Rhythm

Monday's are "30 minute easy" days, at least for now. So, I decided I really needed to focus on that because I've been getting frustrated with my pace and breathing. I think I've been starting out my runs focused on my 1:1 intervals and not finding a rhythm and pace that I can sustain for a solid 30 minutes. So, Monday was rise and shine at 6am, stretch, walk a good pace for 2 minutes to get my breathing steady and my muscles warmed up and run for a solid 30 at a pace that I could sustain. It worked. It probably also helped that it wasn't 95 degrees out either. So, I found my rhythm or at least the one that worked for me on Monday given all the variables - lack of sleep, weather, and needing to get done and home in time to get Zach up and us both out the door on time. I wish I could pay more attention to that in my life. Rhythm. A steady one that isn't always insisting on getting all the things checked off the list in my life or defined by everyone else's standards. I think this Marathon thing represents a lot of things for me. Some of those things continue to come to me during my runs - it's a lot of time spent living inside your head. I figure there are people out there that don't think I can do this. And, for those people, I'm actually thankful. Because it's been those people most of my life that have (unknowingly) helped me do things that I never thought I could. During college, I had the dean of my department tell me I'd never get the grades I needed to get the degree I wanted. I will never forget that conversation, that room, or that feeling. While he probably never thought about that conversation again after he walked out of the room, it has never left me. It was one of the most discouraging moments in my life, but it turned out to be one of the most rewarding. I got the degree I wanted and I've found ways to use it with purpose. In ways that I hope make a difference.