Run, run, run...

Today the countdown was at twenty days until my half-marathon.


Training has not been going well, or really, at all. I've still been going to Winter Warriors, but only averaging three to four miles. Still a long way from where I started last year, when five miles seemed like the longest distance EVER, but not good enough to get me ready for thirteen miles.


When we got home from Meeting today, Phil knew I needed to run, so I grabbed a granola bar and changed. I drove out to the Centennial Trail, since it has mile markers and that way I can track my mileage a little more accurately. 


On a side note, before I continue with the real story, there's this watch I've really been wanting for a while, and I told myself that if I ran over eight miles, I'd let myself get it. (Thanks to the Thanks for Sharing dollars I'd earned from Macy's.)


So, the first two miles, go okay. A little slow feeling, until I check my time and see I've been running about nine-minute miles, which isn't too bad for me. I did forget my water bottle at home though, and had forgotten to take a piece of gum with me to help keep hydrated, so I was feeling a little dry. The first couple of miles always seem the hardest to me for whatever reason. Once I hit three, I feel like I can run just about anywhere.


About where the three mile marker would be, the trail splits off and to keep going on the Centennial Trail, you have to turn, but there seemed to be a lot of bike traffic that way (and more hills, honestly) so I kept going straight. Little did I know that the trail this way turns into Liberty Lake Trails, which are just as nice, all paved, but do not have mile markers. (Hence, the estimation on my distance based on driving as close to the trail route as possible afterwards.)


I kept waiting and waiting for a mile marker, thinking surely I should've passed one by now! But they never came. I was almost in Liberty Lake at this point, and remembered that a bit onward, there's an overpass for the trail that connects it to the other one on the other side of the freeway and it runs along the river. I thought, I must be close, I'll just run to that, and cross and that'll be my way of turning back around to my car. It was a lot farther than it seems while driving on the freeway, and the trail was starting to turn sharply towards the hills and I realized (after calling Phil) that it would be many more miles before I reached that overpass not counting all the miles I still had to run back. So, I just turned around there, since it seemed a good a spot as any, and as best as I can figure, that was pretty close to the four and a half mile mark for me. (A tip: I do not suggest immediately driving your running route. What took an hour and a half for me to run, took about five minutes to drive...) 


Before today, I think the farthest I had run was six and a half miles, so I was pretty proud that today I hardly walked at all, kept a steady pace, and still felt pretty good at the end of my run. I walked about a (broken) half mile, but I still count it into my distance, since I needed that to get back to my car. My pre-half-marathon goal was to be able to run about ten miles "comfortably" so I'm really close! I figure if I can run ten, the last three of the race shouldn't be too hard to finish. I'll let you know how that works out ;)


As for my watch, I went to get it after my run, and neither Macy's in my area had it. Big bummer! I did get Phil some cologne he's been wanting for Valentine's day instead, and will start re-saving up for my watch....