Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Top 10 - 10 Highs of Being a Runner for 2 Years


Keep Calm and Count to 10
courtesy of Google images
“Anxiety's like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you very far.”
Jodi Picoult, Sing You Home
“Sometimes life knocks you on your ass... get up, get up, get up!!! Happiness is not the absence of problems, it's the ability to deal with them.”
Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Currently, I am addicted to surfing Spotify for cathartic music. Tonight, I stumbled upon Be OK by Ingrid Michaelson. I think the first time I heard it is from a commercial on Dutch TV. Love the album cover:

courtesy of Google images

I'm using it as a personal motivating poster this week.

Despite my toe problem, tomorrow I'll attempt to run a slow 10K, and build up carefully to my next long distance run for Sunday.

Three weeks ago, I run a successful slow 26K in blistering July.

This knowledge has been helping me these past weeks to come to terms with my decision of  resting and reducing mileage until the shooting pain I feel no longer causes me to cramp, when I walk.

It's true based from experience, and from what  I've read about marathon training, that long distance runs does not only help your body prepare but gives your psyche confidence.



Speaking of confidence, I need to make sure I maintain my supply, and thinking of ways to do that, I came up with many ideas both creative and practical ones.

I thought I will be experimenting the last few weeks of August with some of those creative ideas here, and the practical ones, I'll be sharing @ My Daily Mooosings in the Netherlands later on the week. 

As I've mentioned before, blogging helps me a lot when I struggle with myself; it serves as a way to give me better perspectives, when life gets hectic, and undeniably a great creative outlet.

I know, I've said it countless times, but I'll say it once again: I should blog more, and with regularity!

An idea I've applied and worked in the past, that put these good intentions into practice is doing a series of themed blogs.

Since my next run (hopefully tomorrow!) is a 10K, I thought I'll write my top 10 Highs of Being a Runner for 2 years! I'm naming this series tentatively Tuesday 10. :)


10. Finished: 3 marathons in my first 2 years of running!

Berlin Marathon & Amsterdam Marathon 2012 medals
around kilometer 30-35 in Berlin Marathon 2012 course
Amsterdam Marathon 2012
at home - beaming with my back to back blings!
On the way back to the Netherlands, at a gasoline station, I took a picture for posterity: my giddy self, that want to shout out loud, : "I
finished Paris Marathon"despite the odds!!!
Paris Marathon 2013
by the

Arc de Triomphe


9. Improved: My speed and pace!

(comparing 2 races, that were 2 years apart)
-  speed from 6,67 km/hr to 10,04 km/hr

- pace from 8:59 min/km to 5:58 min/km -

 

(comparing a 5K race pace see photo above, to a 5K training pace see photo below of my Nike Stats)


 - add here print screen shot of the run above -


8. Recorded: 100 runs on my Nike+ Sportswatch.

7th of August, 2012 - the day I got my Nike+ Sportswatch, which I won  from Media Markt Holland, on Facebook!

7.  Met: Churandy Martina! Being in the presence of an inspiring Olympian is amazing and electric. :)



6. Nike Poster Girl: with my sole sisters for a whole day in Amsterdam!

Moi standing in front of an advertising column in Amsterdam with our - Eva, Udjen and I - poster!
The pose, that won us the poster, Summer 2012!
5. Ran:

- on a racing track - 5K Runner's World Zandvoort Circuit Run 2012
- on the beach - Egmond Half Marathon 2013
- barefoot - (training) 16K in Wijk aan Zee


5K Runner's World Zandvoort Circuit Run 2012

Egmond
courtesy of Google images


16K in Wijk aan Zee

16K in Wijk aan Zee

4. Gained: friends for life ~ soul/solesisters!


Beautiful ladies, beautiful souls, who helped me fulfill a dream: run and experience a marathon athmosphere during Hamburg Marathon 2012 - we formed a relay team, the first in this event!

3. Cheered: by our girls! They are the best moral supporters, I could ever wish for.

@ Kinderdijk
training runs becomes more fun with beautiful scenery

2. Changed: physically and mentally. :)

Left, my first 4M: Run2Day Ladies Damloop 2011
Right, my first 10M Dam tot Damloop 2012

1. Completed: my first 5K!


with my beloved, mijn liefste P from the beginning - together we continue to dream!

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2 comments:

If I can run, so can you: big dreams are reached with baby steps!