Run 3 - 3 miles

This one was a challenge. Maybe because this is the first day time run- it was 1700 ish. Maybe because it had just finished raining and it was humid as hell. Maybe because I woke up at 530am to drive to Tampa for my Shotokan belt test. Who knows. After .5 miles my brain was telling me I may have to walk a bit in this one (I did no walking). I told my brain to shut up so many times which brings me to an interesting point. This was the first glimpse into the possible meditative properties of distance running. I ran through a park, Blanchard park to be exact, and once I got tired, if I glanced at people or the surrounding, or let me mind go to anywhere other than the run with one foot in front of the other, my body started hinting that it wanted to stop. When I shut out everything else and focused on simply running, I noticed it was much easier. In any case I ran 1.5 miles one way with tiny goals. After the first .5 I said no way am I walking when I have a 26 mile run in front of me. I shot for the first 1.5. I did 1.5 each way. When I hit the 1 mile mark I thought, only .5 to go then I'm at half way. On the way back I hit the 1 mile marker again and recognized I was 2/3 the way there. The last .5 mile wasn't any easier and my brain kicked in again with the idea that I could walk part of it, but I had already decided that wasn't going to happen. I think accomplishing all of these many goals along the next couple months, until January 8th, will do wonders for me internally, over and above the physical benefits. I am as excited as ever. I used the clock in my car to time my run and it worked out to 27 minutes for the 3 miles. Not too shabby for a non-runner:)