Wednesday, May 30th I ran 3.76 miles without stopping. It took 45 minutes, which puts me at about 12 minutes per mile according to SparkPeople's tracker. Before I started the 5k program, I couldn't run a minute without being a winded mess, so this isn't bad at all. (Not that I wasn't a winded mess after running 45 minutes!) I ran the longest stretch I have ever run in my life. That counts for a lot. A LOT. I'm just focused on running, even if I am slow. Speed will get better with time and I read you shouldn't even worry about it for the first six months to a year, because it takes that much time for your body to get used to the rigors of running. Plus, I'm still overweight (Let's be honest here), so I'm guessing it will take me longer to get used to it. (Hopefully I won't be in the overweight category for too much longer, but still. It's something to take into consideration. Also another reason I really need to get some personally fitted running shoes, eh? Running store, here I come. . .)

I had a 3.1 mile stretch mapped out on MapYourRun.com, but I had to go off course when the tiny and delicate tree swallows (aka bullet birds of death) started trying to kill me. "I didn't sign up for an adventure race!" I thought as they dive bombed me. Repeatedly. There are nesting boxes all over the park, especially in the part I had planned to loop around twice. (Tree swallows aren't territorial like blue birds so you can have more in one area. Now that I think of it, I don't think any blue birds tried to kill me, though I did see two.) I think some other, bigger type of bird got in the mix at one point because while I was running up a short hill, I could see my shadow and I could see its shadow fluttering behind my head! I tried not to screech like a little girl, but that sort of failed. Good thing there wasn't really anyone around! I've noticed the last time or two that I've been there that they've been. . . zippier, but didn't think they'd dive bomb me on Wednesday. They must have babies to protect. A park worker was going around to each of the nesting boxes, so that would make sense, too.

So, anyway, that's why I ran 3.76 instead of 3.1. I figured I would just run a total of 45 minutes and that should cover it for sure. I thought about stopping at 35. . . 37. . . 39. . . 40. . . but I knew I'd be heart broken if I came back and was just under my goal, and there are no mile markers or anything like that to count off increments. Actually, I should be more honest: I thought about quitting a lot of the time. It was HARD. Worth it, definitely, but hard. I'd look to a point ahead and tell myself, "You can quit when you get there. You can give up when you get there if you really want to. Just keep going until you get to that spot." That worked. I'd get there and think, "Oh, I'll run to that other spot and quit. . . if I really want to." Or, I'd pass the spot I had given myself permission to quit at and realize I'd passed it ten, fifteen feet after. "Well, I passed it without thinking. . . I can go a little further."

Anyway, now that the 5k program is done. . . What to do? I think I'll repeat week 8 a few more times until I'm more comfortable (Walk 1 minute/Run 4 minutes for 40 minutes two times, then the 3.1 mile stretch for the third day), then I'm going to attempt the twelve week 10k training schedule provided by SparkPeople. http://www.sparkpeople.com/res
ource/fitness_articles.asp
?id=599 I wish it had an interactive calendar, but I'm not complaining. The first eight runs (or two weeks and two out of three days the third week) you run two to three miles, so that sounds doable. Day 3 of Week 3 you run 4 miles, but the fourth week you're back to two or three miles. So, yes, doable. Of course, I'll remember I can repeat weeks with this, too, if needed, like with the 5k program.

Anyway, I'm feeling hopeful and excited.