In March, I completed by first half marathon by running 13.1 miles in the Oakland Running Festival. In training for it, I didn’t run more than 11 miles, and by mile 10 on race day it was clear that I should have bumped up the distance on my long runs. With 3 miles left, my body began to exhaust, and all I could think about during miles 11 and 12 was how badly I wanted to just stop and give up. Fortunately, I didn’t give up, and I still beat my goal time. However, I promised myself that I’d make sure I had enough gas in the tank to finish my next half marathon strong.

So when I began training for Halfsie #2, I planned to log two 14 mile runs, and several 12-milers to get myself feeling much more comfortable with the 13.1 distance.

Well…(if you couldn’t already tell from the title of this post)…I’m happy to say I finished my first 14 mile run yesterday evening, which is also my longest run to date! Happy dance x14!

I won’t lie; it wasn’t easy for me. I’ve felt really good about my two 12-milers accomplished so far this training schedule, but this longer distance felt significantly more difficult. Those two last miles always seem to kick me in the butt, but I’m still super proud of myself for finishing. I’m expecting my next 14 mile run and subsequent 12 to feel easier, and hopefully I’ll be able to PR my upcoming half. (Fingers crossed.)

Yeah, like I said, I was really tired when I finished and not feeling particularly photogenic…

Fortunately, I like to treat myself to a good meal when I complete a long run. A couple slices of Zachary’s gluten-free pizza and a glass of red wine was just what I needed to round out the day and feel on top of the world.

And the best part of running on a Friday evening? A run-free Saturday morning. I got to curl up with a book, a cup of coffee, and my cat instead of hitting the trail this morning. Perfection.