The weather has been amazing mellow recently, which is no good for us skiers this late in Dec but it is good for us runners. I like the brisk days that are bright and uplifting. I have needed that this week.
Suffice it to say, it has been a bit of a tough week. The Xmas holiday was a joy with lots of family, food and fun, all one could wish for. The let down after it was something else though, and up there with one other in the past that I remember being particularly difficult to take. After some intense drama in my own personal life, I was left a hollowed being, yet had to carry on with a day of commitments - hours in the hospital with dad for a fluid drain, my own appointments, and the emotional rollercoaster that I was on. I had to miss running on that day - even if I had wanted to, there wasn't time for it. Good thing I didn't really want to.
But I got out the next morning and it was a great morning to do it! It was bright and gorgeous, but warm enough for a single layer and no headband. I chose to do my Regal route, though was going from a different direction than usual so I just did it out and back, to insure I got as many hills as I could :)
It was serene and peaceful. There were deer and hawks. I was able to just be alone with my thoughts (and my beloved iPod). I wouldnt say it helped to clear my head, as there were too many thoughts for that to even be possible. But it did let me think them through one by one, try to understand what is going on, make sense of where I am right now. I won't say it fixed things but it gave me a couple new thoughts and maybe some clarity.
Things with dad are a bit worrisome right now. I don't know if there is too much new concern, from the medical side at least, but Dad is anxious and it is eating him up, I can tell. I hate to see his despair and nervousness. And I hate to think what, if anything, the new symptoms and issues could mean. In reality, it is a dose of perspective. Things are hard, but they are harder for him. And life is hard and complicated.
That is one of the reasons I love to run. Running, like life, has to be taken one step at a time, the road is long, but you will, at some point, come to the crest of the hill. Step by step, day by day, drop by drop. Keep going, don't give up, don't ever give up.
Friday, 30 December 2011
Monday, 19 December 2011
Natl Club XC race, amongst other stuff
I have gotten back into a groove a bit more and it feels good. It helps SO much having a group to run with and SR to run with most days - it really helps with the motivation factor!
So we had the Natl Club Cross Country race last weekend in Seattle - it was a good girl's weekend away! The running was tough, no doubt - I wasn't sure what to expect, given that I have only run UK XC in the past 20 years! The course was flat which suited me well, and the 'mud' that people complained a bit later was laughable given what I have run at Parliament Hill or any of those races!
The competition was stiff and some of those girls at the front were very, very fast (not like I ever saw them!). There were 265 finishers in our race, and I came 126 or something like that - so goes to show it was pretty fast. I felt pleased with my running overall - I did close to 6min mile pace, and only slowed about 10 seconds in the third mile versus the first. I ran with SR for the better part of the first lap and a half, and then I lost her, and she probably got a good 20m in front of me, but I managed to catch she and HC in the last lap so that we could finish right close to each other - it was good to have them to chase after!
I am pleased with how it went, and while it felt hard, it felt good to go fast since things haven't been at too fast of a pace much lately. I have been able to get on the track a couple time with SR but now it has been frosty and cold and I fear that if the snow doesn't come that will keep us off it, the slickness will. I dread the thought of being on the treadmill doing all of that stuff, but it is an inevitability at some stage, so I might as well get used to the idea now. In the meantime, I will just get outside as much as possible to keep it interesting!
The rest of the move home is going well and while I am still not totally settled, it is coming along. I manage to stay really busy despite not really having much to do, so I don't know how I ever fit in a job anyway! That being said, I am looking for some part-time work to help out a bit.
Dad is doing pretty well and is openly very pleased that I am here, and for good, which makes me feel good. We usually get to see each other most days and do errands and things - it helps keep us both from the mundane. He has been put on some antibiotics as he hasn't been feeling super hot - lung congestion and stuff - so hopefully that will knock it on the head. I am a bit worried since JM has mono and while I don't really mind so much if I get it, though it would be a huge nuisance, I worry about Dad getting it somehow. But we are both fairing well right now - I am not even sure he would know the difference, to be honest. But let's hope we can stay healthy (yes, it is a relative term).
So we had the Natl Club Cross Country race last weekend in Seattle - it was a good girl's weekend away! The running was tough, no doubt - I wasn't sure what to expect, given that I have only run UK XC in the past 20 years! The course was flat which suited me well, and the 'mud' that people complained a bit later was laughable given what I have run at Parliament Hill or any of those races!
The competition was stiff and some of those girls at the front were very, very fast (not like I ever saw them!). There were 265 finishers in our race, and I came 126 or something like that - so goes to show it was pretty fast. I felt pleased with my running overall - I did close to 6min mile pace, and only slowed about 10 seconds in the third mile versus the first. I ran with SR for the better part of the first lap and a half, and then I lost her, and she probably got a good 20m in front of me, but I managed to catch she and HC in the last lap so that we could finish right close to each other - it was good to have them to chase after!
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| No mud?? USATF Club Cross Country Championships, Jefferson Park Golf Course, Seattle, WA; Dec 10. (c) Mike Scott 2011. (c) Michael Scott 2011. |
The rest of the move home is going well and while I am still not totally settled, it is coming along. I manage to stay really busy despite not really having much to do, so I don't know how I ever fit in a job anyway! That being said, I am looking for some part-time work to help out a bit.
Dad is doing pretty well and is openly very pleased that I am here, and for good, which makes me feel good. We usually get to see each other most days and do errands and things - it helps keep us both from the mundane. He has been put on some antibiotics as he hasn't been feeling super hot - lung congestion and stuff - so hopefully that will knock it on the head. I am a bit worried since JM has mono and while I don't really mind so much if I get it, though it would be a huge nuisance, I worry about Dad getting it somehow. But we are both fairing well right now - I am not even sure he would know the difference, to be honest. But let's hope we can stay healthy (yes, it is a relative term).
