Summer came in like a lion yesterday….and brought Red Hot HEAT with it.   My run today was inside on the treadmill because its 100 smoking degrees Fahrenheit outside, and that’s straight temp, without the humidity factor.  And there’s humidity, Be-Lieve me!!

Seriously, it’s too hot to be running outside.  People do it.  People do alot of crazy things.  But not me.  I’m a conservative risk taker, always have been.  So when I find it hard to breathe just walking to the mailbox….I take my love of running ….inside, to the treadmill.

Today required 2 miles.  For my incrementally better PUSH, I turned the speed up to 5.5.  That’s a 10:54 minute mile.  It was GREAT.  The first mile went by  lightning fast.  I felt like a gazelle.  The second mile was OK, not hard.  It was mentally hard.  I was sweating, but breathing well.  I just had to PUSH my mind to finish it.  I was counting down the last 11 minutes in 30 second increments.  It was tough, but I was determined to persevere and DO IT!

When it gets tough, Ive gone back to using visualization techniques.   Our treadmill is in our spare bedroom (or as we call it from Narnia, Spare “Oom).  Spare ‘Oom has a sofabed, a tv and table, a closet, and the treadmill.  I don’t use the TV or iPod anymore.  I run free of distraction, completely plugged into my own brain, and all of its power to propel me forward.  I run looking past the TV stand, staring intently at the closet door.  I focus on certain points on the closet door, and in my mind’s eye, I have begun to visualize Cinderella’s Castle.  I imagine myself running toward it.  I let myself focus on the feelings of strength as I run toward it.  As I do this….I find myself getting excited.  I’m running gazelle-like toward my goal.  It’s awesome.  I like this technique alot.

I think I have to start visualizing other parts of the Marathon course……like all the parts of the run (all 21 miles of it) AFTER Cinderella’s Castle…….so my excitement and my endurance sticks with me long after I wave goodbye to Cindy and her little mice friends.

Today was Fun.  And Incrementally Better.  And Cool.  In more ways than one!!

Ciao for now…..Diane