Oh hi there

I apologize for my extended absence.  Running and blogging have taken a backseat as I’ve struggled with motivation.

While on the surface I may have seemed to be finding my groove again with running, there were still days when I couldn’t get it together to get out there.  And most frustratingly of all, I have not been able to bring myself to sign up for a race of any distance.  The sheer weight of expectation is holding me back.

So I’ve continued along, coaching, parenting and digging out from under the last 20 years of parenting.  I’ve tackled a lot of home-improvement projects, and found comfort in cooking for my family.

The whirlwind of the last couple of decades is winding down, so central to my life right now is picking up the pieces and figuring out what’s next.  And for whatever reason, running marathons isn’t on the top of my list  (I don’t rule out jumping into one before the summer arrives).

I have randomly jumped into a few marathon workouts in the last few weeks to see how my fitness is coming along.  This after spending most of the winter months training aimlessly for the 5K.

Surprisingly, things have gone well.  The limiting factor for me, at this point, is lack of consistency and mileage.

I am running around 50 miles per weeks, give or take.  I generally do a fast track workout every two weeks, a tempo every two weeks and a hilly trail run almost every week.  Though that might not sound like a “plan,” it is what I need right now to hold onto some fitness and stave off burnout.

My long runs have been run around 8:20-8:30 pace.  Steady states are around 7:12, LT around 6:40-6:50, depending on terrain.  Somehow, I am running track repetitions at paces that I haven’t been able to touch in years.

Still, this doesn’t necessarily point to PR’s, since I am running lower mileage and am likely more rested than I have been for workouts in years.

I have also tried to keep up a few days a week of strength training, so that I don’t fall back into the injury loop.

Overall, this journey has been interesting for a few different reasons.  First of all, certainly what is going on in our lives has an affect on training, no matter how much we deny it.  When I feel stressed and overwhelmed, I tend to run more.  I need to train harder, and results mean more.

When the dust settles, I have to find different reasons to get out the door.  And I think that’s where I’ve been the last six months. Finding that drive has been challenging.

Additionally,  I have wanted to spend my resources in other areas of my life.  I am appreciating having a settled, relaxing environment;  spending more time creating that has been important.

As far as blogging goes, I’m not ready to cut the leash entirely.  I’ve felt ready before, but I think that the benefits of sticking with it in some capacity outweigh the alternative.

I sometimes shy away from sharing, as I read so much about how it can backfire or mislead.  I struggle with the nature of doing this, as it can seem either self-absorbed or worse.

For now, though I don’t know how often, I will soldier on.

Talk soon.