Love the run you're with!
February is the month of love. And I am learning to love running again! The formula that I am re-discovering is the same as it was back in 2014: find great friends, set a goal, and be patient.
I had forgotten just about all of these things. I was trying to get back into running in private, hoping that I could "fix it" before I actually ran again with friends. But that's like cleaning for the cleaning lady, or avoiding the gym because you're fat. Solo treadmill runs get skipped, and they were not sticking AT ALL. I was signing up for races left and right willynilly, too. In fact, the less I trained, the more I signed up for out of desperation. And MOST importantly, on less than 5-10 miles a month, up almost 10 lbs, I was expecting that when I did hit the pavement, I'd miraculously run the 9:30 pace that was getting pretty easy in 2016, and would end up totally depressed when that instant return on investment wasn't there. In short, I realize now that I was very depressed post-marathon, stressed about work, family life, and other things. That happens, but I found out that my friends will never let me feel alone for long, whether they are running with me, or just chatting while we stretch ... so in short, I'm ready to love the run I'm with!
January
Coming off of a terrible run at Galloway, January brought more of the same. The perception that my schedule was crazy, that I couldn't balance the new job, commute, and training, plus cancellations due to weather of training runs and races, knee pain and travel, all culminated in a terrible month of less than 25 miles. (same as November and December).
NOLA
New Orleans began to show me signs of life. The "warm up" pre-race run with Kyle and Michele.. which was actually my first run in FOREVER, but yea "easy short pe-race shake out," uh-huh .. well, it really reminded me of how much of a high running brings to my life. Not gonna lie... It was HARD after all that time off. And I was mad the whole way that 11-12 is now hard af. But I was also having too much fun with my pals to dwell there. And I committed to be patient the next day. What's worse: 13.1 miles at 12-13 run/walk or one mile at 9-10, and then not doing the rest because you're just not getting anywhere? How am I ever going to get anywhere if I don't do at least as much as I can?
The race leaned on these principals, and I was DANG PROUD of my sub 2:30 finish! I ran 3-1 walk intervals, another copping strategy from my beginnings, and just enjoyed how fun this city is! The splits were super consistent. No balls to the wall racing, just conquering of the mental demons, and doing my thang .. whatever that "thang" now looks like ... with head held high!
*** Airbnb with pals is the BEST! For sure going back!***
IN-TRAINING
While it hasn't gone as planned pace-wise, once it got up and going, this also went a long way toward saving me from myself. Note to self: next year, I'll stay a participant in Spring; I'm too dramatic for Leading in the cold! LOL. But the other leads have really helped me put in the miles.
We ran a 5K as part of training, and I didn't hit even my re-goal of sub-30, but I did get to feel STRONG, thanks mainly to another lead who's goal miss felt a lot more real to me than even my own. Helps not to be alone in this! We'll cross all finish lines .. real and imagined .. together. <3 
11 miles .. longest not-race run in February .. with this badass! Major sense of accomplishment!
BUDS
For the last two weeks, I have also been trying to see my #solemates more often. #sixpointTuesday (or #sixpointTwosday .. lol) is back at Publix on Tuesday evenings. Not sure how long we'll keep Kyle, but I am so thankful that he's getting me back out there for right now, and that thanks to his own goals, he's needing to run intervals slow some times too. (more on that in a second). If I could say that one thing has helped more than anything else, its these two.
CYCLEBAR
At a friend's birthday event, I purchased 10 rides, and have been going faithfully each Sunday morning for a few weeks now. I try to keep it easy, but it for sure rips up my muscles, and the trainers do a good job about pulling you along a little harder than you intended to go every time! I'm hoping that a little cross training will go a long way toward gearing back up for a great Fall.
Publix Full Marathon
Not everything is peachy keen .. because come on .. I wouldn't be your lovable crazy Judy if I weren't always a little nuts!! ;)
In an insanely delusional moment, I got carried away and one night randomly decided to run the Publix Full Marathon for the inaugural "Ultimate Peach!" I didn't sign up to just survive the hill-a-cious Publix Full Marathon, though. (I.E. run the first 1/2, and walk the rest, Party in the Back fun-run approach ... which now I know I can do) I signed up to PACE. OFFICIALLY. OTHER PEOPLE. To a 5:30 FINISH. In January, this sounded TOTES-doable: 1 hour slower than Chicago, at a pace 1 minute per mile slower than even my post-crisis halves, with at least 2.5 months to train up to the Full distance. Today, on Feb 23rd, those pros bring NO comfort. Selfishly, the act did FINALLY serve as a motivator. (hard not to start training when you put a MARAAATHOOOOON on the schedule). And for the last 2-3 weeks, everything points to possible. The pace is where it needs to be. But the real test will be this Saturday, because its the distance that I absolutely don't know that I still have. This weekend, we are schedule for 22, which is a HUGE jump for me. Lucky since Kyle is signed up for pacing too, we're going to go out at 4-1 12 min avg pace intervals together. The course is HILLACIOUS. More elevation than the actual marathon, which is brutal enough. By 12 pm, I should be VERY informed as to whether or not I can finish in 5:30 in 3 weeks. If Saturday is a fail, then I'll bow out and hope they invite me back to try this again in a couple of years, when I am not so recently post-run-life-crisis. I won't hurt myself. If it doesn't feel do able, I'll abort. But the challenge appeals, and like my sub-4:30 1st marathon goal, seems like just this side of possible. (5% goal?) So tune in Sunday, and we'll see how I did! :)
