(6 x 1.1) + 1.4 = 8!!!

I conquered a new distance on foot this weekend. Eight miles. Woohoo! Yep, my half marathon training continues to progress nicely. I have been running 3 days a week: one small run during the week (30 minutes), one medium run on the weekend (45 minutes) and one progressively longer run on the weekend. My long run started out at a distance of 3 miles and today I hit 8 miles. I have been adding about 1 mile a week.

I'm happy to report that my legs, knees and feet are all still onboard. The only discomfort I have felt has been that my kneecaps (or whatever muscle/ligament/tendon is nearby) have been sore towards the end of my long run and when walking downstairs the day-after.

I'm enjoying the challenge so far and here are a few things that I have learned:

It gets pretty boring running the same loop after the 5th time around! My long route consists of running over to the Five Star Complex and then doing X-number of laps around the 1.1 mile trail. It's very nice to have a trail to run on, but it does get monotonous after awhile!

Music is an amazing motivator. Anyone who has ever worked out already knows this. Whether I'm having trouble getting started or hitting a slump in the middle of a run, the instant one of my favorite happy songs hits my ears, my legs immediately become agreeable. (Although I will say, it is fun to sometimes run without music. I notice a lot of interesting things around the neighborhood and just enjoy the wonders of being outside when not distracted by music.)

The mind is a powerful tool / I don't like people seeing me walk. Usually after about 20 minutes, my legs and lungs are ready for a 30-second walk break. To try and push myself just a little farther, I tell myself, "Ok, when you get to that corner/tree/street/lightpole up there, you can walk." However, if a car approaches or a person appears, I'll make myself wait until they are out of sight. Then I have to find a different marker to begin my walk break. There have been times when I ended up doing the entire route without walking just because I'm so stubborn and don't want anyone to see me "resting". You hear it often: It's amazing what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it. It is oh so true!

I've got about 7 weeks until my big event on May 2. My goal is to complete a 12-mile jog before the half marathon. Hopefully things will continue to go smoothly.