4 miles

I run/walked 4 miles yesterday. This is the farthest recorded distance I have ever traveled on foot at one time. Well, if I can say "traveled" (it was on a treadmill). I dreaded this all week but I promised myself I was going to try, or die trying. For the first half, I listened to podcasts (love the Half Size Me podcast), and then when the going got tough I switched to music. And I just kept going and going. I like to picture treadmill runs in terms of running on a track, it helps me visualize how far I've come- so when I got to 3.75 miles, I got chills, and I told myself, "this is your victory lap!" I felt amazing when I finished.

I'm always totally floored by how quickly and easily I can prove myself wrong just by changing my thinking. I was positive I wouldn't be able to do this run without stopping to rest or walking through some of my run intervals. But less than an hour later, I was suddenly wrong. Because I believed I could do it! And I did do it! And this biggest mind-blower of all: in a few weeks, 4 miles will be no big thing.

The moral of the story is something I return to over and over: whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you're right.