Weee haa!!!

I had a fantastic run today! 2 1/2 hrs and close to 26.5km (16.5 miles)! That's the longest I've run, ever!!! Paula Radcliff's voice congratulated me again to my longest run so far (as she did last week). Nice!
Compared to last Sunday the run was so much better. I wasn't waiting for my Nike+ to count down the last 5 mins and my knees weren't dying for me to stop. Sure, they hurt but I ran most of it off-road and it really made a difference.

I'm so impressed that my legs kept pounding away non-stop for 2 1/2 hours today! I was saying to a friend yesterday that I've started looking at my legs more as... as a running partner when I run. I even started giving them little slaps of acknowledgment and encouragement, like you do to horses. Pretty strange...
Today I completely forgot about the little slaps. I'd loaded my iPod with lots of new music and after an hours run my endorphins were running high and I kept getting chills down my spine of pure happiness. I felt like jumping around and singing along out loud to the music, but a little too many people in the park plus I'd probably ended up injuring myself from the jumps. It was so great though. You can really tell that spring is around the corner. Ran in a singlet today, until it started raining a bit, and it wasn't cold at all. There were flower smells everywhere and all the daffodils were blooming. Lovely! More runs like the one today, please.

Just ran half a marathon and got my first blister

Today I went out for my second long run since after I've been ill. The weather wasn't as nice as last Sunday and a lot windier too but too my surprise I've realised that I actually like a bit of head wind. Probably pushed it a little bit running just over 2 hrs and 21 km (half a marathon - yaaaaay!!!) compared to last week when I ran 1hr 33 min and 16.3 km. I know it's the worse thing you can do but the excitement from yesterday really filled me up and my knees where fine for most of the way so I kept on going.
I took in what Sam Murphy said yesterday about not doing your long runs at a really slow pace but somewhat closer to the pace you expect to run the actual marathon. I didn't want to push it too much so ran at a really comfortable speed and only started getting a little bit tired during the last couple of kilometers. It was no way near the feeling I had after the half marathon I did in 2004, which must mean I'm a lot fitter today :) The thought of running the double distance in 10 weeks time is scary, but I'm running half a marathon at a easy, steady pace in two hours, without having to walk, so I'm sure I'll be able to do the double distance :)

Finally a fantastic run

Today I had my first really good run since mid December when I got the stupid colds that lasted til the new year, when I got a nasty chest infection. I started training again two weeks ago and even though I took it really easy to begin with, I've really been struggling to enjoy it and to find the motivation. I've lost a lot of the form I built up in November and December and it's just been so demotivating to do shorter and easier runs but feel more tired than on the longer or harder runs I did before. But, today the sun was shining and I went out for my first long run since before Xmas. It was really lovely and I absolutely enjoyed it. I feel like I'm getting my fighting spirit and motivation back and I'm really going to give it all I have now. Ran about 1h 35min so I'm not up to where I need to be yet, but I'll get there. I'm playing it safe for the moment, building it up. The last thing I need now is injury.

First long run complete

Yesterday I did my first real long run. The training program said I should run 14km and that it should take in between 1h 24min and 1h 38min. Karin supported me and stood on the treadmill next to me for an hour, which was really nice. The whole thing felt so daunting at first and I was starting to realise how much it is going to take of me to go through with this. Not the least time wise.
Once I got started though it wasn't that bad and the kilometers added up rather quickly. Passing the 1h mark changed something in my mind - the count down started and the less than 4 km remaining felt like a peace of cake. Completed 14.5km in 1h 25 min and the only place I could really feel it was in my knees. I wasn't particularly tired. Feels good that I'm able to keep up with the 'under 4h training program'. If it's going to be done, it should be done properly.