Huge new milestone!

(Note: This post was originally supposed to have been posted last week, but for some reason was saved in the drafts folder)

I think I need to come to terms with the fact that I just won't be updating in this blog as often as I'd like. Rich and I had a conversation the other day about people who think that going out for a run is just that - going out for a run. You run for a half hour or hour or couple hours, whatever it may be, and that's the end of it. I guess for the actual "run" part, that's true. And maybe for people who were "born runners" that's true as well. I, however, was not a born runner. And there is just so much more that goes into running than the actual run itself, and so much of that is TIME! I need time to heal, with my legs up, not doing anything. I need time to ice my calves. I need time to massage my legs (or when it's real bad, have Rich massage them for me). I need time to map out my runs. I need time to plan for the big runs. And then I need time for everything else that got neglected during that time - making food, grocery shopping, cleaning/laundry, paying bills, checking e-mails, and then just plain old work too on top of it. Running takes up way more time than most people think!

Anyway, my huge new milestone... I did 6 miles over the weekend! Woo hooooo!! The whole week was kind of screwed up as I had to delay the prior Saturday's long run to Monday. I had a case of "fat foot" again after a 2nd trip to NJ. I guess being in the car that long, even if I do stop to stretch and move around, just isn't that good for me. So I let the foot heal over the weekend, and did Saturday's 5 on Monday. This meant that Monday's 3 was pushed to Wednesday, and Wednesday's 4 was pushed to Thursday. Keeping up? :) Saturday I was determined to get back on track despite already doing 12 miles in a week that should have been 7. I had planned on getting up earlier in the day to try to get the run done while it was still on the cooler side, but we slept in later than I had planned. We didn't want to go out right in the middle of the day when it was too warm, so we went out late afternoon. Rich did his run down at the trail, and left about a half hour or so before I went out. I did the loop within the apartment complex. Rich got back when I was at the end of 3 miles, and already feeling rather horrible. I kept on going though! Rich was nice enough to come outside at the end of miles 4, 5, and 6 with some fresh cold water for me, and a bowl of ice water with a washcloth to cool me down with. Long runs and heat/humidity are just not a good match for each other! Nevertheless, I was able to complete all 6 miles though! When I went inside, Rich had made me a makeshift medal to mark my first 10k run. :) It was one of the sweetest things ever, and I swear if I had an extra ounce of energy left in me I would have just started crying. It was one of my proudest moments - being able to complete that run :) Almost halfway there now!!