Week 1 Repeat

Today is Saturday and that means we have an 8 am GTS (Group Training Session). Dutifully I showed up right on time to listen to a famous podiatrist talk about injury prevention for an hour before training began. Through our speaker series and countless other efforts, TNT really does a fabulous job of training people like me to prepare for endurance events and arms us with everything we need to know to stay healthy and make it across the finish line.

As wonderful as TNT is though, the real reason for my entry today is to celebrate my "progress". This was my 4th Saturday running with the group and today marked a repeat of the 3-mile course we ran on Week 1. All I can say is....WHAT A DIFFERENCE!

On Week 1, I ran the whole 3 miles with my coach and here is what I remember: loud gasping for air through mile 1, switching to a run/walk by mile 2, and barely being able to walk my way up the incline by mile 3. I remember that my legs felt very weak and I could not get my breathing (and gasping) under control. Don't get me wrong, I was thrilled with that performance when I clocked in a blistering 50 minute time, but there was obvious room for improvement.

Here I am, on the same route a mere 3 weeks later. Today's run was a controlled 2 min run/1 min walk cycle. My recovery time was in check, my breathing was in check, the "hills" that seemed so menacing were nothing but small inclines, and by the end of the 3 miles, I knew I had energy left in the tank! The best part: it only took me 38 min and 30 seconds (just under 13 min miles)!

What a feeling of accomplishment! All I can attribute it to are the tiny incremental improvements I make each day I lace up my shoes. I would have never thought I would have seen this much difference in such a short period of time. Today, I am celebrating this milestone because it shows me there is HOPE for my quest after all.

The next 4 weeks are gonna rock!

Until next time,
Lisa