So not only have I been on hiatus for a bit, but it seems like that "bit" was longer than I realized. Endomondo indicates I only ran one time each month during July and August, and I don't think I've been to the gym in all that time, either. I had no races scheduled, though, and it was summer--full of vacations, and fun, and HEAT.
This weekend, though, the temperature dropped to a very reasonable high-of-90, meaning it was actually in the 80s most of the day. I didn't even need the air conditioning in my car--I could roll the windows down instead! Between the comfortable temperatures and the knowledge that September means my goruck challenge is now a mere 6 or so weeks away, I found myself much more motivated to dig out my running shoes and get back to it.
I also went to breakfast this weekend, where I saw a postcard advertising a 10-mile run a month from now and thought, "Hey, why not? I've always wanted to do a longer race..." While the longest distance I'd run so far this year has been four miles, and the only runs I've done recently (meaning in the last two months) were shorter than that, I figured "pajama run" and "pancakes at the finish" sounded fun, and therefore 10 miles was totally a reasonable distance to sign up for. Plus, if I registered for a 10-mile race, I might feel obligated to actually run in preparation for it, which would undoubtedly be a good idea from the point of view of Impending Goruck Challenge. (The pancake run people do offer a 5k as well, but since I can apparently knock out that distance without running even one block in the entire month leading up to it, I figured that wouldn't be enough motivation to get me training again.)
So last night I set out to do four miles, but decided two miles into it that five would be a better number as then I'd be able to just add one mile each week and I'd be close enough to 10 miles by race day. So I ran five. How the HECK this was possible when--again--I hadn't run so much as one block for weeks--I will never know. But I did it, and so now the plan is to squeeze a couple shorter runs in during the week and then do 6 miles next weekend. I have to get up at 5 am for work these days and don't tend to feel like doing much besides flopping in the evenings, so I'm not making any promises about those mid-week runs.
What I have made a promise about, amazingly enough, is softball! The last season finished with my team somehow in the championship game. We lost, but to be #2 in the (rec) league was pretty impressive...and even more impressively, I learned how to actually hit the ball at some point during the season. So when the subject of the fall season was raised, I volunteered to play again. Our new team has some returning players and some new ones, and I am excited to report I am no longer the worst nor the most clueless member of the team. I've also discovered I might actually LIKE softball...who knew?
I also have my eye on the Rock and Roll half marathon in November, but using my own logic and not the kind that is actually logical, I don't want to sign up for it until I know I can do it. Meaning I will see how training for this 10-mile run goes, and if I survive the 10 miles, then I'll know I can probably tack on another 3 and not die. I think most people commit to a race like this and then train for it...but I don't want to fork over that kind of money while I'm still on the fence. I pretty much just want the medal, and the little "13.1" window cling I'll be entitled to if I run a half, and training for a half marathon is a pretty big price to pay for a window cling. So...we'll see how the 10-mile run goes first. That one I'm doing pretty much just for the pancakes, and to say I did it, though, so running for a window cling is probably a likely future pursuit--if not this year, then next. I do things for strange reasons, what can I say...but whatever it takes to get me out there, right?
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