Get out and run

I’ve been a terrible blogger in recent weeks – months? – but a runner? Not so bad. My size 12s have logged 165.8 miles since I last checked in here at RunninginOz.

Feeling pretty good. A lot better, in fact, than this time a year ago as I began my summer of training for what became a debacle in Milwaukee last fall. I still have some issues. Don’t we all? My hamstrings and calves have all the flexibility of an iron bar. I have been stretching, but not as consistently as I should.

Lurking on the blogs of inspiring runners such as Running Jayhawk, Full Metal Lunchbox and Josh has provided plenty of motivation and a few laughs. They recently completed the Great Midwest Relay – a simple 190-mile jaunt from Madison, Wisconsin, over to Milwaukee and then a dip south to Chicago. The entire team was filled with studly athletic beasts who overcame sleep deprivation and a cramped van to pound out the miles. Sounds like it was a fun time.

Don’t think I have a relay like that in my future any time soon, but I am eager to commit to a fall race. My decision has been complicated by the fact I still am grappling with the emotional baggage of my DNF for my first marathon attempt. So, I am leaning heavily toward a half. Train hard. Have fun. Show some discipline. Show I can run and complete a goal race. Then we’ll see where things stand. Then maybe I’ll go for 26.2 next spring or next fall.

As I look over an intermediate training schedule for a half vs. a full, they aren’t that different. I’ll be logging a lot of miles either way. Half vs. full, full vs. half? Hmmm.