8. Wonderful.

Last night I ran 8 miles. That is up there with the longest runs of my life. Twice before I have run 8 miles and that was while I was training for the half the first time around. So I feel pretty damn great about that accomplishment!

So you may be wondering how I did it. How did I wake up and think Okay, today's the day I will run 8 miles and then not freeze with trepidation?

My first tactic was to strategically break it up in my head. Instead of being overwhelmed by the idea of eight whole miles and probably 90 minutes of continual running, I decided to think of it as two 4-mile segments. That seemed like a challenge I could handle. Plus, there are two groups of treadmills at my gym. I thought I'd run one segment in one room and then move to another room for a change of scenery.

Maybe some of you think I am crazy for running on a conveyor belt like a hamster for that long. You know what? Booyah! The point is to get the miles in, whatever it takes. When I left work yesterday, the temp was over 90 degrees and the humidity was close to 100%. I decided to play to my advantages. I could have gone outside, but I would have been a disgusting, soaked, wasted sponge in about 30 minutes and I most likely wouldn't have accomplished my goal.

At least I was running, even if it was in a gym. I was pretty excited to start around 400 since Oprah was on. I really don't mind Oprah. I think it's some familiar sense of hanging out with my mom or my sisters. Anyways, her topic was "Happiness" and how to evaluate and strive for it, if you are missing the bar. It really kept me occupied. And it made me think how running makes me happy. It's nice to realize that inside of the run, instead of only after. So by the time the show was over, I had run my 4 miles and was flipping through the tv stations. I ended up on CMT and the video had jsut started for Brad Paisley's "The World" song. That sure fired me right up. I ran another .5. I thought that psychologically it would be good to move to the other treadmill having to do less than I already had done.

So Brad's song ended. I went to the bathroom and made my way to the next set of treadmills. At this point, knowing I only had 3.5 to accomplish, I felt pretty positive. I mean I know I can run for 3.5 miles. ( No point in dwelling on what I had done so far.) I turned my i-pod to my work that booty playlist and started running. 3.5 miles isn't that long so I just forwarded to all my my power songs and pushed the energy out of me until there was nothing left.

8 miles. Wonderful. I mean, really, just... wow!

That's alright, that's ok
When you don't feel important honey
All I've gotta say is

To the world
You may be just another girl
But to me
Baby, you are the world