(FIRST: This has been written over the course of 3 weeks, so there will be parts that are a bit outdated. So sorry).
If the internet was an accurate representation of activity, then it appears that I have almost completely ceased to exist over the last month and a half. Luckily, there are pictures to prove that I haven’t been completely void of activity.
We have gone kayaking.
We liked kayaking so much, we bought our own kayaks.
We have run along Lady Bird Lake in Austin, TX (which is really an amazing running trail).
We quacked on a Duck Tour of Austin, Tx.
We went hiking.
We saw some ancient ruins.
And I got called up to Jury Duty.
(We also saw MUMFORD, but I respect them enough to give them their own post…one of these days…).
But this is a running blog, and I haven’t been doing very much running which creates a bit of an existential crisis for this little piece of the internet.
Ever since I started training for my first half marathon two years ago, there hasn’t been a time where I wasn’t signed up for a race or training for something, so my life as I have come to know it has felt pretty off for the last month and a half.
The Garmin has been left uncharged, sitting dead now for probably 4 weeks on my dresser (UPDATE: The Garmin has been recharged). Runs have been sporadic and short, and untimed. And the laundry situation. I never realized how much less laundry I have when I’m not running all the time. And the hamper smells much better for it.
After the Boston Marathon, my main goal has been to completely heal and get myself back to those pre-marathon days where nothing ever hurt. As a result, I’ve run once, maybe twice a week (last week 3 times!) since Mid-April. It has been interesting. I haven’t run so little in more than two years, and I’ve realized how much I rely on running for so many aspects of life. I’ve gained weight (thank you, marathon training for making my body so dang efficient with the whole fuel storage thing), I’ve felt sluggish, and I really think that my overall disposition isn’t as happy as it was.
But my amount of free time has grown exponentially! (and sleeping in on Saturday is pretty cool).
But, even stranger was not having a single race to look forward to. Despite our best wishing and hoping efforts (and maybe some attempts at “eliminating” other lottery pool members…), neither Aaron or I were drawn for the New York City Marathon (curses upon all of you lucky people who stole our spots), so that possibility has been thrown out the window.
So, we went in a different direction and signed up for The Imogene Pass Run. This race is a 17.1 mile run starting in Ouray, Colorado that ascends up a 13,000+ mountain and goes almost all the way back down to end in Telluride.
This race has really become popular in recent years. Registration opened at 6:00 am on June 1st and was full less than 2.5 hours later (I think they accept 1500 participants). While I’m definitely excited to be running in what looks to be a beautiful and challenging race, I’m scared. I hate hills (I don’t know if I’ve emphasized that enough on this blog during my dramatic laments over Heartbreak Hill!), and the whole purpose of this race is to get up a really big one.
We haven’t quite started our training yet (Coach Aaron is making me a bit nervous with his timeline…), so I don’t know what it will look like exactly. There will be some long runs to get our endurance back up to the 17 mile range. There will be hill repeats because there will be lots and lots of uphill. We will hopefully get up to Colorado a few times this summer to train at elevation (and put our kayaks to use!). And Aaron said there will be “step-mill” sessions which makes me sad because I typically poke jokes at those people and their inability to walk up stairs without leaning all the way over onto the handle bars.
Suddenly, this is making my 10 baton-carrying miles through the middle of nowhere New Mexico on Saturday look easy. Luckily, so much has happened since I last discussed the One Run for Boston relay. We’ll now have a support crew, I’m picking up someone from Maine at the airport and driving him up with us so he can contribute FORTY FIVE miles to the relay, and our measly 90+ forecast is looking mighty cool compared the 114 that some runners faced in the Death Valley desert of California. Currently, the baton is somewhere near the Arizona/ New Mexico border, so our time is coming up soon! (I am hoping to post more about this on Friday, but considering my recent history, who knows!).
So, that is where we currently stand both in non-internet life and running. As you can see, you haven’t missed much!
So, now please tell me (because my blog reading has matched my blog writing), what has been your favorite life (or running) experience in the last month and a half?
