Recovering, assessing and a 5K TT

Anyone who reads this blog should know that any time I don't post for a while I am either injured (knock on wood, not the case this time) or conflicted (about running!). After the winter season that was not - due to 2 races that were cancelled - I knew I had to rest a bit. I had a few niggles that needed to go away. I also had a mind that did not want to try anymore. I took about 2 weeks off of training. I ran almost daily but as long as I wanted, with no structure and no watch. I let go. I thought things over. I listened to podcasts. I listened to my thoughts. I thought about choices, priorities, goals, desires, you know, the big things. Here is the scoop. This will never be one of those "open book" blogs. I censor myself here for various reasons, most important being that I want to create happy memories. I believe that we create our own memories in many different ways - how we think, what we do, and also what we choose to write about. This may not be for everyone, but it is for me. I want to look back at this public journal years from now and remember the good runs, the races, the beautiful runs. I want to put a positive spin on everything in my life, and I want to train my mind to remember the positives.

Lately I have been doing some "happy running". Last week I did a 5K TT in 20:09. It was very controlled, not all out, with a very slow first mile bc I had not done any 5K specific training in many many months. Then I went to the track twice. Today I ran another 5K TT, on the track in 18:28:59, 5:56 pace. It was hard. I vomited at the end (not as much as I did on Monday during the 3x1mile @ 5:45). I was happy. I wanted to break 19 in the 5K for so long. Although this is not an official time, and the track is much faster than the road, today I did not care. Today I felt strong. And many hours later my legs feel strong and happy, niggle free. The rest of me is exhausted, as I usually am at the end of a full day.

More happy will follow tomorrow. My good friend, one of the special ones who "gets me" is coming to Boston for a few days. Then Saturday another friend, quite an opposite to myself in some sense, but one very, very close to my heart is coming over again. It's been too long since I've seen them both and I can't wait. Then Monday I get to watch the Boston marathon. I am happy I am not running it this year. I am nervous for a couple of truly inspirational runner that are close to my heart, and can't wait to see them run strong on Monday.

Here is to my favorite Boston Marathon 2013 runners; Katie, Tia, Amanda, Robin, Kristina...and everyone else I might have forgotten. The chorus is for you!