On Sunday I ran 9.25 miles in 96 minutes.
I have a super cool ipod that will track how far I run and how fast I run it. I can set the ipod for a distance- 8 miles, and after every mile a wonderfully encouraging female voice will say, "One mile complete."
"Congratulations, you are at your half way point."
"400 yards until you reach your goal"
"100 more yards"
"Congratulations, you reached your goal!"
However, when she said that, I was still more than a mile away from my car. I could have walked, but I just wanted to get home, so I hulled ass to my car, to my endgame.
As I did the voice was telling me, "You are a half mile past your goal."
When I was relaying this story to someone else they said, "The lady in the ipod was probably about to say, 'Do you need help?' 'Are you lost?' 'Is there someone I should call?'"
After I did a slow walking lap around the parking lot, I hit the button to assess my distance and time. Nine and a quarter mile in just over an hour and a half.
This is what the voice, I otherwise, trust told me.
I just can't believe her. I know where I started. I know what I ran. Logic tells me it was over 9 miles. Why can't I accept this victory, this milestone? I'm convinced that the ipod is wrong. It was probably only 5 miles and it was probably more like 120 minutes.
I want to accept my amazing distance and time, but I can't and that is annoying. Any other runner go through this self-doubt thing?
