is run a half marathon

I have been looking for a training program that will help me prepare for a half marathon.  I found two good ones, both of which include one long run on the weekend, two rest days (Monday and Friday) and four days of shorter runs, speed drills or cross training.  I am going to take some of what I like from each of them and keep track of my progress.

This past Saturday, I took part in the Glory Days 10K so I decided to take Sunday off.  Monday should have been a rest day but rather than take two in a row, I decided to go to the gym and spent 15 minutes rowing (3000m) and 30 minutes on the recumbent bike.  That bike probably isn't the most challenging but it does give my legs a bit of a non-stress workout and it also allows me to read.

In the afternoon, Garrett, Michelle, and Aimee wanted to take River and Jo to Butze so I decided to go with them.  It took me 38 minutes to run the trail.  I can run almost the entire way, but the last two hills are just too steep so I ended up running about halfway up each hill and then walking the rest.  I have run Butze five times now and the first three times, I walked part of a couple of other hills so I am getting better.  I am not sure if I will ever be able to run the entire distance and I am not sure if I will be able to improve much on 38  minutes, but it's a good challenge for a short distance.

On Tuesday, I ran the 8K highway route.  I managed to complete it in just over 51 minutes which was almost one minute faster than I did it at the Rupert Half Marathon last month.  While I was running, I kept getting negative thoughts about running a half marathon.  Right now, I am finishing the 8K and 10K distances without any physical problems so the negative thoughts are based on nothing more than thoughts.  I wonder "how can I do another 10K on top of the 10K I have just been able to complete?"  I have to get away from those thoughts.  When I first completed six laps of the track (2.5K), I wondered how I was ever going to do six more.  When I completed 5K, I didn't think I would be able to reach 10K. 

Maybe I won't be able to finish a half marathon, but I won't know that until I start running more than 10K.  Thinking I can't do it before I have even tried, isn't going to help.