This past weekend I ran a pretty great half marathon. Prior to the race I had lost a fair bit of motivation and desire to run. I dropped off to pretty minimal training and was a grouchy and not very inspired runner. Then race day came along and the sun was shining and the weather was great and I felt the same old race day feelings I always feel. I ran a really good race! I knew my fitness level well enough to know that I wasn’t going to smash any personal bests (Will I ever get a 1:50 Half!?), but it was a pleasant surprise to make the time I assumed I would and to hold a steady and comfortably-hard pace, and not fade out or totally bonk two thirds in.
Post race, my intentions were to get back to the gym and to yoga and get working to bring my body back to a fitness level and composition I feel more comfortable with (*wordy way of saying I’m getting fat and weak and I’m not loving it). So I wrote my training plan and was all gung ho, then Monday evening I got a scratchy throat and woke up Tuesday with a cold of some sort that gripped my body with aches and gave me a sore throat and other annoying symptoms that actually made me take a sick day from work and be house bound. I am not a good sick person. I don’t rest well. I did household stuff and puttered, but was down and out.
Wednesday I tested the waters with an easy bike ride and paid for it the remainder of the day with exhaustion. I thought I felt better yesterday but as smoke filled the city air and the symptoms changed, I now have a froggy voice and some lingering body aches. The best laid plans! So much for getting back to the gym and being ripped and strong next week! I am motivated to train again and that feels good. I am just stabled and waiting to saddle up.
I have been very inspired lately, from talking to people about weight lifting and their endeavors. I’ve massaged some ladies who are new to weights and it reminds me of my passion for it and how great I felt when I got my deadlift up to 200 pounds, or actually saw progress in my deltoid growth. I miss my glorious home gym and the ease of that. But none the less, it has made me want to get my butt back! (Literally and figuratively)
A funny thing happens to me when I think I don’t want to run right now…I want to run right now. I get an email about the early bird prices of a race I do every year, going up and I immediately think “I’d better register for that!” I discuss a trip to Victoria in the fall and immediately think “The Victoria marathon is in October, we should go around that time.” Smoke fills the air and I wonder how much it’ll bother me (even with lung congestion and a voice that makes me sound far sicker than I actually feel)! It’s like you can take a girl from running but you can’t take running from the girl!
I will try and stick with my plan to get back to lifting, and focus on biking, and run when I want to; not because it’s part of a training plan. But as there are many months and many races left this year, I guess I should be prepared for the potential that I may sign up for some race on a whim, like buying some tempting product off an infomercial that seemed like a good idea at the time.
Periscopecake 