I Wanna Run!

I just want to run.  And it's hard because I have this job and these kids and other stuff I'm supposed to do.  But the days are getting longer which means there is more light in the morning and that is the time I love best.  Last year I ran 2 marathons in the span of five months.  This was a bad idea. Especially since I trained really hard for the second one. Too hard.  I totally burnt myself out.  And that last marathon sucked.  I don't have another full marathon in me right now and I'm not sure I ever will.  I hope so, but I'm not sure.  So my friend Michelle and I are going to run a 2-person relay in the Vermont City Marathon this May.  That venue was my very best marathon ever when I ran it last year, both in terms of time and pure pleasure.  It's a beautiful course and the crowd support is legendary.  

I think training for a Half will be a nice compromise between the "resting" (i.e. sluggishness) of the past few months and a full-tilt boogie to 26.2.  I think I could run 13 miles right now if I wanted to, but to do well, I'll need to train.  I'll start training in earnest in a couple weeks, but I've recently started to gradually increase my mileage.  And it has reminded me how much I love to run; how much I NEED to run.  I ran 8 miles on Monday, which is about the longest I've gone since last September's marathon.  It made me happy.  I'm happiest, in general, in life, when I'm running regularly and at least slightly longer distances than 4 or 5 miles.  There is something about being out running for more than an hour that is especially healing to my mind, body and soul.  I can't really explain it, but something clicks for me with the longer distance.  Maybe I just require that much time out on the roads or trails to really detach and let go of the things that are hard in life. I need it and I'm so grateful that I can do it.