To be honest, I am not prepared. I've completed each of the training races and have pretty well stuck to my 14-15 minute per mile penguin pace. I've done 2 5K events, a 10K, and a 15K since I started training for this goal.
With my recent work changes, my training has taken a backseat. I ran last Wednesday at lunch- less than 3 miles. I ran a 5K on Saturday. I haven't run since. My next opportunity to run might be later today but chances are good it won't be until tomorrow and then I'm set for a long run on Saturday.
I'm also facing burnout. I'm getting tired of running. The work schedule is giving me a forced break which is making me want to run. And that's good. But I also know that once I get past the 13.1 miles, I will need a break from running.
I won't stop. But I do want to scale back until it's just fun again. I think 5K is a great distance and I think I'll even enjoy doing a 10K event now and again.
Christy and I have chosen our next athletic adventure and it's going to come up fast.
On June 18, we're going to do the Girlfriend Ride. And we're going to try and make a girlfriend weekend out of it by heading down to Columbus on Friday (it's about an hour away) instead of trying to get down there really freakin' early on Saturday. The bike ride is a fundraiser for a local domestic violence shelter in that county so this is for a good cause, too.
I have a great bike. I bought it about 6 years ago. I'd gotten a promotion and good raise at work and decided to celebrate by buying bikes. So Jeff and I actually have matching bikes. We rode a few times and then I ended up pregnant and was advised against riding by my OB. The bike has pretty much just been in the garage ever since.
It's time to haul out that bike, get it checked out, dig out the bike rack (might have to invest in a new one that works with my minivan since we bought ours back when I drove a tiny Toyota Echo), find my helmet. As soon as I'm done running 13.1 miles, it's time to start riding in preparation for the Girlfriend Ride.
I don't know a lot about this event. I have a friend who has done it and says it's a great time. I know there are 3 courses- 10K, 25K, or 50K. And apparently Christy and I are insane because we signed up for the 50K. That's 31 miles. And we aren't currently riding bikes.
It's not a race, it's not competitive, there are stops along the way.
And I'd better enjoy it because I won 2 registrations for The Hope Ride in September.
What are your athletic adventures lately? What goals have you set?
7 comments:
I think most runners find distances they are comfortable with and enjoy. And maybe down the line, those distances change. My husband ran a marathon, once, to prove to himself that he could do it. He did well, but it's just a lot more training than he wants to do right now and it wasn't an enjoyable distance for him. He loves half-marathons. There was a time that he loved 10k runs. It's important to enjoy whatever you're doing.
We also had our bikes fixed up this year but haven't been out on them because my PT advised against it. Best of luck to you and Christy. I recently heard about a group of college students who planned a cross-country bike ride to raise awareness for a cause. They spent months planning it, and 6 weeks before they started, they didn't even own bikes. They made it coast-to-coast, so I'm sure you can do the 50k.
Liz, you are an Inspiration!!!
That's all I can say! You go girl!
Ooo, Columbus is beautiful! But, depending on how they route the course, you might be in for some HI-ILLS!
I'm getting ahead of yourself, though. Good luck getting yourself ready--mentally, too!--for the Big Run next month.
I think the cool thing about running is that even if your favorite distance is 5K, you can get FANTASTIC health benefits never going further than that.
The cycling thing sounds so fun!
My goal is to exercise more and lose weight. this week I intend to lose 3 pounds.
I have only completed one 5k but I just decided yesterday that I'm running a half in January. Part of the course goes through Disneyland. I'm super excited.
Good luck to you!!! I'm pregnant and am obviously not allowed to run right now. The day I found out I was pregnant I had run a 10K (to support wildlife). They also have a 5K option, in early November. The baby is due in early July. My goal is to run the 5K of that same race in early November to help get myself back in the groove. :)
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