This was the first virtual I did that was in conjunction with a live race. One awesome thing about this race is that it was completely sponsored, so all the money from entries could go to the cause. Pretty awesome!! The shirt, bib and medal are all great quality. And there were other little goodies included in the packet I was mailed. First rate job on the part of the race directors!
As for my race here in Ohio (the live race took ace in Oregon) well, it was so much better than I thought it was going to be. It's been very warm and humid here, and I woke up feeling not the best. But I had set my date and that was what I was sticking with. I started with a little foam rolling (they had talked about doing this as part of your warm-up on Anotherother Runner) and headed out the door, Nike+ ready, playlist chosen. I started off thinking "light, short, quick" over and over. I was hoping for a decent time, and was going to make the best of this race. I'm not quite sure what clicked on me, but as I was going along, I could picture myself in a race. Other runners jockeying for position, checking their watches, looking determined. I settled into a nice rhythm and the first few miles passed rather quickly. When I hit the halfway point, I realized I was within sub-1 hour range. You better believe I kicked it up a notch! Light, short, quick...light, short quick...I concentrated on my stride. Mile 4 down, mile 5, before I knew it I was stopping my timer with a finish time of 59:18! Not a PR, but darn close!!
As for my running since the race I've been taking it rather easy. I'm currently at day 247 of my runstreak and have a 5k in 2 weeks. It's another virtual held in conjunction with a live race, the Lantern run 5k. So excited!!
Weight loss has been weighing on me heavily lately. Ok, maybe not weight loss as much as far loss. It's amazing to me, that even after all I have been able to accomplish, for some reason there is still this nagging feeling I need to do more. Maybe that's a good thing. When you don't have that desire to want to better yourself, the push further, to test your limits, that is the point where complacency sets in. Where backsliding can creep in. It's a fine line between dedication and obsession. However I really think it's one you need to walk if you want to be your best.
Another thing that's been weighing on me lately is actually setting a BIG race goal and following a program. When I got back into running and started streaking I very much had a "run for fun until your done" mentality. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that!!! However, lately I've been craving the structure of a training plan with a goal race in sight. Or honestly, maybe not even an actual race, maybe just the distance. I'm seriously considering starting a marathon training program just so I can see if I can still cover the distance. I haven't decided for sure, all I know is I'm totally ready for some structure in my training for a while.
Well, with that said, I think I'm going to go start reading the book on the Hanson Marathon training program someone lent me. Let's see what fun I can get into next!! Until next time run lots and live happy!!
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