Still searching...

Friday after Thanksgiving I got up early and headed to the old training trail. The morning was icy cold, clear, still. The park was pretty empty. It felt fantastic to run the trail in the crisp morning air. I felt like I was visiting an old dear friend. There were a fair number of runners out on the trail. I got about 6.5 miles in. It was really nice to be running on ground instead of the treadmill. I think back on on the miles I was running each week, and it feels like it was all a dream. I am running about 1/3 of that now. I am worried I will lose some of my gained strength and stamina. I am not big on running in the pouring rain, which is what our winters are made of. But I also came to the conclusion on Friday when out, that I really miss and need those outdoor longer runs. They keep me feeling centered and restore the peace in my soul.

Running and Burnout

It has been one month since the marathon. I am a little disappointed in our team. We were supposed to have a victory party locally and it never happened. Now with the rush of the holiday season it seems that it will probably never occur. I would have loved to get together one final time to put closure on this big adventure.

I have been feeling a bit let down, and running has been sporadic. My heart and soul haven't been in it lately. I have been running - making myself run at least 3 times a week, but the joy has been absent. I feel great after, but it is a bit different. I am sure it is burnout.

I have added a little bit of cross training to see if that helps. I have been biking, rowing, and yesterday was so gorgeous I walked outside for a little over an hour.

Friday I am going to see if I can get a decent long run in on the Inter Urban trail while my son has his final drive for driver's ed. That will give me an hour to run outside in the cold sun. I am looking forward to it.

I feel like I am floundering a bit without a huge specific goal in front of me, and with no set training schedule or group to keep me motivated. I have not always been so good at the self motivation thing.

I signed up for our local Jingle Bell Run on Dec. 7. It is a 4 mile quick run. I am hoping that will put the joy back in my steps.

Running Again

I am running again. I feel kind of blah and am experiencing a little bit of procrastination. I ran 3 days this week for a total of 15 miles. I also swam one day and rode a bike the other day. I am not experiencing any muscle fatigue or soreness. I am mentally not feeling the love for running or exercising in general. I am sure it is because I don't have a long term goal to be hyper focused on - like the marathon. I did sign up for the local Jingle Bell Fun Run. I need to have some things to look forward to participating in to keep me going. I don't want to take a bunch of time off. I like how physically fit I am right now, and I don't want to lose any of that.

I am though looking forward to having a weekend at home with absolutely no plans and no commitments. It is the first weeken since May that I am not committed to a long run and/or other obligations getting me up and out the door at 6:30 AM. It is very exciting.