Half-Marathon Training

It is decided!!
Several friends and I have decided that we are going to run a half marathon (13.1 miles) by the end of this school year. I am pumped and cannot wait for that day to get here!! We haven't officially registered for any yet, but will soon. We also are thinking about running a 10k (6.2 miles) sometime around mid-March.

I am so excited about these upcoming races. It gives me something to pour my energy in to and it gives me a goal to aim for.

I absolutely love running. I used to try and run quite a bit in high school, but I could never get past the one-mile mark. It was only in college that I finally found the strength and stamina to continue on. Just this past September I made it to the 6 mile mark! It was definitely a victorious day, and since then I have been trying to stay consistent with running 4, 5, or 6 miles each time I run. I am proud that I have been able to run this much and I have discovered several things to keep me motivated.

-Some wonderful tunes to listen to make a big difference. I love listening to Hillsong UNITED (currently am listening to their Zion CD), as well as the band, Of Monsters and Men. If it isn't those bands, it is usually a mix of Coldplay and Keane.

-New Running Shoes!! I have had various knee troubles and had plantar fasciitis throughout the month of January, but went in to a running store and was fitted for shoes. I highly recommend getting fitted for new shoes. I tend to pronate when I run, and the store helped me to discover that. They filmed me running, watched the tape to see how I run, then found shoes that would fit me well. And I love them!! They are Saucony Glide 7's and I couldn't be happier.

-My favorite part of running is Prayer. The bible verse, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13), is truly a verse that describes my running. Years ago, I couldn't get past the one mile mark. But this year my runs have turned in to prayer runs. I love praying while I run. My runs have turned in to a sort of "Sabbath" Time for me to spend with God. And just by praying, I feel stronger. The verse from Philippians describes it perfectly. And while I have spent time praying during my runs, it has made me want to get out and run more often. Thus I have gotten stronger and passed those miles quickly. It is such a great feeling! And I credit it to God!

Yesterday I went for a run. It was a beautiful day in Decorah, and the sun was shining brightly. I love this time of year because the days are slowly getting longer, and it feels that Spring is getting closer and closer. Since the sun was shining and at the time it felt warmer than it has in days, I decided it was a perfect day to get out and about. So I ran in the sun! Once I got past the wind chill and the cold shade on parts of the trail, it was really quite beautiful. There was snow everywhere on the ground.
My run was 4.5 miles long, and when I got back to my room I felt great.

At dinner, a friend looked at me, puzzled, and said, "You went running today?"
"Why yes. Yes, I did."
"You do realize that it was -8*F with windchill?"
Nope. I didn't. But nevertheless, it was still a good run.
Let's just say that I am incredibly excited for that half-Marathon in May! :)

Much Love,
Caitlin