Victory in the Journey

4.12

It's been a great couple of weeks! I ran the Garden Spot Village half-marathon two weekends ago, and last weekend ran our local 5 mile benefit run in Lititz (the Sauder Egg Run). These were the culmination of months of focus, great training, mindful eating and a measure of grit thrown in.

A power pantry lifestyle brings great challenges and hopefully worthwhile victories along the way. For me, I'm most grateful for the journey to these races, not necessarily the result of the days' running.

For the half-marathon, I was slower this year by about 8 minutes compared to last year. I was struck by some realizations: I'm about 12 - 15 pounds heavier this year than last. So carrying that extra baggage, even though I trained better (and felt like I ran harder) this year was slower. Also, there was a stiff breeze this year on the final open stretch. Last year it was calm (but snowy). If you run, you know every run is different and brings its own adventures.

For the 5 mile run, I PR'd with about 7 seconds/mile faster time than last year. I'm still above 45 minutes for this 5 mile run, but at this rate, I think I can get down to a 45 minute run by about the time I'm 52... we'll see.

I'm aware that I feel healthier and have more focused energy than I've had in the past, so even though my long distance run was slower, I'm okay with that. I trained well, and ran hard for the half-marathon, and met my humble goals of finishing the day with no injuries. And my recovery was excellent and totally uneventful.

How are your workouts going? Maybe it's just a couple of long walks a week, or maybe you're looking at your first Spartan Race or obstacle course race this year. Whatever physical activity you include in your power pantry lifestyle, be sure you savor the journey.

If you train outside, ditch the earbuds and listen to life as it passes you by. Watch as the seasons change. Revel in a rainy day and working up a good sweat on a 45 degree morning. You have what it takes, and you're likely capable of way more than you imagine. Go at it with abandon.

By the Way

My BMI increased by two points from last year's running season to this year. I expanded from about 21 to 23 with the addition of 15 pounds. That not any big issue, and I like to tell myself it's mostly muscle (right?) Because I believe strongly in body weigh workouts, everything goes up together. I can still crank out 10 to 12 good pull-ups and 10-15 spartan burpees without taking a break. My big challenge will be to get lean before my next race, cutting back on heavy carbs until a day or two before the big race...