Pushing Your Limits

I had a really good and really hard three-mile run last night. As in, it totally reminded me of one of the reasons why I love running. I LOVE pushing my body to the limit. To the point where I can’t push it any further. Last night was one of those runs.

I run for a variety of reasons. I run to have me time. I run because it provides me with the quickest bang for my buck. I run because I love hearing Grayson ask, “You run to keep your heart healthy?” I run because I love being able to do races with Griffin. I run because I like to race myself. You all know I am competitive. I love that during a race I can compete AGAINST MYSELF and my personal time goal. I run because it keeps me fitting in my clothes. I run because I don’t agonize over food choices when I clock in a fair amount of miles for the week.

And last night, I decided to run and push my body harder than I have for a couple months. After running comfortably for ten minutes, I started to increase my speed. Every minute I kept pushing the button that increased my pace. Every minute I pushed myself harder. I made the decision to do this until I reached three miles. (This was after I had completed an earlier 2 mile run). While I have completed fast paced intervals before, I have never held such a fast average pace for an extended period of time. By the end, my legs were shaking. Sweat was pouring down my back, my legs, and my face. But man, did it feel good. It felt great to know that I am capable of so much as long as I push myself. And that feeling…There is nothing like it.