Comfortable

I completed my 10th half marathon a couple weekends ago. I used to do only 1 “big” race a year, but I have completed 6 of these in the last 2 years! 13.1 miles has become comfortable, not easy, never easy, but doable. I have no problem signing up for a half, because I know I can finish it and feel great at the end, it’s a distance I know I love. I have only recently really been trying to focus on improving my pace and increasing my weekly milage, and I find it has been a lot of fun to chase these goals. The half marathon, 13.1 miles, once a daunting goal to finish, now a race against myself. Even though I am pushing myself more to get faster, it is still a comfortable goal I know I can finish. Comfortable. It is time for me to find a new goal that is uncomfortable, daunting, scary; one that I do not know if I can obtain. This doesn’t mean I will stop doing half marathons, in fact I plan to do the same series next spring that will get me 3 more, but why not go for something more?

Now what should I do? I have been wanting to do a full marathon, 26.2 miles, double the distance of what I am used to. I want to know, can I finish with a smile, or crawl across that finish line? How long will it take me? Will I hit a wall? While this is definitely on my bucket list, it doesn’t exactly scare me. I am a runner, I am comfortable running.

Why stop there though? I have competed in one triathlon, many years ago (before kids). It was a small sprint triathlon, and I absolutely LOVED it. Could I finish a Half Ironman Triathlon, or even a Full Ironman? Now this scares me, not the run, that I feel like I could get through. Not the swim, I am pretty comfortable in the water. But the bike portion? The thought of having to go as fast as they do to finish in the time limit, scares me. I think of wrecking, of popped tires, of not being able to go that far. I am not a biker, I’ve never raced on a bike, not really. I like to bike yes, but not at the speed it takes to go 56 miles, or even 112 miles!

SO the question remains, what is next? Well maybe that marathon I want to do will be part of my next training plan, maybe I’ll have the guts to sign up for an Ironman or Half Ironman. I am scared, but I just ordered a new triathlon suit.

Do something that scares you, it’ll only make you stronger.