Half Way through the Plan

Today marks the half-way point in my 8 week training program. I cannot believe I jogged 7 miles today. I do see subtle changes in my body. I do not hate running as much as I thought I did four weeks ago. A few things I've learned over the past four weeks:

• My knees are getting used to the pounding as they no longer ache, even early in my runs. My ankles now feel a bit tender, but just a bit. Maybe it takes time for the body and the mind to settle into running. Maybe it takes four weeks to break in shoes. Maybe both are true.
  
• Runners are very focused. Very few of them make eye contact with those that they pass on the trail. Most seem to be looking at the pavement about 6 feet in front of them and to be focused exclusively on their run.
  
• Runners hold their bodies in different ways. Some folks hold their torsos up very straight with their shoulders directly above their hips and their chests open; others seem to lean forward a bit with their shoulders more rounded. I've played around with both and find that I can breath easier and go farther, though at a slower pace, with my torso straight and shoulders back.
  
• For the first time today I found a pace I could stick with for a long (well, long for me) time. I found that if I trot along at a pace of ~9.5m/mile I can keep going for over 2 miles without stopping.
• While it is counter-intuitive to me, stopping to rest -- even speed walking for a bit, makes continued running harder, not easier. For some reason it is easier and more comfortable to find that zone I mention above and just keep on going...

I've now run as far as I'll need to for the first race I've scheduled. Over the next four weeks I'll increase my long run to 11 miles in preparation for the half marathon. I find it hard to imagine running 11 miles, but if I've made it this far ...