Hi everyone,

I'm still a fairly new runner. A little background on me... I'm almost 25, and I actually began running (for the first time in my life) in January 2010 because I decided on a whim to run the ING Georgia Half Marathon with a few friends of mine. I used the Hal Higdon beginner's half training plan. Because I was basically starting from nothing, every training run felt like a success, and the race itself was a great experience. My time was 2:18:34, which I was happy about. Since then, I've only run a handful of 5Ks, race-wise.

This January, I began training again for the same half, which will be on March 20th. Training this year has honestly been horrible for me, mostly because I have struggled constantly with negative self-talk. I run between a 9 and 10 minute mile, but can't seem to push myself to do long runs lately. One reason is because I have had frequent pain in my lower, inner calves. I got new shoes (Asics Gel Cumulus 12), and am wondering if that may be the reason. Last year I trained and ran in Asics Gel Nimbus 11s... so maybe the new shoes are less supportive.

Anyway, my longest run thus far has been 5.5 miles. The longest run I did last year prior to the half was 7.3 miles, and that was on a treadmill. I have been running outside much more frequently this year. Do you think that there is any way that I can be ready for the half in time, and does anyone have advice on how to combat my internal negativity? I am so tired of doubting myself, and really miss enjoying my daily runs.