Well, where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday I was prepping for Christmas, house guests, and the New Year. Now it is already the 13th of January and so much has happened in the last few weeks.
Lets review the last few weeks very briefly:
Completed 1/2 marathon #5. It was a slower time then usual, but I enjoyed it just as much as all the others, if not a little more. The reason you may ask? Because I had the privilege of completing it with my wonderful twin sister and her husband. She did great and I may have converted another Mother Runner! Okay, she may have more passion for other sports, but she did go home and sign up for another 1/2 to see if she can do better. I know she can!
After that visit I started planning out my 2014 race schedule and training plan. On tap so far for this year - Hot Chocolate 15K in March with hubby, Ragnar Relay So Cal with team of friends from all over the country, and the AMR Virtual 1/2 Marathon in May. Also contemplating another 1/2 in July. I am sure there will be some 5K or maybe 10K's thrown in. Also need something in the fall to keep me going.
Some may look at my plans and think I am crazy, and maybe I am. However, I have learned if I have something to train for I will keep it going. If my schedule is clear I get lazy.
Now, lets move on to the idea of training for all these events. Anyone that has talked to me knows I LOVE to talk about running. However, I always clarify that I am a Run/Walker. Until this year I have rarely run more than 5 minutes without a walk break of at least a minute. My times are slow but decent and I get the races done in the time required.
At this last 1/2 Marathon I realized that not coming in last was not a good enough goal for me any more. I am tired of coming in at the back of the pack. There is no real reason why I can't step up my game and be at least in the middle. I know I will never by a top 10 Finisher, I am just not that into speed. What I can do to increase my speed is cut out the walk breaks.
So, as I start this new training plan for the May 1/2 Marathon, Ragnar, and the 15K I am also slowly taking out the walk breaks. I have discovered a whole new endorphin rush and pride as I increase the time that I run with no walk breaks.
I have been working for a few weeks to increase my time running as I have been doing work outs on the treadmill. For various reasons I have not had any road runs for the past 2 weeks. Most of that is just because I am NOT a morning person. I am a wimp and the idea of running in the dark at 39 degrees is not the way to get me out of bed at 5 AM. So, I have been sticking to the garage treadmill. On Sunday I decided no excuses. I got my nice toasty warm body out of bed a little earlier than normal and hit the road. (I also knew I would need a little extra patience for the beach and watching 4 kids on my own while the dads surfed). It was a brisk 40 degrees outside, but it felt wonderful. I was paranoid that all the treadmill training had fooled me, because lets face it the treadmill can be a little easier than the road. Thank you rotating belt. I almost always set the incline to 1 so it similates the road a little more, but still not the same. However, I really found my rythym and felt great. I ran down and up hills and just kept running. I refused to walk until I reached that 2 mile mark! I ran for about 4 miles and felt great afterwards.
I am finally coming to the conclusion that I AM A RUNNER. There is no need to qualify that with I am a run/walker. I am a RUNNER and I can do anything that I set my mind to! Bring on the PR's this year! I feel them coming!!! I may never be a 8:30min/mile runner. But I can definitely be faster than I have been, and who knows, maybe someday I can keep with my faster friends and suprise myself yet again!
