• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
PolkaDot Butterfly

PolkaDot Butterfly

Musings of Life in the Empty Nest...

  • Running
    • Runs
  • Words
  • Kayaking
  • Knitting
  • Pics
  • About
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Ponderings / You run for HOW long?

You run for HOW long?

You run for how long? is a question people have asked as training gets longer. Usually it’s family or friends who don’t or haven’t run.

It’s loving, caring people wondering why we’re foregoing regular activities for running… really?

Woman Running

When this half marathon goal was set, it was hard to imagine running for over an hour on a regular basis. Then I started thinking about it. A couple years ago while running/training with a friend, we set a goal to run the local 8K Turkey Trot. Just under five miles, so it probably took just under an hour. It was easier to swallow because we had started with some 5K runs. Baby steps. Running 3 miles is much easier than running 5 miles, at least in your head.

In the same vein, running 3 miles is much easier than running 7.5 miles or even (probably) 13.1 miles. Training is about breaking things up into manageable chunks and increasing the size of the chunks. So that’s the plan. It’s hard to wrap my head around 13.1 yet, so I do what I can and just keep making the chunks (or runs) bigger. I understand the question.

This half marathon will, hopefully, see me crossing the finish around 2 hours and 15 minutes. If things go well.

It seems like a long time to be running… more than two hours. A feature film. This week the long run was 1:19:19. A month ago that would have seemed hard impossible to imagine on a crazy humid and hot morning. Now, it’s just another hour to go so need a better playlist.

Most times when people would ask, I used to try to explain. Try and share my goal and how great running is (when it’s over, I feel good & can basically eat what I want). I do understand, but no longer explain. Those who understand, get it. Not cynical, but it can be a touch evangelical. A touch preachy. Never good.

It’s about setting a goal and working it. It’s that simple.

Thank god, the newness must have (finally) warn off. I’ve paid my dues, what I can or can’t do may surprise me but it doesn’t shock me anymore. A new running confidence. Nice.

Yes, I run for that long, for that many miles, that many times a week. While it’s not much or impossible to some, to me it’s the world… at least for the next 12 weeks or so.

What are you working on this summer?

Primary Sidebar

About Me

I'm a 50-something wife, mom and business woman. My planner tells me there are a few more roles... but that's a good start. I'm a techie and a small business owner who loves good coffee, dark chocolate & running in the rain. And an empty nester... While … more about About

Archive

Tags

5K 5k family 5K Runner 8K 10K Angry Orchard Hard Ciders Ash Wednesday Becoming Friends Books Breville Juicer Buffalo Beer Week Buffalo River Buffalo Turkey Trot chafing Change college graduation Cooking couch to 5k Creating Habits Cuisine at Home Dirty Girl Mud Run Dr. Glenn Braunstein Eating eBooks Effects of Juicing Empty Nest Fasting First Apartment Fun Runs George Bernard Shaw Goals graduation Habits of Others Half Marathon Happy New Year Hazy Apple Health1 Health Care Jeff Galloway Juicing Resolutions Running Shamrock Run TGIF Weight Loss
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Posts to your Inbox

Have our blog posts delivered to your inbox.
  • *
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Footer

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Blog Categories

Search PDB

Recent Posts

  • Keep Your Eyes Open ~ Paulo Coelho
  • Striving ~ Paulo Coelho
  • What the heck Hammy?
  • Every Person ~ Paulo Coelho
  • Alignment for Achievement ~ Paulo Coelho

Disclaimer

I am not a licensed medical professional. Views expressed on this website are my own. As always, please consult your doctor on any medical issues, or before beginning a training program.

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 PolkaDot Butterfly. All Rights Reserved. You are free to retain any and all content here for personal use, but need permission to use it anywhere else. Feel free to quote excerpts of any post with a link back to the original piece. Contact PolkaDot Butterfly for information on syndicating content or photos.
  • Home
  • About
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 · PolkaDot Butterfly · All Rights Reserved
Site By Maroon.Technology