I took a mini break after Phoenix last February before I started St. George Marathon training, but that mini break seems like it was so long ago, lol! After two weeks of laying low, here I am, again, starting a new a training cycle #iamnotnormal

In my last post I had decided not to use a coach as with the holidays approaching, I wanted to budget and prepare. But, when Elle asked me again to write a post comparing Hanson’s training and training with a coach, I felt that I hadn’t really gotten the full coach experience. I told Elle it wouldn’t be fair for me to make a comparison given that I only really followed the plan for two months before I threw in the white flag.

This made me think about what could have been different had I been able to get a full cycle with her. The two months I ran under her guidance, I felt strong, and I was hitting paces I never thought I could. My confidence was up, I felt good.

So, after talking with my husband and with my coach, I decided to give it another go with her. I’ve seen firsthand athletes thrive under her coaching and I’m truly curious to see what I can do if I commit to her training.

Coach Susan Loken and me 😀

It’s scary, because I have the added accountability factor, but that also motivates me.

Today, I had my first timed mile. I was nervous because these always make me nervous. The plan was to go to my coach’s track workout but with my husband away for work, I was resigned to my neighborhood streets after kid drop off.

The goal was a 6:30 and with my previous timed mile being 6:52 this was a bit ambitious, but, for some reason, I felt like I could do it.

I didn’t. Not even close.

6:42

I’m happy I bettered my time by 10 seconds, and I’m super happy that I felt something in me that said I could do it.

The splits of my 5k PR are 7:03, 7:19, 6:57 <—- that last mile of my fastest 5k of my life, makes me feel like I’ve got a faster single mile than a 6:42.

I’ve never been a naturally fast runner. I’ve worked hard and have come a long way to get where I’m at now as a runner. I’m super excited that I’m finally feeling confident and LESS scared to do hard things (because there has to be a little element of fear in there, right? 😀 )

Alright, let’s do this!!

–Do you like being a little scared of your goals?