The big thing about these two days though was the long run Mac and I did on Sunday. Originally on my training plan it was supposed to be 8 miles but we will be running a 10K on the day that should be 9.5 miles so we decided to up Sunday's run to 9 miles. It ended up being just over 9 miles but that's OK too. We typically run close to home. Even when we do longer runs, we just run extra "laps" on the closed gate road next to our neighborhood.(There is a road that was added for a new post gate and that gate is only open certain hours during the day on week days and closed on weekends.) We typically run there because it is an easy place to get a good run on asphalt without having to worry about any traffic. When I was thinking about our 9 mile run, I didn't want to run up and down the same road over and over and over again, so I started looking at other options. Then I thought about something I have always talked about but never had the guts to do. I could run to Clear Creek.
Clear Creek Rd is one of the main roads on post that is the other side of the post from where I live. If you drive from my house to there it seems like it is so far away. In actuality, it is about 3-4 miles depending on which road you take. I decided to take one of the less traveled roads so that we wouldn't have to deal with traffic or trying to run on a sidewalk the entire time.(Concrete= bad on joints) I mapped it out and found that if we went to one of the last drive ways on North Ave, it would take us to the 4.5 mile mark so we could turn around and head back. As I mapped it out on RunKeeper, I noticed the elevation changes and knew there was a pretty good hill but I figured it shouldn't be too bad. WRONG! It is TWO MILES up hill. It was TOUGH and it meant that I walked a lot more than I planned but I knew if I tried to run up that hill I would be DEAD and the top of the hill was only at the 3 mile mark. So we walked most of the way up and then returned to our run intervals on the way down. I checked my phone at the top of the hill and I was surprised to see that even with all of the walking, we were still under the required pace for the Princess. We were going along really well on the way down and as we got closer to the midpoint, I told Mac where we would need to turn around. He said, "Don't you just want to run all of the way and tag the Clear Creek sign." The more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to actually go all the way to Clear Creek. I knew it would put us over the 9 miles but I also knew that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. So we agreed to go to the sign. I knew I wouldn't be able to touch the sign because It is really high and I can't jump that high but Mac touched it and I got a picture.
I must admit, it was kind of cool to be able to stand there. Then we turned around and headed back and that meant back up the hill. We went back to walking because that hill was a bitch. By the time we got to the top, I was FREEZING. The temps dropped pretty drastically in TX this weekend and the 14 mph winds just cut through to the bone. My quads were like ice and running became very hard because they were so tight. So even when we crested the hill, we kept walking because my body was just too tired and cold to run. It was taking a lot of effort just to breathe so I knew I couldn't run. I kept checking my phone and I was constantly shocked that we were still doing fine when it came to our pace. I realized that even if I had to walk the entire Princess, I could do it now and not get swept. That would have been an impossibility a year ago and was obviously not possible two years ago when I was swept. It is crazy when you have these moments where you can see how far you have come. We finally made it back to the house and Mac realized that even when walking, 9 miles is no joke. For the first time in our training, I saw some fatigue in my Army boy at the end of a training distance. Typically, since he is just going at my pace, the runs aren't that hard on him but increasing the miles has finally gotten to a point that he isn't used to yet.
The little things like realizing I can now walk faster than a 16 minute mile have given me a little confidence boost this week. I had been feeling like I was stalling out and I was wondering if I was really getting anywhere anymore. Another thing was earlier tonight when I updated my weight in the ticker below. I know that it has taken me a long time to lose those 34 lbs, but I have still lost them, and kept them off. I also realized how close I am to losing 50 lbs. and being half way to my target weight. I'm not going to say 160 is my goal weight but for now it is my target weight. If you look at BMI charts and several other methods of calculating ideal weight, they say that I should be between 135 and 165. I am targeting 160 so that once I get there, then I can decide if I really NEED to lose more weight or if that is closer to what is a healthy weight for my frame type. I am hoping to lose the next 68 pounds of this journey faster than I did the first 34 because I think I have figured out what my body needs and how things work better. I stalled out in the 240s for a long time but in the last few months I have been putting the pieces into place better and I have seen a steady change. I am hoping that now that I am working out more and focusing on nutrition better that those changes will continue at a steady and possibly increased pace. I'm not talking about anything crazy, just 2-3 pounds a week instead of 0.5-1 pound a week. I know that I will lose more in the first few weeks and then taper off and that is fine as well. I just want to reach my full potential instead of hanging back because I'm scared of what's ahead.
I'm just ready to be a new person and I know that this is the time to do it.
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