3 mile struggle

Two nights ago, after a long work day, very little water and a post work meeting, I ventured to the local high school track to run "a few miles" Equipped with my water and my ipod, I started out with an easy mile warm up.

800 meters into that mile my mind started with me ..(and this is usually how this goes) "You have got to pee. You really really have to pee. STOP RUNNING and pee already. Then go get food, go home and watch something on Bravo"

I gave in to the first request (I've never been inside so many port-a-potty's as I have been since I started running) and returned to the track. "You need some Eminem", I told myself. So, with an very angry man rapping in my ear about going until he collapses, I started up again. 800 more meters- 1 mile done.

I check my garmin and notice I am running an avg 9:01 pace. That's about 1 minute faster than I normally run. I'm slow. I run, but I'm slow. So I continue into mile 2 with the same pace but decide to give myself a 200 recovery run after the next 800. This helps me finish mile 2 with a 9:45 pace.
My mind starts up again with "It's getting dark out here, and there are no lights. You don't like running alone at night, anywhere. Did you hear the snowball stand opened up near the house? Go there instead."

God damn you, brain. You know my will power is paper thin on long and hard days.

I run another 1600 meters and finish mile 3 in 9:35. I consider this a decent accomplishment worthy of a snowball. I figure its a fair trade when I sprint back to my car and drive off, Eminem blasting through my car radio speakers.

The first snowball of the season was worth it.

Registered : Start Line

I did it. After 2 years of running for fun and catching the elusive running bug, I registered for my first marathon. I have no idea what I'm up against, but I keep reading things like "impossibly hard, hardest challenge of my life, worse than labor" but I also hear things like "best thing I've ever done, HUGE accomplishment, signed up for another one". So there's hope. There is light at the end of the 26.2 mile tunnel.

I just can't see it. Not yet.