Half Way to the Half

Before I started training, the longest I had run without stopping was a little over 5 miles. And that was a major accomplishment for me. This past week I made it through my 7 mile long run, with a decent pace. What was even better is that I didn't feel the agony of the lengthy run the next day. While I may have only been able to do a 5k two days later, at least I could still do it. And last night I took a kickboxing class for cross training.
And while I'm excited to keep up with a training schedule, I wish other effects would come a little quicker. I'm not gonna lie, I was hoping the new workout routine would lead to a bit of weightloss. Maybe 10 lbs in two months. But I stepped on the scale last night and bursting into tears was the first thing I thought of. Thankfully the scale is located in a crowded gym locker room, and I was conscious of the women eyeing me. I dashed into a bathroom stall and took a few deep breaths to gain control.
Another effect I'd love to see, confidence and a boost to my self-esteem. Last year when I trained for the Harpoon 5 Miler I was so confident that I would cross that finish line, and do it with a better time. It also boosted my self-esteem to see the improvements I had made. With six weeks of training to go, I don't know if I'm going to make it. And perhaps if my self-esteem was improving, gaining a few lbs wouldn't be as big of a deal to me.
While these things may be slow to happen, one benefit I've noticed is that I'm able to just lose myself in running again. It's been a while since I could clear my mind of the problems I'm dealing with and just finish happy. To me the feeling created by clearing my mind for 45 minutes is so uplifting. It helps me to face another day. For now that is my motivation to make it through the next work out.