Silent Anticipation

I've been uncharacteristically quiet this week, unlike the week before my first 5K attempt. There have been a thousand thoughts swirling around in my head, but I've been wary of putting them into words and sharing them with you, for fear of over thinking things, or jinxing myself.

So I will keep today's post simple and just update you on my progress. Last Sunday I set out on a 4-mile run, expecting to have to walk some of it. The chill in the air sparked a spring in my step, and I surprised myself by running the whole thing! I felt great almost the whole time, except when I was tackling some rough hills, and finished strong, feeling like I could have gone longer if necessary.

It seemed impossible that I could have just completed four whole miles, so I compared my route on mapmyrun.com and gmap-pedometer.com. The former measured my distance as four miles, while the latter had it closer to 3.75. Either way, it was the longest distance I had ever run, and I'm very proud of it!

I really needed a win like that to boost my recently shattered confidence. Each day is its own, and each run is its own, and there are no guarantees. Running nearly four miles last week with ease does not mean my 5K race this week will be a breeze. I understand that. Just the same, I'm now going into this race with more confidence in myself than I would have had without that successful run.

One cause for concern right now is my right knee. Since my long run, I've had some mild pain in it off and on. It didn't bother me much during my shorter run on Tuesday, but has been getting worse and more frequent since then. It is a new sort of pain for me and I'm having trouble identifying the cause. This morning I overslept, and instead of just shortening my run, I chose to skip it completely and let my knee rest. I really hope it won't give me any trouble on Saturday!

Aside from the knee pain, I truly feel ready for this race. I will have my music, a running buddy, my own water, and a good attitude. My primary goal is to run the entire distance without walking, but in the event that I cannot achieve that, my secondary goal is to beat my previous time. I am certain that I will accomplish at least one of my goals, as long as I don't hurt myself!

I hope to report my results as soon as I get home on Saturday, but it's going to be a very busy day for me, so you may be in suspense until Sunday. If you are my friend on Facebook, you'll probably see at least a brief report as soon as the race is over! Please keep me in your thoughts on Saturday morning, and as always I am incredibly grateful for your support!