This last week was spent at a family reunion in the mountains. It was fun and relaxing and was topped off by my husband coming home on Thursday afternoon. To say the least - life is good. But my running has been on the back burner. I did run the Provo 1/2 today and surprised myself by PRing. I guess all that marathon training from a couple months ago pulled me through. Although I took 4th place, I think there were 9 girls in front of me once you count the ones that were just jumping in the race without registering. That keeps a girl humble (:
I was afraid I started out too fast but there were so many girls ahead to chase down I couldn't resist. Plus I had to take a potty stop at mile 2 so I was motivated to catch back up with everybody I'd already passed. At 6 1/2 I thought I was losing it, but then I found some energy again a finished well. I think I kept things fairly even at a 6:35-6:40 pace. The clock said 1:28 when I finished. My watch said something around 1:26:05. I stopped it during the potty stop though. I'll see what my chip time was in a few days.
Funny thing - the drop bags, despite the fact that they had bib numbers on them, were not organized by number at the bottom of the race. They were literally dropped on the ground. Good luck to all runners in finding your white trash bag among the many. Really? Really? Wow.
I haven't run much in the last couple of weeks and at this point I can't even remember when I did go or how far I went, but I have been lifting boxes, herding children and packing and unpacking up the whah-zoo to make for some quality working-out. I went for my first run here in the new homeland this morning. Humid-humid-humid but nice. I passed a few farmhouses and turned around at a huge Amish homestead. I passed lots of corn and soy fields and one dead snake. The run oozed rural and I liked it.
My heart felt a little tested after not having run for a while, but my legs felt so fresh they pushed things along anyway. Hopefully there will be plenty more running to come.
Today I went out the direction I ran when I came out here to see the house in April. There were two dogs I met that day that I was a little concerned about this morning. I turned down my mp3 player just to be extra vigilant when I knew I was close to the offending farmhouses. But, maybe as a special welcome to me, the dogs weren't out this morning. Of course they could just be getting me comfortable - waiting until I'm lost in the loudness of my music, and then they'll release their dogs on me just to watch me jump. Everyone needs entertainment.
Anyhow - a decent run today. I still don't feel all put together, but it might be adjustment to the humidity.
I left by 7am this morning. It was so much cooler which made it a truly joyful run. The pit bull and little white dog did come stormin' half way across their yard as I ran by today. They did the same thing when I went back by again on my way home barking like death was on the line but stopping half way through the yard. They're all bluster. Fewf. Plus the house is for sale. Life is still good.
I got to run with butterflies today. A mile in an orange and black spotted butterfly met up with me and bobbed at my left hip for a good 20 yards, right on pace. I belonged to the world, organically. That gives a girl a good feeling. Maybe that's why I was on a 7:20 pace - everything simply fit.
The achilles is pretty bad. I decided to see what I could find out about it online. I read that what I've got is tendonitis and that it is a pretty typical injury for middle-aged runners. Wow. Kick me while I'm down.
My achilles was worse. I tried Ibuprofin and ice. I might get out my road bike for a while. Tomorrow's workout will actually include a shovel and wheelbarrow out in the backyard. After running for almost an entire year consistently it sure will be hard to take a break, but what's a middle-aged woman to do when she's got a weak achilles.