39 weeks till IRONMAN - running for my soul

So I was thinking and thinking about what to write about this week, and I was at a bit of a loss.  Last week's post was a bit of a breakthrough for me, and I was feeling a bit empty this week. . . .

The one thing that kept coming back to me was. . . You have your team - they are all doing their best work to help you. . . but are YOU doing your best work to make this miracle happen???  Oh dear. . . . I know it is still early on in the season, but I know the answer to that. . . . Duane would say I am being too hard on myself. . . . but. . . I know I can do better.  So that is my challenge from here on in.  'I promise my team that I will do the work that only I can do to make this miracle happen.'

So, January came and went this week, and the 1200 mile club is succeeding!  I am learning a lot from this challenge. . . . I am learning that I need to go for a 4 mile run or walk every day - it really makes me feel better, it makes me calm, it makes me think clearly, it makes me breathe deeper, it makes me feel the power of the wind, the coolness of the snow, it makes me happy.  (When mom is happy - everyone's happy).  I am learning that my favorite walk of the week is my Sunday morning walk.  I really figure a lot of stuff out on those walks.  I love them.

It has been a good week, a fairly quiet week.  Those are nice weeks.  I enjoy every minute of those weeks because they are few are far between!

I got on my bike trainer this week, and it was hard work- really hard work. I did one of my new videos 'Pedaling Technique' (phew - at one point I had to get one of my kids to run and get me towel - ya, I was sweating that much!)

I don't know if I have mentioned before that I joined Runner's Soul Marathon Club this year.  So, on Saturday I ran 10 miles - it was a beautiful day in Lethbridge and a great run for my soul.  I was not really sure where I was going, so I kind of stuck with a lady that I met along the way, and she got me where I needed to go.  (Thank you Running Lady).  When I was at about 7.5 miles, I couldn't take the pain in my toes anymore, and so I took off my runners, left on my socks, and ran the last 2.5 miles in my socks, wearing my runners on my hands.  I got a few double takes from drivers and passerby's but my feet said, "AHHHH THANK YOU!"  Next time I run that distance, I am going to bring my vibrams along, because when I was stretching at home after the run, my mom noticed that I now had holes in my socks.  Alas - the breakfast run with the club was fun - it felt good to run with a group ( at least I stayed with the group at the beginning, then the rest of the run was good alone time).  What I learned from my run today is that if I keep that same pace for the entire marathon ( and I think I can) I will finish this IRONMAN before the 17 hour mark. . . I can do this!

In 39 weeks, I will hear over the microphone  . . . . "Patricia Beazer . . . . You are an IRONMAN!"