Last week I reported that I’d had a bust for training. Good intentions, road to hell, etc. I vowed to do better. I even had a running partner for Tuesday and Thursday morning!
Then it got cold. People north of Texas are laughing at me, but I looked at this forecast and said no way am I running 3 miles and then another six.
The baby got sick with croup and ear infections, which meant no sleep for parents, which meant that I voted for a nap on Sunday instead of a six mile run on the treadmill. I really did have good intentions (road to hell, etc.) and was even going to take along the iPad to the gym to watch a movie or something to get me through 6 miles at my slow pace.
Didn’t happen.
In the interests of moving on, though, I will say that my two-day mileage was more than what my 3 day mileage used to be, even as recently as this summer. So yay for progress.
This week’s running forecast is the same as last week’s:
I have always (in my very long running career of not that long) been a solitary runner. If I had company, it was usually one or two of the babies, in a stroller, rolling along with me.
Adult run company has pretty much been restricted to my husband Will. He runs a lot faster than I do, but it sweet enough to slow down and run my pace so we can do the occasional run together. He even takes the heavier of the two strollers so it’ll slow him down more.
(I think he likes me.)
I can count on one hand the number of runs I’ve done with other people. One in September that was so incredibly spectacular it will live forever in my running memory. One in October that was so incredibly hellacious that I’m glad a friend was there to get me through it. One this morning that was just NICE.
Will, Jude, and I were in DC this past September for a business trip, and we decided to take a few extra days to visit with friends and family. Two of those friends, Jenn and her husband, happen to be runners, happen to be great people, and said, “Hey … do you want to run with us tomorrow before you fly out?” Considering that we were experiencing some of the greatest weather ever and it was 20-30 degrees cooler than Houston, we were all over it. There was also the promise of running by places like this:
Jefferson Memorial with Will and JudeWashington Monument & Tidal Basin
We don’t really have scenery like that for our runs at home. (Also, we know that’s not a jogging stroller. We hadn’t actually intended to run together or with Jude on this trip.)
It was great. It wasn’t just great, it was PHENOMENAL.
Good conversation – which I didn’t even think was possible while running – good tips and pointers shared, and that runners pride of “I just did that!” magnified by “Hey – WE just did that!”
Exhilarated at finishing this great run
In October, I did a local 5K with some friends from work. It could not have been more opposite in terms of environment, but that same fun of conversation, connection, and pride was there for me. The temperatures were AWFUL, the humidity was over 90%, and we practically got heat stroke from running a simple 5K. I lost a full minute on average pace because of the temperature upswing. Ugh. But I ran/walked that 5K with a good friend, and we got 40 minutes of talking and sharing that we wouldn’t otherwise have had.
Still, I hesitated about sharing that precious alone time that comes with running.
When another friend texted me Monday night to see if I was a) running on Tuesday morning and b) could she join me, I was like, “Aw, man … that means I actually have to get up.” And I had that fear of “what about my ALONE TIME?!?”
Guess what.
I got more alone time because I actually DID get up instead of staying in bed.
We ran/walked our ways to each other, we did part of our run/walk together, then ran/walked our ways home.
It was – again – great. The miles went faster, the intervals didn’t seem quite a tedious, and we BOTH got that “Hey, WE DID IT, SUCKERS!” feeling.
I’ve been posting my workouts automatically, but at least for December I’m going to try posting a look back at the week and a look ahead, running-wise. Yoga-wise, too, if I manage to add something else in.
Guess what?! That definitely didn’t happen this week. I’m on a Beginner Half Marathon training plan through Runkeeper, and this week was supposed to be 3 miles, 4 miles, 3 miles, and then a 6 mile long run on Sunday. Will and I were going to do our own little virtual Turkey Trot, it was going to be great. Let’s check the records for what actually happened:
Saturday: “Decaf” peppermint mocha at 9pm wasn’t decaf
Sunday: Finally fell asleep around 4, then woke up with the kids. Back to sleep around 8? 9?
Yeah, that whole running thing didn’t work. So this week looks like:
Tues: 3 miles
Thurs: 4 miles
Sat: 3 miles
Sun: 6 miles
We’ll see how this goes. We’re signed up for the Galveston Half Marathon on February 16, as well as my Disney World 10K for Homes for Our Troops on January 10. Time to get busy running again!
Yesterday I had a “goofy” idea for Thanksgiving day. Will and I had talked about doing a Turkey Trot locally but never signed up for one. We wanted to do a 10K, but the local 10Ks say to not bring jogging strollers. I was kind of bummed about that because I started running (five years ago) with the Jingle Bell Run as my first race. It was a 5K, though, so I can understand a more competitive 10K not wanting to have a clogged course.
ANYWAY.
I asked Will if he’d do a 10K with me as a virtual Turkey Trot on Thursday morning! It’s a little goofy to get up on a day you don’t have to get up so you can go run 6 miles. It’s goofy to drag your husband and possibly the kids along with you, right? Well, he’s also goofy and that’s why I love him.
But here’s the better part:
We’re going to run our virtual 10K as a fundraiser for Homes For Our Troops! They’re the charity I’m running for in January at Disney, and they’re about to kick off Twelve Days of Homes in December. They’ll turn over the keys to new, adapted house to 12 of the veterans they’ve been working with!
Also: I’m no longer in the top 10 for fundraising. Can’t have that, you guys! (I may be just a little bit competitive.)
Also the second … a while ago, the kids were watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse the other day (one of Jude’s new favorites!) and dancing around to the “Hot Dog” song. Full disclosure: I was dancing to the “Hot Dog” song too. I particularly like the Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse moves.
ANYWAY.
I saw Goofy being – well – goofy, and I had to make another running costume. Don’t worry! I’m still going to be Sofia the First at the WDW 10K in January! I just had to make this one.
