Am I Good Enough? It's RUNFESSION time!

Welcome back for another addition of

Runfession Friday.  

What's in my brain this month?  Grab a snack and have a read. 

First off, it's hard to believe that it's the end of March.  Life really does go by us in a blink of an eye.  This is my favorite time of the month to blog because it's a time where I can let all my thoughts out on paper. 

Let's start, shall we?  

I RUNFESS,  I'm a little miffed at Punxsutawney Phil.  Yes, he did show us that we were in for 6 more weeks of winter.  So, it's no surprise that Minnesota is still cold.  But, the wind can go away anytime now!  I loathe wind,  and it seems that this year the wind is extra "ass-ey."   It's like Mother Nature is laughing at us.  30 mph winds just aren't enough - she's got to go and throw in 40-50 mph gusts just to see if we can stay upright while running.   And, maybe throw in a few roof shingles and down spouts while she's at it too!

I'm ready for cute spring outfits and pedicures!  Why oh WHY did that damn groundhog have to see his shadow?  If I have to do another long run in the wind and the cold I may just crack!

When I found this meme,  I about peed my pants.  Sorry for the vulgarity guys, but it really is funny.

I also must RUNFESS,  that I have a new addiction to Poshmark.  I love to find good deals.  A few weeks ago, while I was searching the internet for stores that sold my Brooks Glycerin shoes, I stumbled across this site.  Essentially, it's a huge online garage sale.  Ordinary people like me sell their clothes online.  I happened to search my shoes on the site and found two pair!  

I was able to get both pair of Glycerin 12's, NEW,  for $80 total!  These shoes usually retail for $150! It was an absolute steal!  They are perfect.

This bargain then led me to evaluate my own closet.  What did I have that was still in great condition that I wasn't wearing anymore?  I found a Ralph Lauren sweater, new with tags!  I had never worn it and knew that I never would.  Guess what?  It sold.  I made a great profit.  It was free for me to ship and now I'm hooked.  

No,  I am absolutely NOT compensated for plugging Poshmark.  It's worked out great for me - maybe it will for you too!  I just LOVE a good deal.  So, here's one for you!  If you sign up for Poshmark, use code UQEXZ and get $5 added to your account.  The account is FREE.  If you find something you like you can use that $5 to buy it! 

I also RUNFESS,  and this isn't all that new,  I often wonder.... am I good enough?

I'm nervous I won't hit my goal of running a 4 hour marathon.  3:59:59,  if I'm being technical!  

Not because I haven't put in the training,  but because it's really damn hard.  Last weeks long run of 15 miles put it a bit into perspective for me.  I had a nice pace throughout of 9:19/mile.  9:09 is my goal.  But, the daunting task of running just a bit faster for 11 more miles really freaks me out!   Can I do it?   Maybe I'm not ready for that task?

The truth is, the Grandma's Marathon course ate me up last year.   I walked the second 13.1 more than I ran.  It was 87 degrees by mile 20.  I was out 7 weeks in the middle of my training due to injury.  I was undertrained.   My mental game was weak.   I finished.  Barely.

I keep going back to what so many runners tell me.  Running your long runs slower will make you faster!  It's just so insanely hard to run slower.  I should be running 1-2 minutes slower than my marathon pace.  So, consequently, my long runs need to be 10:09-11:09 for pace.  Marcia says, you need to be able to run 9's all day!

She's in my brain constantly..... Hi Marcia!

But, seriously,  I do understand the concept,  but I've yet to do it.  I will try for my next long run.  My plan calls for 16-18 miles.  12 of which should be marathon pace, with the rest easy.   If you're also looking for advice on how to run slower to be faster,  check out Rachel's latest post!  It's great!

Thanks for reading!  I'm linking up with Marcia for her Runfession Friday!