Back on Track

It feels good to be back to my active lifestyle!  Yesterday was my first day back to HIIT, which I love because it kicks my butt in a good way.  Of course I signed up for 5 days a week again - everyday bright and early before work.  I also decided to return to Turbo Kick on Monday nights, which turned out to be an excellent decision.  I had forgotten what a good workout it was.  On top of that I realized that the only way I would stay on track with my running was to sign up for a winter race.  I have two 5Ks scheduled for next month, but I knew that wasn't going to cut it because I can run a 5K with no training.  So I went with a winter marathon - 26.2 miles in the middle of February in the Northeast.  Sounds like a good idea right?  Since it is only 12 weeks away, I had to start training right away.  Training for a marathon has gotten me excited about running again.  Problem solved!  I can't control the weather so I just have to hope for the best and buy some more winter running gear.  I also plan to run another marathon in June as part of my training for the main event of 2013...an ultra marathon in October.  That's right, I have officially lost my mind and I am loving every minute of it.

Running is Not Just Exercise

Since my husband and I officially split, I have been neglecting certain aspects of my life, like this blog and my running.  I have been focusing on helping my children with the transition.  Specifically, my oldest, who seems to be struggling the most with the changes.  However, my time away from running has made me see how important it is to my life.  Running is not just exercise.  It has changed my life.  The times that are most challenging are the times when I need to run the most.  Originally, I had planned on focusing on strength training during the winter months and getting back into running in the spring.  Now I have decided to make running a priority all year long.  I am a better person when I run.  I think that only other runners understand that. 

Sick & Grumpy

Sickness has the ability to stop you in your tracks and ruin months of training.  Being around small children all the time added to the fact that I don't sleep nearly enough tends to lead to a lot of sickness.  I have learned the hard way several times that trying to keep pushing and pretending like you aren't really sick does NOT work!  I can't tell you how many times I have tried this and ended up much worse and taking even more time off.  So as much I did not want to, I did the unthinkable and skipped not only my race yesterday, but my workout this morning.  As I sit here hating myself for it, I try to remind myself that it is better to take 2 days off because of a cold than 2 weeks off because of something more serious.  That being said, there is pretty much nothing that can keep me from the gym tomorrow because the more time I take off, the grumpier I get.  So it is probably best to stay away from me until I get my workout in!