Twelve miles...check!

This was one of the weirdest runs I've done so far. I shall explain...

Everything's going great until about 6 miles in, when my dad stops for a minute to walk, which is weird because he doesn't usually need to stop. Right then, I knew he wouldn't make it the whole 12 miles. But he kept on going, even though he felt like crap, until about mile 9 when he just ran out of gas. I felt bad, because I know what it's like to have an off-day. Last Sunday was my off-day, and I guess this Sunday was his.

Anyway, I was feeling really good. I knew I could finish the whole 12 miles and I knew I could finish strong. So, my dad jogged back to the house while I started running my final 3 mile loop. It was about 6:45 and it was really dark. So, next thing I know, my mom and dad pull up next to me in the car and follow a few yards behind me for the rest of my run, which was about 2 more miles. I was running at a pretty decent pace for such a long run, maybe 6.5 mph, and was sprinting every few minutes. I felt great (except for my knees and ankles).

I finally finished my 12 miles...without ever stopping...and with my parents following behind me in their car. I was drenched in sweat and my legs felt like I had been kneeling for about 10 hours. But that didn't matter...the only thing I could think about was that I actually just ran 12 whole miles.

It's weird to think that only a few months ago, before I decided to run a marathon, I was struggling to run 4 miles outdoors, and I had only ever run 6 miles at most (maybe one or two times)...on a treadmill, and with a walking break midway through. Most people who I talk to about my marathon training are amazed that I am running so far. And they also usually say something like "Wow, I could never do that. You're crazy, Rachel." The thing is, I never thought I could do it, either. Four miles used to be tough, but now it's easy.

My point is...you can push yourself a lot farther than you might think (which I learned with help from Ryan and my dad). And if you put enough time and energy into a goal you have for yourself (whether its running a marathon, finding a job, or even just getting an A on an exam), you can definitely accomplish it! And those are Rachel's words of wisdom for the day :)

PS - You all have no idea how much it means to me that you read my blog, ask me about training, and have joined my facebook group. Thank you so much for all your support of my running and of my cause.