more than i can chew?

As I mentioned in a post the other day, Genevieve and I have been in need if increasing our distance with the jogger as we train for a 10k next month (9/10/11). Up to this point, we had only run 2.2 miles (on three separate occasions). In an effort to build up to at least a 6.2 mile training run (though preferably 8-10) I opted to run 4 miles with her today.

As I also mentioned in a post from the other day, the only way to run more than 2.2 miles (a loop near my house) while considering Genevieve's safety is to drive somewhere. There is a long bike trail 20 minutes from my house, so that's where we decided to go.

The game plan for plotting the distance was simple...2 miles out, 2 miles back. The tougher decision regarded the speed. Should I run at an easy pace or push myself for some speed? My 2.2 mile run on Wednesday night was at an 8:30 pace. I decided to maintain that pace for this 4 mile run as well. Now that these decisions were made, it was time actually run.

Genevieve was ready to go...

Before I say how the run went, it may be worth noting (or it may just be a lame excuse) that it was hotter (and more humid) than I expected.

I went out (first 2 miles) at around an 8:30 pace. Considering the scattered hills, I feel it was comparable to the current route I run so I hit my mark. Great, right? Nope. I was already exhausted. There was no way I was going to be able to keep that pace up for another 2 miles. I had to make a decision on the fly. I decided to run at an easy pace for the 2 mile run back. In hindsight this would have been a good plan from the beginning (running my near usual distance at my current pace and the other half slower to add distance). I turned around and headed back.

My arms were ready feeling it on the run back. When I run on my own, my arms are at a 90° angle and slightly swinging on the side of my body. With the jogger, my arms are being used to hold, stabilize and push the jogger. This expends extra energy. That was energy I was longing for at this point. I labored on.

There was one point that I definitely wanted to stop and walk for a bit. I knew that would be a bad move for me and prayed for strength to persevere. Why would that be a bad move, by the way? If I don't push through that wall in training, I will not push through during the race either.

It also proved beneficial that I watched the movie "Soul Surfer" last night. If you're unfamiliar with the basics of the true story, I will summarize it for you briefly. Bethany Hamilton was arising starin the surfing world when at age 13 she was attacked by a shark and lost her left arm. She also lost 60% of her blood meaning her survival was nothing short of miraculous. Perhaps as amazing as her survival, however, was the fact that she was back to surfing within a month. She did turn pro a few years ago and remains competitive, even with only one arm. As a solid Christian, she attributes her success to God's grace. This is an area we are in clear agreement on. Every time I run (or do anything), it's in His strength and for His glory.

So, with Bethany Hamilton's perseverance in mind and with God's strength on my side, I pressed through. When I reached the 4-mile mark, I was spent. To be honest, I felt miserable. I ended up running a 9:30 pace for the final two miles. In encouraging news, even that's a faster pace than I ran my first 2.2 mile with her about a month ago.

Running with a jogger has proven to be tough. I erred in my thinking with regards to my plans for today's run. The question is begging to be asked: "Have I bitten off more than I can chew?" The answer: it depends. If I run on my own strength, then yes. But as long as I remember that my strength is from the Lord, I know I will persevere on 9/10/11 just as through His strength I persevered today!