Life Lessons Learned While Pounding the Pavement

Happy Monday,

I hope everyone had a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!! Mine was full of family, food, and FOOTBALL!! It was definitely fun and a much needed break!

The White Rock 1/2 Marathon is this weekend, and I would be lying if I said I was 100% ready. Between my twisted ankle and my week and a 1/2 long cold/flu/whooping cough, (since I avoid the Dr's office like the plague, I'm not sure what it was) I am not really where I want to be training wise. I'm not worried about finishing the race, but I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to beat the time goal I had set for myself. Oh well, it will be fun either way!

I feel like I learn a lot while training for a race. Long runs give you the perfect opportunity to reflect on life. Here is what I learned during this training cycle:

Life Lessons Learned While Pounding the Pavement:
No matter how much you try and plan ahead, sometimes a big boulder (or a little rock) just jumps in your way and messes everything up or rolls your ankle. You just have to roll with the punches.Each run is like a new beginning. Leave everything else behind and just enjoy the moment.There is nothing better after a long chili run than warm oatmeal with almond butter on top!You don't always have to run to fast rap music, sometime a little Taylor Swift is the perfect thing to get you going at 6 in the morning. Running is usually more fun with a buddy, but every now and then, I need some quality time with just my tennis shoes and the road. I'm not sure why, but somhow 5 miles feels like 20 when your trapped on the treadmill. Even if you want to push through illness, sometimes an extra hour of sleep is better for your training than fighting through a run while coughing up a lung. The foam roller is still my best friend. You know you married the right guy when he puts a heating pad under the covers to warm up your sheets when your super sore! I know, what a keeper!! :)The best part about training for a race is the satisfaction you get from training, not from the race. I love the feeling of heading out on a run with a purpose! Food for thought:
Do you ever feel like training teaches you things you could not have learned otherwise?

In health,