Off season for running has ended despite most long races happening in either April or October. Some people probably started in January. Some races happen at different times. For me, I’m mostly an April and October half marathon runner.
The Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon is in April. This will be my 9th half marathon distance race. I am going to train with my friend, Judy. We have a training plan mapped out with the idea that our weekend long runs are together. We’re still training at our crossfit gym daily. [Don’t come at me for not calling it a box. That means something completely different in my head.]
Race training is exciting. I’ve been running faster mile splits both outdoors and on the treadmill. I’m starting to hope for a personal record [PR] 5k distance race sometime in 2020. When I tell people that I’m starting to train for a half marathon, they often express surprise that this won’t be my first time. I’m prepping for my tenth half marathon in October, where I want to beat my reigning PR of 2 hours and 19 minutes.
As far as my mental health, I dip into feeling like life is useless and pointless and so are my efforts. Then, I’m fine and I feel proud of myself and the changes I’ve made. I’ve lost nearly 30 pounds of fat since March 2019. I am running faster. I started going to church every weekend and being an active participant in following Christ. I’m not always going to be able to look at my list of achievements and find joy, but I have gratitude.
I wish I had tips on how to so something. Like, improving running speed. Cross training, eating better, and commitment to running despite not training for anything have helped me tremendously. I really enjoy what I do in the gym every day and running probably hasn’t been my primary focus.
I feel like I’m always busy with something. That said, with less down time, there’s less time to peek into the cabinet or fridge.
Week 1 of 12 for training is about done. I’m looking forward to less frequent treadmill runs. Also, I’ll have to come up with something more interesting to talk about. I have a weigh in next week, so we’ll have to see my fat loss vs muscle gains sometime soon. I have been talked into triathlon training and a fitness competition, so who knows what fun lies ahead.
Thanks for reading! February is a long month for being the shortest thanks to the cold and often deary days, so remember to find joy or gratitude.
Here’s me after running today. I had a little mascara left from work, so I actually have eyelashes in this one:
Jenn's Journey 