It doesn’t get easier, you just go faster.
– Greg LeMond
I went out for my 3-miler this morning, and immediately felt crappy. My legs didn’t feel like they were waking up, and there was a general tired-ness about the whole affair. I knew two minutes in that this wasn’t going to be one of those enjoyable runs that comes around every now and then. Nope – I had a slog on my hands.
I’ve been thinking lately about an upcoming running / racing schedule. Back in 2013, I had my goal of running an event in every month, with a couple of big, checkbox, kind of events out in the future (Ragnar Tennessee, RnR Va Beach Half Marathon). Those things helped motivate me, and I got enough nerve up to register for a full marathon. Though my nerve got me to register, my brain didn’t compute all of the variables. I made it through my 16-mile long run before I realized I’d never be able to get all of my training in during the winter. Early spring marathons, it turns out, are really tough for people that live where it snows and gets cold. So instead of attempting the full, I switched my registration to the half marathon. I let the goal get away despite the fitness level.
But the goal didn’t die. It exists. I’ve got my half marathon in January, just registered for a 10K in April (Star Wars – The Dark Side Half Marathon weekend at Disneyworld), and then … nothing planned. But I will be checking that marathon box. My parents taught me (quite literally) that when you fall off a horse, you have to get right back on – for your sake and the horse’s. I’m back on the horse. Fall of 2016 – here I come.
This all ran through my mind as I was slogging through a random Thursday 3-miler. The zombies made me run hard just once, and so I was able to let it wander. And then I got back to the house and checked my pace. It was still slower than I know I’ll be able to run – but it was the fastest run I’ve done since I quit running last July. It sucked because I was running “fast”.
I’ll take it.
A Constant State of Hunger 