You Are So Much Stronger Than You Think

My gym membership has officially expired. I loved having a membership in Texas because they had just built a gym right down the street from us. Here, the gym is a good 10-20 minute drive, depending on traffic. This drive stresses me out to the extent that it cancels out any endorphins I earned during my workout! Plus, we're not exactly rolling in the dough with two full-time incomes anymore. A gym membership just doesn't make sense right now.

I'm getting used to running outside again (my first love) and doing random speed workouts on the apartment treadmill. Running in the heat is SO MUCH HARDER than I remembered! Early in the summer, I was good about getting out early to beat the heat. I'm dragging lately, and even if I got up early I'd still have the humidity.

My last three workouts have been some of the hardest of my life (at least it feels like it at the time, even though they've been nothing special). The other day, running an eleven minute mile on the track took so much effort I felt like my Garmin should've been reading an 8-minute-mile pace!

Fortunately, my July Runner's World made me feel a little better: Every five-degree increase above 60 degrees Fahrenheit can slow your pace 20-30 seconds per mile.  This would mean that the effort it takes me to run 12 minute miles in 90-degree heat could be the same as me running a 9 or 10 minute mile at 60 degrees, the ideal running temperature. After my run the other day at 90 degrees and 60% humidity, I definitely believe that!

For now, I'm so proud of every single workout that I complete and I've adopted this runner's mantra: You are so much stronger than you think. You are so much stronger than you know!

*It takes patience to become the best runner you can be... running is a long-term sport. It is set up for people who value delayed gratification and who like hard-earned success* -Anthony Famiglietti, two-time Olympian and six-time national champion