The race

I really should be sleeping right now, but I cannot seem to shut my mind off. I could not figure out why until I typed the title of this post: the race. 

I signed up for another half marathon a few months ago, and I was supposed to race in a few hours. Sadly, due to unforeseen circumstances earlier this summer, I had to stop my training and running  for a little while. One may think that you can pick up where you left off after not running for a few months, but that certainly was not the case for me. The endurance it takes to run 13.1 miles is something I had to work hard to build, only to lose it all in a matter of weeks. 

I find that running the second mile of a race is always painful for me. The first mile feels great, the adrenaline is pumping, the people are excited, the music is upbeat, and the volunteers are always ALWAYS overly enthusiastic. By mile 2.2 or so, my body seems to slow down, as if to say "What in the world do you think you are doing?" This is true whether I am running 3 or 10 miles. 

In many ways, I feel I have hit that 2.2 mile slowdown. I know in the back of my mind I just need to keep going, because by mile 3, the excitement, energy and sense of accomplishment almost always return. Still I cannot help but wanting to stop, and sit on the side of the road. For all I know, my laces are untied and I need to make sure they are up for the race ahead. Yup, maybe that's all it is. I need a quick break to make sure I have everything I need. There is nothing worse than being unprepared for a long run, especially on a hot summer day...

Mile 3, here I come!

eed