"It's part of who you are."

This direct quote from Brian Diaz, "It's part of who you are," (from this month's Endurance magazine) has been ringing in my ears since reading it last night.  It's an excerpt from an article he wrote about being a triathlete, but upon reading it, I know it's how I view myself as a runner.  I've learned a lot about running and for me, running has simply been a way of life since as far back as I can remember, it's part of who I am.  Triathlons are not my thing, it's not a part of me, it's not even something I look forward to doing, but I am willing to try something new and different.  So, after reading this article, after contemplating who I am and what I'm about, I've come to a few conclusions and I'm happy about them.

First, I'm not ready to do a triathlon.  Sure, it sounds good to do and I'd love to try one, but not now.   I need to run freely, not to someone else's cadence, not because I'm told to do so, not to win something, but just to run without restraint.  I need to accomplish a few running goals before moving on to something new, and right now I'm so close I can taste it.  Watching Boston gave me chills, I shed a few tears, I clapped for Davila and Goucher, I screamed, I watched the women carefully, I longed to be there.  That's who I am, I'm a runner, it's a huge part of me. 

Second, I'm running Boston next year and that's final.  If that means I have to work harder these next 8 weeks, then I will.  I want it.  I can do it.  This means there may need to be some fine tuning in my schedule, so I will do that.  This also means that I will not compete in the Ramblin' Rose tri on May 22 but will instead, run a half marathon in Cary that morning.  Why?  Because that half marathon will give me a chance to see where my training is at.  It's what I will need to do to better my time in the June 18th marathon.  Yes, I've already qualified for Boston, but only by 30 seconds.  Now I'm setting out to shave off 5-10 more minutes to better my chances of getting in this year. 

This morning's run was FABULOUS!  Perhaps it's due to this new set focus, maybe the iron infusion has finally kicked it, but whatever it is, I had the most terrific run today.  "It's part of who I am" rang in my head with each mile, as a mantra, as a reminder to run strong.  Started the morning with two nutri-grain waffles and a glass of oj.  Drove into CH so I could run 17 miles of hills today (not because I wanted to, but because I needed to).  Despite the rainy, chilly weather, the temp was perfect.

Kept first two miles at 8:25, then picked up the pace to run the rest between 8:04-8:18.  Time at the 13.1 mile mark was 1:50:30, time at 17 miles was 2:23:17.  My pace tattoo for a 3:40 finish says I should be at 1:50:00 at the 13.1 mark and 2:22:39 at mile 17.  Considering today was just a training run, I'm right on target. :)   Grandma's marathon has some hills, a big one at mile 21.  Today I ran the Tar Heel 10 miler course 1 3/4 times, just to keep my legs strong.  The most amazing part of today was how I felt during the run.  I felt strong, light, free, and able.  I couldn't believe how well I felt running up Laurel Hill, so much stronger than when I ran the Tar Heel race.  With just 8 weeks of training left, each run has to count. 

I will continue to swim 2 times/week, I will continue to bike (on the trainer), but my running is my passion at this point.  It will take center stage until I've accomplished what I've set out to do, then I will venture out into the Tri world and see what I can do there.