Success on Sunday

I have several successes to share with you this Sunday (technically, it's Monday, but I haven't gone to sleep yet, so I'm still on Sunday)!

1. For starters, this week, I signed up for my first half marathon. It was quite daunting to pay $80 for a race for which I have much training left to do by March. However, today was successful in that I accomplished my longest run ever -- 7 miles -- really getting serious about that training. While on that run, I enjoyed exploring a path I hadn't been on before and found this lovely trail just over two miles away from my house...

The last few longer runs I've done, I'm noticing a change in my endurance. I feel like I can run without stopping to walk much if I just keep a steady pace and really focus on my breathing. I still hit some rough spots during the runs and have to talk myself up to keep going, but two miles now feels easy after seeming nearly impossible for so long. It gives me hope that I'm capable of and will be ready to run the 13.1 in a few months.

2. Another success this week: My parents. They've done a fabulous job counting calories and working out since Thursday. I've got my mom to try quinoa, chia seeds and several other healthy foods she hadn't tried before. I introduced my dad to some workouts, including the kettlebell swing.

Basically, they made the decision to jump aboard the healthy train, and I'm so excited to see where the ride takes them! :)

3. Finally, my blog! I put a lot of thought into how I plan to keep myself accountable to writing posts, and even had my dad take some cool pics to go with the new name -- "Runs with Pearls."

So now the rain has begun to fall and I do believe this weather is the perfect kind to fall asleep listening to, so I'm going to hit the hay and get rested up for another week of success -- and please let me know in the comments below what successes you've encountered this week!