Training Truths

So I'm signed up to run my first half marathon in a little over a month. For those of you who aren't really sure if that distance, it's 13.1 miles. Thirteen long miles. The more I train, the longer the race seems. I'm not sure if that is how this training thing is supposed to work... But here I am a little less than 5 weeks out from the half marathon and I am totally unmotivated to run. And I mean totally. I've been fighting this feeling for a few weeks now. Running is such a mental sport and I'm being challenged mentally for sure right now.

As part of this half marathon training, I go out every Saturday morning for a long run, which gets increasingly longer each week. On these runs I have a lot of time to think. Sometimes I think, sometimes my mind is just blank and focused on what I'm doing and sometimes I'm singing along with my iPod.

I figured I should share some of the truths I've thought about on these long runs, in case any other crazy person out there is looking to me for inspiration in running one someday.

+ Part of my incentive in training for a half marathon was that it would help me get rid of the last 10 or so pounds of baby weight. And even if it didn't help me lose the weight, it would at least make it look better on me. Maybe. Well, it's done a pretty good job with that. So now I should just be done, right?

+ Why am I really doing this? To prove to myself that I can run for a really long time? Well, I've realized that I can. So maybe I should just call it quits now. 

+ There are so many other things I could be doing in these 2+ hours on a Saturday morning. Like sleeping? Sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee?

+ I can't run that same long route again. I just can't. Even in reverse. There are only so many neighborhoods I can add on to this route to make it longer and I'm just not interested in seeing more gigantic houses. And speaking of those gigantic houses, we're talking like mini mansions, what do all of these people do for work? And do they ever get to spend any time in the house they work so hard for? There are just so many big houses! I'm curious!

+ I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller... Oh wait, that's just my iPod playing :)

+ I don't even want to go out running during the week most of the time because it's not sporadic anymore. It's planned and scheduled. I've got to do so many miles on certain days. It takes the fun out of running! No spontaneity. 

+ But I do go out for my weekly runs. And I take the kids in the stroller most of the time. And they're pretty good about it. As long as we stop to visit the horses and get some ice from Cumberland Farms.

+ Changing up my long run route IS helpful and has made the latest long runs more bearable. Less hills and heat might help too.

+ I am so much more disciplined about exercising than I ever have been while having kids, which is a good thing!

+ I'm also getting less sleep because of this exercise discipline and having to wake up extra early to accomplish other things around the house because I'll be running later. 

+ Overall, I'm glad that I'm training for this half marathon and I know I'll be so proud of myself when I cross that finish line. Because I WILL get there!