It is official..I have Andys blessing!

I have been thinking hard and long about what I want to do next. I have put nothing on my plate since Dexter Ann Arbor.
After running Boston I  convinced myself I was running the Detroit Marathon and was going to attempt to get a better time to present for the Boston. I re-qualified at Boston BUT..I was only 6 minutes faster. This time does not guarantee me my entrance into the marathon.

Back and forth I have gone. I have prayed about it and haven't  had any  peace with trying to achieve a faster time..

So recently I have entertained a new idea.

ING New York City Marathon. The qualifications are actually tighter for this marathon BUT...You can present a half marathon. That means I could train this summer and run a fall Half Marathon without the commitment of all those miles.
It also means I am going to have to shave 3 minutes off my fastest Half Marathon!
What does that mean?

1. 7:23 minute miles compared to 7:41
2. Speed work in the summer
3. Training with vision and purpose
4. Core work and stretching 
5. Finding my Half marathon to qualify me

So the cat is now out of the bag! I have been roomanating this idea for a little while now. Last night I shared my ideas with Andy during dinner at Ruby Tuesdays.  He was skeptical at first..He is always on the cautious side initially, but then he responded with the 5 points I shared above. But he shared it with a smirk, a glow, a glitter in his eye. His was of giving his blessing!

It feels good to have a goal. There is purpose.
I would love to add The ING Marathon to the Chicago and Boston. That would be so awesome.
So for the next several weeks I am going to need some encouragement and support!

THE RUN DOWN: "The Oak Tree"
Weather- 86` degrees, 46% humidity Partly cloudy.
It was a great day for a run but it was getting hot quick. I was shocked at how much energy I had after church and breakfast today. I was ready to roll!
I gathered the supplies for my run and off I went.
I really didn't know what I wanted to do other than run 10 miles. All this talk about training I thought I
should start having more quality runs.
Runs with Purpose.
Runs with a Design
Here is what I came up with, Repeats.
Mile One: Warm up.
Mile Two: 9 min pace
Mile Three: FASTER than a 8 minute pace

The tools..Ipod, Garmin, Burts Bee lip balm, and Juice Plus Chews

Then Repeat that every mile up to 10 miles.

That WAS the plan...I think I was a little to enthusiastic. The heat at 12pm was not really factored in!
At every " fast" repeat I thought I was going to puke and die by only half way in! By the time I had gotten to 5 miles I was already talking myself out of NOT finishing these dreadful repeats.
The running fast part was really hard about half way into finishing the mile.
The running slow part was difficult because I was having a hard time pacing myself to stay there.
I started looking for shade, feeling for a breeze, and just looking for any hand out for relief. 

That's when I saw it...A huge OAK TREE. I used that as my focal point and decided it would be a good place to take a minute and recover from the brutal sun.
You have to know your limits. I knew I was at mine. I was making dying dog noises, a mixture of huffing and grunting..Very unattractive.
I was struggling catching my breath and liking the idea of quitting all together.
I kept glancing at my Garmin checking my pace. I was determined to follow through with my original plan and put it on pause under that big Oak Tree where I was going to reassess the plan.

This was my OAK TREE!

Trees in the Bible:
The Joshua Tree .. Because the name 'Joshua' in Hebrew translates to 'Jesus' in Greek, this can be interpreted as the 'Jesus Tree...
Elijah sat under a Juniper Tree for refuge..discouraged and depressed.

Deborah held court under a Palm tree that could represent wisdom.
There are actually over 41 references to trees in the bible.

This Oak Trees for me was a vision of relief, a place of refuge.  I needed a place to connect my thoughts and recover. Yes, I was discouraged as well. I was at 7.95 miles with just a little bit more than 2 miles to run.
"Just Breath." I told myself. "Calm down and take a drink of water and breath."
" Lord, I have given it a good go today, If it is your will for me to finish this out let me know, give me strength, and wisdom."
I went back and forth for a couple minutes with the idea of finishing up the game plan or just making home when ever.
I chose to finish the game plan. I took this breather and now I needed to put it back in gear. This is training right?! There is going to be pain involved. It is time to dig deep and get back out there. Enough..

And with sweat stinking my eyes and weights on my ankles I ran out from under the protection of that big Oak tree.
Mile 8 was was the speed work. So the rest and hydration was powerful in my attempt to run this mile under 8 minutes.
I finished my ten miler. Felt pretty good to follow a program. Yes, I was a bit bummed that I stopped 2 times but it was brief and I did not let it poison the accomplishment.

It is important to not major on the minors. I have a idea where I am and where I have to go after running today. I am going to have to do a lot more speedwork. And running with variable components helps make you more flexible and prepare. We can bend we do not have to break.

So yes I did finish..But was I able to do the plan? When I got home I stretched, showered, drank my Kefir then Checked the Garmin....
YES!!! I did it with an average pace of 8:27.

A new race to run and the invitation to an old friend..."Training" with her sidekick.."Pain"!

"People ask why I run. I say, "If you have to ask, you will never understand". It is something only those select few know. Those who put themselves through pain, but know, deep down, how good it really feels."
Erin Leonard