Easy 8

This weekend I ran an “easy 8”. I’ve also referred to this run as “only 8”. In many ways this run was a huge milestone for me in my life as a runner.

EM, MF and I decided to do a long run so that we’d be ready for the Hot Chocolate 15K in the park on December 1st. I suggested a route that I had run once before, from 14th street on the east side to 14th street on the west side and then around the bottom tip of Manhattan until your back where you started. It takes you on some great running paths on lower manhattan with scenic views.

This is the same route that I did with BH for my first ever 8 miler. At the time, I was terrified about the distance- 8 miles! Me? Seriously? I worried about not being able to finish and about doing such a long run out of my comfort zone of Central Park.

I felt very differently this Saturday. I woke up to a perfect, sunny but cold fall morning and was excited that I’d be spending so much of it outside running. Instead of feeling anxious about being out of the park, I welcomed the change of scenery. The distance didn’t faze me, I felt ready for the time on my feet. I did have some concerns, namely my IT Band injury acting up and not being sure if I could keep up with my running mates, who are both a bit faster than me. I’m also new at running in the cold, and didn’t know if I’d be wearing the right thing.

It ended up being a great run. My IT did start to hurt, but I was able to push through and complete the distance and I didn’t have a problem keeping up. I found that I was dressed right, and was able to enjoy the lack of humidity.

When my TNT event ended, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to maintain my fitness without a training schedule to follow and all of the structure that training with the team provided. This run restored my faith my ability to self-motivate throughout the winter.

5 months ago I wouldn’t have believed that that an 8 mile run could be “easy” or something I’d refer to as “only” 8 miles. As we made our way over to first ave for a well-deserved post-run bagel, I felt tired but amazed at how far I've come.