I titled this post Begin Again not only because I'm blogging for the first time in several months (and love that T. Swift song), but because in many ways I feel like that's where I am in my life right now. I'm not starting over completely from scratch, but simply beginning again where I left off in many ways. Many things have changed. My job is in a new department now and I LOVE IT, my personal life has changed tremendously in the last few months but with fresh perspective and hope, and I've even moved to a new apartment here in Lincoln. Amidst all of that, I trained for and completed my second half marathon this past weekend and beat my time from last year by 6 whole minutes.
The heavy stuff can wait for another day. Today I wanted to answer some questions I frequently get asked when I talk about running the half marathon. Some of them serious, some of them not so much.
Q: Are you crazy?
A: Quite possibly, but I prefer to think only half crazy.
Q: Have you always been a runner?
A: No way! Actually I used to hate running and I even quit Junior High track after just one week. Granted I was a scrawny little thing back then with no athletic ability or stamina but still, I wasn't a runner. I dabbled in running in college and grad school but never quite dove in. Then when I moved to Lincoln in 2011 and watched my friend and my cousin run the half here in town I decided I was going to be there in 2012 (and sure enough I was and again in 2013). Why it took this race to bring me around to running I'm not sure. I've spent several days watching my sister run full marathons and never had the desire. But something about Lincoln and the crowd and the route, just made it seem possible and - dare I say it - fun!
Q: How do you stay motivated?
A: I'll be honest, sometimes it's like this:
But most of the time the most motivating thing is progress. Whether it's a change in my body, increased energy, being able to go an extra half mile or mile, breathing easier, seeing little changes makes you that much more excited to go out and try it again. Also having a looming deadline of a big race helps quite a bit too!
Q: What's on your running playlist?
A: This is probably one of my favorite questions! I love finding new music to run to and my playlist for the half ranged from Lady GaGa to Chris Tomlin to Garth Brooks. If it has a good beat, if it's inspiring or motivating, it's likely to make the cut. Here's a list of my current favorites, although they are constantly changing:
- Canned Heat - Jamiroquai
- Strong Enough - Matthew West
- How Far We've Come - Matchbox 20
- I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons
- Everybody Talks - Neon Trees
- Lay Me Down - Chris Tomlin
- Edge of Glory - Lady GaGa
- Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
- Standing Outside the Fire - Garth Brooks
- Perfect Day - Hoku
I've also got a couple "guilty pleasure" running songs on my iPod as well - ones that I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit! Among them would be Stronger - Britney Spears and the Bellas Finale from Pitch Perfect. Actually I'm not at all embarrassed. You try getting through 13.1 miles without a little bit of cheesy music!
So there you have it, a little bit of my formula for success (a.k.a. surviving) when it comes to the half marathon. I'm still debating whether I will sign up again next year or not, or try a different 13.1. Truth be told it would be hard to turn down the chance to run the Lincoln Half again. The crowd and community support makes it all worth it and creates a fun environment in which to push yourself. For now my focus will be on keeping up with my running regimen even without a race looming on the calendar. I think I'll take this "off season" to really work on building my strength and my lung stamina and hopefully improve my pace a bit for the next race.
What are you doing to begin again today?
Love it! I also have some cheesy and "embarassing" music on my workout playlist, including "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson and "Remember the Name" by Fort Minor which people tell me makes it seem like I am in some sort of movie montage. Whatever, if I could montage myself into shape I would totally do it! Congrats on your achievements!
ReplyDeleteI definitely have Stronger on the list too! Basically anything with the word strong in it is bound to make the cut! :) Thanks so much Serenity!
DeleteWe're glad you're writing on the blog again!
ReplyDeleteL&M