Run versus write

I was at a birthday party last weekend, when someone asked me about updating my running blog. Was I not running anymore? Why hadn’t I updated it in a while?

I asked myself, has it really been that long? And the answer is yes! Three months is way too long to go without updating my running blog!

It’s no secret that I bit off a bit more than I can chew in terms of work this year, and lately I don’t seem to have much time for any “leisurely” writing pursuits. The good news is, I HAVE found time to run.

I completed my second 10K clinic and, once again, there was no official 10K race happening in the area to match the end of the clinic. But the Running Room put on another race for us from the store, where I clocked in at 59:20. I had a bit of a rough run, running out of steam toward the end. I hadn’t been feeling great leading up to the race, which may explain my lack of energy.

I then signed up for a third 10K clinic. I am determined to run one “real” 10K race before moving on to the half marathon distance. I’ve signed up with the Mississauga 10K in May, and the past few weeks I have been working toward training for that race.

My training has been a bit off, though. I’ve only done one 10K run since March, and that was on a treadmill. I’ve been having some shin splints and foot pain, but I just bought a new pair of shoes which should help. I was beginning to wonder if the Nikes I was using weren’t the best shoes for me. This time around, I’ve chosen a pair of Mizunos, and I took them out for a spin this morning. They seem to be a lot more comfortable (minus the fresh blisters on my heels, mind you!)

The other big change I’ve made is skipping the Tuesday run. Instead, Mike and I have been going to “Boot Camp” at the YMCA. We get a babysitter and head to the gym every Tuesday night for a combined strength/cardio workout. It’s fun – and it’s been especially nice to share my newfound love of fitness with Mike. (Unfortunately, we have to wrap it up in May, because Mike starts ball hockey again on Tuesday nights. And I KNOW I won’t drag myself out of the house Tuesday nights when I can go for a run Tuesday mornings.)

So that, in a nutshell, is the past three months of training. I’ve decided I want to make it a point to blog a bit more. Every Sunday, after my long run, I’m going to try to write about the week’s training. I know that’s an ambitious goal, but so is running a marathon, right? There’s a lot of ground to cover, so to speak, and I’m going to try to cover it all.

Happy trails…