Finally!

I'm finally back to post something. I need to stay on this better. I actually think it helps my mindset to be diligent about it. But there has been another reason I haven't been posting. I've been in something of a post-failed-marathon funk. No surprise. Add to that being laid off from my job, and it simply made matters worse. But I finally think I'm over that hill, and ready to resume.

So, for the past 4 weeks, I've done a pretty minimal amount of running. I topped out with a 38-mile week, but most were in the 25-range. Mostly from a lack of entusiasm, some from a feeling of sluggishness during every run. So last week, I ran a VERY light workload. Did I run 20 miles? Maybe. No more than 25, for sure. But more importantly, I feel mentally ready to go out and run, and be active. Had a good soccer match on Monday night, wound up not running last night b/c of the torrential downpour we had, and ran this morning. Was going to run again tonight, but I ate way too much for dinner. I'll just call it a night, and do 2 runs tomorrow instead. Additionally, I signed up for my first 5K of the summer. Saturday morning at the VOA, on behalf of the Tri-State Parkinson's Foundation. Seeing as my dad suffers from this, it seemed like a no-brainer to sign up. I don't expect to PR. It'll likely be a grass course, with potentially a major hill. Don't know the exact course setup. I'll try and get under 23:00.

I've also tentatively decided to run the Indianapolis Marathon on 11/07, so I have plenty of time to get ready for it. This time, failure is not an option. I don't care how I cross the finish line. Fast, slow, crawling, skipping, whatever. But I will get there, under my own power. My ego got left somewhere between mile 14 and 22 at the Flying Pig.

Something else I've learned over the past 4 weeks...I'm very much someone who needs to have a running plan ahead of time. I'm just not nearly as good about my training when I just "wing it" and run however and whatever I feel like. I need the structure that comes with a schedule. So over the next few days, I plan to lay out the next couple of months of running, and posting it on my calendar here at home. That way I know ahead of time what I'm expecting of myself that day. I also find I'm better about my food choices on a particular day when I know I have tough run yet to do. Will use Tim Noakes', Lore of Running to help develop something that I think I can accomplish, and that will have me ready for Indy.

On the job front, I'm looking, but no real bites yet. Expanding my search. Hopefully that will bear some fruit. At this point, I'm a bit nervous. In about 4 weeks, I'll be stupid-nervous.

It's good to be back posting here.