Looking back while looking forward

I took yesterday off from running to rest from the 1/2 marathon race. I found it difficult to do nothing, however, so I rode my stationary bike for 1 hour. I also used Monday to reflect on what I had accomplished. There were times when I was still unhappy with my time because I was on pace for an even better time. It suddenly hit me later, though, that I had taken a full 6 minutes off of my last 1/2 marathon race and I began to feel a little better. I also was reminded that this still was a fast time and that this was merely one step towards my bigger goal. Sometimes it's good to be reminded to look at big picture.

Today I decided to go for a "Me" run and do some more reflecting. One of my friends at the race asked me if I actually enjoyed running as she said that the best part of running is when she's finished. For me I can honestly say that I love the running more than anything else. I told her that as soon as my run is finished I'm already thinking about when/where my next run is going to be. Today was a good reminder of that for me. I kept a nice pace and it was amazing to see how well my body bounced back after the race on Sunday. I wasn't sore or stiff at all and I felt like I could run all day.

My next race is on March 25th in Hamilton called "Around the Bay." (http://www.aroundthebayroadrace.com/)
Last year I finished in a time of 2:31 so I'm going to try for a 2:25 this year. This will give me a good indication of where I need to be for Mississauga in May. If I can do a 2:25 at Around the Bay then I should be able to do a 3:30 at the Mississauga Marathon.