It’s Tuesday, so that means I am linking up with Patty, Erika & Marsha for Tuesday’s on the Run. This week’s topic is “Running Valentine”…
Don’t tell my husband, but I am in LOVE with another man…
For over 5 years, we secretly meet up hidden by the darkness before dawn. His voice whispering in my ear my favorite 4 letter word and then a few seconds later the three letter word that strikes fear to my fluffy body. He and I go round and round, longer and farther than the time before. And as a gift I for my faithfulness, I am rewarded beautiful things to wear around my neck…
When I tell people that “run” half marathons, I almost feel like a fraud…
Look at me I am certainly not the image of what many people envision a runner to look like and the way that I “run” my half marathons (or any distance) would have my middle school track coach kicking me off the team.
Thank goodness I am way beyond those middle school track days and Coach Carlson. Although sadly though not beyond the harsh judgments (even if they are all in my head) of other people, but I do “run” half marathons it is just a matter that my running looks different than many runners and non-runners think running looks likes. I LOVE the fact this fluffy, middle aged woman can hold up the bling and say “Yep, I did 13.1 miles and finished the race!” Thanks to my love affair with a man named Jeff Galloway.
While Jeff Galloway may not have been the first to run-walk, his method of interval running allows many people, myself included, to be “runners.” Basically for me a run is a short period of running followed by a longer period of walking repeated over and over until I finish the distance. In a normal week, my training plan is 2 miles 2 x a week and 1 long run (determined by whatever my distance is that I am building to).
I love that Jeff constantly reminds me that “I am the captain of my own ship” and it is me that determines how far, how fast and how much I will walk or run. Here are some other reasons that I love the Jeff and the Galloway method.
- I don’t have to do speed workouts, but I do keep track of my minute/mile pace for each run so I can compare how I am doing against where I need to be to not be swept from a race.
- I don’t have to cross train, although occasionally I do in the pool and recently thought about getting a personal l trainer and work on some strength training.
- If I am just not feeling my long run, then I can walk it…after all it is all about practicing the time on my feet and getting my body used to a distance, aka endurance.
- The distance for my long runs seems more manageable because it is broken up into, “30 seconds till I can walk again.” I also find it easier to push past the wall.
- I feel good after a run, not fatigued because I have had control over the fatigue the entire run.
If I can learn to love running, anyone can, I guarantee Jeff will make you fall in love too! After all life should be about the things we love…
Check Out Run Walk Run with Jeff Galloway…
My Life in Ears 
I often feel like a fraud myself and then I remind myself, I get out there however many times a week and I put in that work; and then I push through a race, sweating and sometimes crying, but I get the job done. We are runners, let no one ever doubt that!
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