If you’ve been following my blog for a while, then you know that I’ve been running marathons for the past several years. I have been at half marathon or higher fitness level for as long as I’ve been running and have never had trouble running just a few miles.
This past Saturday was my first day back to the SacFIT running club. I decided to come back as a coach this year because I had missed all my friends and running on the trail with a big group. I arrived to welcoming smiles and hugs from people I haven’t seen in a while. We went through our normal announcements, warm ups and prep then headed out to the trail. Though it was my first run back and I was ready to lead the group, I was REALLY nervous about running 5 miles. Since when did 5 miles seem so far? I can’t remember the last time I worried about that distance. But I went out there and ran it anyway.
The pace seemed a smidge fast for me just because I hadn’t run in a while. I’ve always dealt with having a bit of a mental block at the halfway point of any run so around mile 2.5-3 I started to go there and second guess my abilities. Once I got to mile 4 I started to feel good again and pushed through to 5. I kept a smile on my face for the good of the group of 14 I was leading, but at the end I couldn’t help but ask myself “Why did that run seem SO HARD?”
I’m not sure what the answer would be to that. I’m too rested? I’m under trained? I’m lifting too much?
I have been lifting weights a lot lately as part of the Jamie Eason 12 Week Trainer and staying away from as much cardio as I can so I can build some muscle, but I didn’t think it would do that much to my abilities in running. Apparently I was wrong. 
I woke up this morning and my legs are stiff, hips are sore and my muscles are achy. Not what I was expecting. 
I have learned that I can’t take my running lightly. Though I am still in shape, I just need to keep everything in perspective. I am not superwoman. No matter how much I take on, how much I run, how much I train… I am definitely not superwoman… and my body, like many others, loses fitness. Now it’s time to get it back.
