Steep Ravine

Well, except for forking over the money to register, I've chosen my next running challenge and my first exciting goal for 2016: A Steep Ravine 10K trail run. It's a brutal 3 miles up, so the 3 miles back down can only be delightful. My practice races during my half-marathon training were trail runs and I loved them. I had wanted to do this same course several weeks ago, but I wasn't running consistently and I knew I couldn't be ready in time. At least not to my liking. Lo and behold, here's a repeat event and I think I better do it. What a way to start the new year! I better pay the money and commit. Next? Choose a training program to keep me on target! I may repeat some early weeks of my No BS Run Club schedule since I KNOW that works for me. 

This post first appeared on Running Commentary

Running Commentary

At the beginning of March I wrote THIS post about my false start with running. Well, I was a good girl and I did my PT and started feeling stronger, but some of the exercises caused me extra knee pain, and it all began to feel like a chore. So, I switched to a regimen of yoga+hiking+cycling and felt happy and athletic again. My knee was not so grumpy. I felt like I wanted to set a big fitness goal and get involved with some sort of group training or coaching. Originally I thought about a triathlon since I am having so much fun riding my bike, but then I decided to keep it simple. I would start with just running, make sure my knee was on board, and get reacquainted with racing. Maybe a little 5K or two. That was the vague idea in March, and now that my injuries were on the mend, I could stick to the plan...

Then I read about The No BS Run Club.

I always sort of blew off the idea of a half marathon because it seems soooo long. I wasn't sure I could do it, or that I wanted to do it, or that I should do it. I didn't even consider it until a few of my people started running them. And then it became something that I shouldn't do because everyone else was doing it. But something about that No BS Run Club hit me in the heart at just the right time. 

So I signed up, and it's going so well. I'm running a 5K next weekend. I'm running my first half marathon in July. I want all the running clothes and all the running everything. I want to be a runner. I AM a runner. 

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Newish Year

Larrabee State Park, WA

It's halfway through February, and I think I am finally ready to say Happy New Year and make some goals and plans for 2015. There have already been so many lovely moments: a lot of giggles, hugs, sights, good food, and important time with family & friends. I've made an effort to exercise, read, and spend time outdoors. But there have also been illnesses, uncertainty about if, when, and where we might settle, financial questions, and just general overthinking and stressing out about all the everything. The ups and downs have challenged my brain and body the last two months, culminating in a big, fat, 2-year-old-style, all-day, crying tantrum last week. For real. I couldn't pull it together that day. I can't change what happened, but it was another 'woah' moment that tells me (again) I need to take better care of myself. 

With that in mind, I feel I can't quite get a grasp on how to "do" this year, whether to make ambitious goals and plans, or just continue quietly and somewhat safely moment to moment. Be satisfied with things as they are, or make big changes? Or should I aim somewhere in between? 

I'm curious, what are your top goals for the year? Are they bold or gentle? Complicated or basic?

listen to myself...or don't?

 Yesterday I gave my mom some advice during a quick text chat. She's training for her first full marathon but is running into some injury obstacles, which make her worry about achieving her marathon goal. I told her its okay to be flexible with the details...if she has to walk instead of run or if she has to pick a different marathon date, that's okay, she still will achieve her goal of finishing a marathon. Focus on the good, look on the bright side, etc etc. I felt very wise.

 A few weeks ago I came across a long forgotten  list of goals I wrote 9 years ago. I got kind of sad because I had forgotten the goals, did nothing to work toward them, and I felt I hadn't achieved any  of them. Granted, I have changed, and life has changed, and some of the goals I've tackled in part...But I should listen to my own advice. Be flexible with the details. Be positive about what you have achieved. Be willing to revisit and modify your plans. Work around the things you can't control.

 Or am I full of it? I don't know...do you think this is good advice or bad? I think it's good, but then a little part of me wonders if it's just justifying excuses out of fear of failure. Is it better to set super specific goals? Or, like most things, is there no simple answer? Long term life goals can't be treated the same as small project goals...can they?