn't trade my life for anything, but I would be lying if I didn't confess that I am just exhausted. All. The. Time.
So, I plug away and hope that I can gain more ground in the weeks and months ahead. This goal still feels so far out of reach, but I just need to keep telling myself that with each "first" mile under my belt, I am one mile closer.
Miles run since last post: 19
Miles run total to date: 42
Miles to go: 323
