My Own Personal "Super Sunday"

Most runners will tell you that there are certain "milestones" that you shoot for. If my long-term goal is to run a half-marathon in April, then I have to set measurable milestones to achieve that goal.

Today, I achieved one of those milestones...

Going into today's 5-mile run, I had logged 57 miles on the treadmill since December 29. My training has also included other machines, with the goal of improving conditioning and muscle growth so that it would prepare me for the long runs that lay ahead of me.

I woke up a bit sore this morning. I guess yesterday's workout was a bit more than I should have taken on (see below).

So the first thing I did when I arrived at the gym was to jump on the Crossramp to loosen up my legs. After a half mile, I was finished with my warm up... and I was feeling great.

I knew the miles would wear on me today. I was about to run further than I have in 2 years. Make no mistake... 5 miles is a big number. For me, it would mean running for almost an hour non-stop (Well, sort of. I'll get to that in a minute...).

After a brief 2-minute walk, I was ready to get after it. The first mile for me is always difficult. I think it's getting the muscles, joints, and bones to start working in a fluid rhythm.

Mile 2 was a good one. I increased my speed and felt really good. Going into mile 3, everything was humming along perfectly.

Now, I had a plan before I started running: Take a water break after 3 miles. The human body really needs hydration after working up a sweat for 3 miles. And, given that most marathons have aid stations at either mile 2 or 3, it just makes sense to take a quick break.

After a short walk during the water break, I started back up again. I wasn't sure if this would cause me to slow down. However, it had the opposite effect. I was energized! The songs on my iPod kicked in and I increased my speed.

Passing over the 4-mile mark, I was now in unchartered territory. "Here we go," I thought. It's a bit scary, but it's also thrilling to know that all of your training has prepared you for this new mile.

I did notice my right knee reared it's ugly head again... soreness. This knee has a history of causing me some problems... however, nothing too bad to prevent me from running.

Well, as I came into the final quarter mile, I really increased my speed. To the runners who typically run outside, I was ending with a 10-minute mile. For the treadmillers out there, I had it on 6.0.

Right as I passed the 5-mile mark, a smile came across my face. I did it. I really did it! I just ran 5 miles when just over a month ago I could barely run a half mile. Wow...

I put that cartoon up there for a reason: I'm not gonna quit. And I'm certainly not gonna quit now after reaching such a momentous milestone today!

This was definitely a "Super Sunday" for me!