I'm halfway to 13.1

Elizabeth Templin McCamic

Over the weekend, I ran seven miles. That's the farthest I've ever run at one time.

The past couple of weeks, I've had a hard time on my long days and hadn't been enjoying those runs one bit.

This week, I decided to change things up. I added a rest day to my running schedule right before the long run. Without that extra rest day, I had been going into those long runs with tired and sore legs, so I thought a little extra rest might help. I also tried to think about the long run in blocks of miles instead of thinking of it as one long run - it's just a three- and a four-mile run, was my new rationale.

These strategies seemed to pay off because I had a pretty painless run. I cruised through the first three miles without any trouble then I reminded myself I just had a short four-mile run to go. I also found that all this practicing I'm doing during the week is starting to pay off. My form seems much more comfortable and natural now. My legs are moving a little more easily and I feel more loose and relaxed when I run.

I felt tired by the end of the run and spent much of Sunday evening sitting and resting my legs, but it felt great to know I can run half the distance I'll have to go on race day. After my six-mile run the week before, I really wasn't sure I could make it. I counted every minute during that run and felt like I had to will my feet to keep moving. Now I'm feeling slightly more confident I can tackle these long distances.