Sometimes in life things just don’t turn out the way you expect. You work hard but still don’t get the results you need to be able to continue right now. That doesn’t mean you can’t continue in the future, but might need to reconsider your time goals. Just because an adjustment needs to be made doesn’t mean you failed, it means your listening to your own needs and letting your health and happiness take priority.

I needed to take a step back and look at my goals and where I was when training for my biggest race yet, a marathon! I made it about halfway through the training program when I realized the mileage for me is just too much at this time. After only having run seriously for 6 months, I didn’t want to injure myself by running to far too soon. I wasn’t disappointed, I knew that this was right for me at this time. I wanted to keep enjoying running, not push myself to the point where it became a chore.

As with anything in life, if we take the joy out of something we love, we just don’t want to do it anymore.

After cutting my planned long run of 14 miles to 7 and meditating on my choice I emailed the race I had planned and switched to the half marathon length. A half marathon? I can do that! It may still be painful, but at least it’s not going to take away my joy.

I think I am going to continue with my half marathons (three scheduled in three months!) until that distance isn’t so hard. If I am still struggling to finish 13.1, a full marathon might just kill me. I’m never going to stop reaching for the stars with my big goals, but I can take longer to reach them. It will only make the achievement that much sweeter in the end.

Some races will be harder than others, but I’m going to just keep running and never look back. I have so many big, wonderful goals ahead of me. In the next few years I hope to: run a marathon, finish a Half Ironman Triathlon, bike the STP, and summit Mount Rainier (PNW girl over here!!). I know it will take time to get there, but Rome wasn’t built in a day!