Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

I'll go run hills next week.  I first said this a month ago but each week came and went without me running any hills.  The first time I didn't go because I was sick.  Valid excuse.  Then my friend was going to do a long run with me in Detroit.  I abandoned my plans in a heartbeat to stay and run with her.  Then Brian and I planned a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip.  Hey, I can't go if we're out of town. Last week I was really going to go . . . but the roads were icy/snowy/slushy and it's a 45-minute drive to PR Fitness in Ann Arbor where I was running.  Running close to home just sounded nicer.

That brings us to yesterday.  No more excuses.  The Boston Marathon is just over 5 weeks away and if I want to have a halfway decent race experience I need to get my butt on some hills.  Real hills.  Not the overpass that leaves me breathless on the Green RUNdetroit loop.  Not the rolling bumps of Hines Drive in Dearborn.  No.  HILLS.  

Training this week was my toughest yet.  I'm at peak mileage and my legs have been toast since Tuesday.  Forget a tempo run.  As yesterday's 20-miler drew closer, I started to worry.  I knew I could run the miles but with what my week has felt like on flat land, I was sure to be a snail on hills!  I texted Coach Terra, asking for her advice.  She told me that my legs are tired from the week's volume, not to worry about pace, and the hills would be fun.  It will be good for you, Terra said.

Okay, coach says do it.  And that's when I finally admitted the real reason I've been putting this off.  It wasn't the miles, the hills, the pace.  I was nervous.  Nervous to run with a new group.  All the what-ifs.  What if I don't have someone to run with?  What if I get lost?  What if people aren't friendly?  What if I have a bathroom issue in the middle of nowhere?

As it turned out, I met another girl who is training for Boston.  We ran together and talked the whole time.  The miles passed easily.  Because I was running with people there was no way I could get lost.  Everyone was friendly before, during, and after the run.  All my worries went unfounded.  Well . . . except for that last worry about the bathroom issue. Story of my life.  But even that could have been worse.

Now that I've gone out to PR Fitness once I'm looking forward to going back.  Friendly people, hills, new places to run, water stops.  If you never step out of your comfort zone you might never find out what you're missing.