Friday, 2 December 2011
On the road again
It has been a long hiatus for me, feels like both from the running and the blogging. I lost the energy on both for a while there.
After the marathon, the running came to a virtual standstill (no pun intended). Partly because I had to take a break after the race, partly I didn't have the time to run, and partly because I didn't have the energy. The three weeks after it were just a bit mental, wrapping up my London life. Packing up the last five years took some effort, both physically and mentally, and running wasn't really on the top of the list of priorities. I still tried to do some, to keep the pounds at bay, which I don't think really work, since I definitely had some indulgences. Either way, the effort wasn't really there, and I did feel a bit bad about it, and miss the competitiveness.
That is one thing I worry about - I do so much better with training and maintaining if I am aiming for something out there in the distance. If not, the effort just seems a bit futile or worthless sometimes, especially if I am doing the running on my own. I enjoy it, of course, most days, but it doesn't feel like I have to be out there slogging away, so it is easier to fob off the odd run here and there. So when I don't have that out there, I am sometimes wondering, 'What is the point?' It does help keep me sane though, so I guess that is a good enough reason.
But, the good news is that I am back in Spokane, and for good this time. I am excited about it for sure, and I was ready in many ways. It was sad to say goodbye, and I ran the gamut of emotions pretty much everyday, but I am certain about the move home and certain that it is for the right reasons. I was getting really excited at the end, which makes all of the tedium all the more so. I was sad to leave work, but not at the same time - some of the bureaucracy was just getting to be too much and I haven't really missed the day-to-day issues very much at all. Just the friends really. I am sure a couple weeks in, when I am a bit more settled, I will at least be missing the routine of it, as I like structure, but not just yet at least.
The first week and a half back here were about as mental as those before them - lots of rushing around, getting settled, trying to be an American in America again. All good, but stretched. Throw in the Thanksgiving holiday and trying to prepare part of a dinner for 13 and it added up. This week, though, things have slowed a bit, and let me get back into a serious running regime, at least, and that makes me feel good.
This week has been great, and I have been motivated. I have run with the Swifts twice, and that helps the morale for sure, especially when the run involves setting out at 5:30pm in the pitch black and cold - I wouldn't do that on my own, but doing it with them makes it so much more bearable, enjoyable even! I have also run the last four runs with SR, who is super good motivation and we are good at pushing each other. It is really helpful, and both of us have eluded to the fact that we 'wouldn't have run that hard on my own' - it is good to have a running buddy for sure, and I look forward to much more of it. I have also joined the gym (no more pretending to be my 45 year old stepmother) and am determined to focus more on the S&C stuff - I had gotten pretty decent about it last year, but need to get back into it. It will be fun, and easier with JM and LJ to go with.
So that is sort of where I am at - trying to get back into the groove, and trying to take advantage of being able to run outside for as long as possible before the snow comes. It is feeling good this week, so hope to keep it up. Watch this space.
After the marathon, the running came to a virtual standstill (no pun intended). Partly because I had to take a break after the race, partly I didn't have the time to run, and partly because I didn't have the energy. The three weeks after it were just a bit mental, wrapping up my London life. Packing up the last five years took some effort, both physically and mentally, and running wasn't really on the top of the list of priorities. I still tried to do some, to keep the pounds at bay, which I don't think really work, since I definitely had some indulgences. Either way, the effort wasn't really there, and I did feel a bit bad about it, and miss the competitiveness.
That is one thing I worry about - I do so much better with training and maintaining if I am aiming for something out there in the distance. If not, the effort just seems a bit futile or worthless sometimes, especially if I am doing the running on my own. I enjoy it, of course, most days, but it doesn't feel like I have to be out there slogging away, so it is easier to fob off the odd run here and there. So when I don't have that out there, I am sometimes wondering, 'What is the point?' It does help keep me sane though, so I guess that is a good enough reason.
But, the good news is that I am back in Spokane, and for good this time. I am excited about it for sure, and I was ready in many ways. It was sad to say goodbye, and I ran the gamut of emotions pretty much everyday, but I am certain about the move home and certain that it is for the right reasons. I was getting really excited at the end, which makes all of the tedium all the more so. I was sad to leave work, but not at the same time - some of the bureaucracy was just getting to be too much and I haven't really missed the day-to-day issues very much at all. Just the friends really. I am sure a couple weeks in, when I am a bit more settled, I will at least be missing the routine of it, as I like structure, but not just yet at least.
The first week and a half back here were about as mental as those before them - lots of rushing around, getting settled, trying to be an American in America again. All good, but stretched. Throw in the Thanksgiving holiday and trying to prepare part of a dinner for 13 and it added up. This week, though, things have slowed a bit, and let me get back into a serious running regime, at least, and that makes me feel good.
This week has been great, and I have been motivated. I have run with the Swifts twice, and that helps the morale for sure, especially when the run involves setting out at 5:30pm in the pitch black and cold - I wouldn't do that on my own, but doing it with them makes it so much more bearable, enjoyable even! I have also run the last four runs with SR, who is super good motivation and we are good at pushing each other. It is really helpful, and both of us have eluded to the fact that we 'wouldn't have run that hard on my own' - it is good to have a running buddy for sure, and I look forward to much more of it. I have also joined the gym (no more pretending to be my 45 year old stepmother) and am determined to focus more on the S&C stuff - I had gotten pretty decent about it last year, but need to get back into it. It will be fun, and easier with JM and LJ to go with.
So that is sort of where I am at - trying to get back into the groove, and trying to take advantage of being able to run outside for as long as possible before the snow comes. It is feeling good this week, so hope to keep it up. Watch this space.
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