Tomorrow (the real Friday) I'm getting up early to go to Julie's and run the 1.8 miles with her to meet any of our No Boundaries runners who show up for the alternate weekly run. We will run and walk 1 mile with them and then Julie and I will run back to her house. To get there and back, we must traverse a massive hill. I am proud of Julie for braving it. I think she is still unsure about this running thing. She likes it and she doesn't. She thinks I am some sort of fast and dedicated runner (her words) and I want to constantly remind her that I started exactly where she is. And "fast" is a relative term anyway. But I digress.
After that, I will see my sweet husband off to work and then make my way to Fayetteville to hang with my parents. I am SO ready to see Dad again (who is doing wonderfully, by the way) and Mom wants to run with me. I will confess that usually this is hard for me to do. I have become extremely selfish when it comes to my running (although Mom may assert that I have always been so). It is not that I want every single run to be fast and furious, but I want some to be, and I want all of them to be at a certain level. I just do. That level requires an average pace of 10 minutes per mile or less. And I want to get in several runs each week that are quite a bit less. That is just where I am right now.
Fridays, however, are my free-for-all days. I look forward to them all week, because on Friday mornings I go with my sister and do whatever it is she wants to do. Sometimes we do 2 miles, sometimes 3 - always at her pace. We drink coffee beforehand and talk the entire time. During the No Boundaries season, we share these runs with our runners. But I still look forward to them all the same.
So this Friday it is easier to run with Mom because it is my rest day and Saturday I will be hitting one more long run as hard as I can. I'd like to do 18-20 miles somewhere under a 9:00 minute average pace. But if I don't do the mileage or the pace...I think I'll be okay with that too. I feel my marathon season coming to a close and with it my motivation to run all of these miles. It is time to do other things in the sun besides run. Other things like yard work.
It has always been my dream to have a beautiful yard. Flowers, plants, green grass, no weeds, trees, a bird bath. Each year, however, my yard gets less and less attention as I give it all to my running. This year I want to find a better balance. After the marathon in April, I'm going to cool it and do other things. Sure, I still want to run every day, but if I dial it down a notch, I should have more energy to do other things. And with this spring weather and extra sunshine each day, I am itching to get out there, stick my hands in the dirt and see some color growing in my flower beds.
These are the things I think about when Thursday is Friday. Flowers and running...and clock watching until I can do those things.
enjoy your friday fun-running. and tell your sis and mom i said hello.
ReplyDeletei just put together my race schedule for our furlough this fall. looks like i may be running a race in huntsville....
What race are you running in Huntsville? What other races are you planning? Maybe you need a furlough race post on your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteHow exciting to have a "Friday" on a Thursday! I hope you have a fun day with your Dad and I am so glad he's doing better!
ReplyDeleteI ran 10 today with "the other Jane" (she ran 7 with me) in Madison in Edgewater subdivision for a change of scenery. It was sunny but cool and I had lots of pretty things to look at. There is a paved trail around the lake and lots of pretty houses, so it went by fast. Averaged 9:15 and feel fully recovered from the 20 miler. I am so ready for the marathon to get here! I wish it were next weekend! I just have 10 and 4 milers to finish the week and then next week will be even more tapering.
Good luck on your long run and let me know how it goes!
Wow, Shannon! That is pretty awesome! I bet it was a gorgeous run! I will be going this afternoon since I lounged in bed too long this morning. :) I'm hoping the cool weather holds a little longer.
ReplyDeleteI know! I am getting impatient for the marathon as well!!! I can't WAIT!
i'm thinking about running the huntsville half-marathon in november. but there's one in nashville that same saturday. we'll be going from dothan to nashville (or murfreesboro) around that weekend, so either one's doable. i figured i'd just ask around and see which one is the faster course (assumption is huntsvegas). i've never really raced a half-marathon, so i think this'll be my time.
ReplyDeletewhich will be fun. but i really wanted to race a marathon while home. i couldn't find one anywhere near anywhere i'm going to be at any point in the trip. [except a couple of off-road ones, but that's not going to get me a pr. though i am leaning towards a 40-mile off-road race in the mountains in virginia...]
i'll do a furlough race post when it gets closer to time....
is the h'ville half a fast one?
Yes, the Huntsville Half is a very fast and flat course. I think one small rise is your only hill. They planned it that way. One of my favorite races for some reason.
ReplyDeleteI think about my yard, but that's about as far as I get!! I know what you mean about being selfish with your runs. I'm struggling with that right now. I want too many things and there isn't enough time to do them all.
ReplyDelete