8 Mile

I did it. I ran eight miles. That is the farthest I have ever run in my life. I planned to do it outside, but the weather was threatening thunderstorms, so I relented and agreed to do it on the treadmill at the gym. I get so fucking bored on the treadmill that I want to die, but I just told myself that I had to do it and if I didn't, i would be disappointed in myself. Somehow, either the self-induced guilt trip worked, or I just had one of those "magic" running days where it just isn't that hard, and anything seems possible. I was really tired, and it was hard, but I just took two miles at a time, and it wasn't that bad.

Sure, the no hills and lots of AC probably made it easier, but the thing that I am starting to realize is that the most important element to this running thing is the mental element. I just had to tell myself that I could do it, and that, to borrow from that sage poet Eminem, "you can do anything you set your mind to."

Total time for the 8 miles: 1 hr 34 mins 44 secs. (11:51 pace)

Oh, and according to my little calculator I use to map my routes, running 8 miles at a 12 minute pace adds up to about 1000 cals burned. That's, like, ten light beers.