A New Phase

I don't, and I try not to complain about it even though I can't work out as hard as I used to without my elbows screaming. And I can't run has hard as I used to because of my foot and my back and sometimes my knee. I mean, that athletic side of me was clearly a short-lived phase. I was never into sports while growing up, hated gym class, and am not naturally strong or fast. So yeah, now that I'm not signing up for races or even doing strength training twice a week anymore, I think of those years as a phase.

What a storied phase it was for someone like me, though! I finished several 5Ks, a few 10Ks, some duathlons, then some triathlons, three half marathons, a Ragnar Trail, a regular Ragnar, a full marathon, and I even walked for three glorious days in San Diego. Really, it wasn't bad for a seven-year stretch.

I still run about three times a week, mostly because I don't want to not be able to run a few miles at a time. Some days are better than others, but I can usually make it three miles. I want to be able to run three miles for a very, very long time because being able to do cardio for thirty minutes is an excellent and reasonable base to maintain. And maybe if I'm doing 5Ks at age 80, I might have a chance at winning my age group. Here's hoping.

Lately, my pal Aimee has been considering registering for her second half marathon in February 2016. She asked me to consider it, too. I did, and I decided I'm not going to do it. I like running for thirty minutes; I don't like running for two hours. My last half marathon was fun and had me smiling the whole time. I came within a minute or two of my previous time, so I'm pretty sure I can do no better than my 2:09 average. That's a relatively solid time, but unless I feel I can finish in under two hours, I don't see the point in putting my body through the torture. Unfortunately, I don't realistically see myself breaking the two-hour mark, so I think not doing another half marathon is a wise choice for me. I have nothing to prove and my body gets angry with me when I ask it to do too much, and right now 13.1 miles and all the training that comes with it sounds like too much. If I do want to tackle something more ambitious than my three-milers, I might seek out a doable 10K. I think that's my limit for now.

However, I'm sincerely looking forward to being on the sidelines and cheering on my friends. I think another friend, Janette, is going to run the half marathon with Aimee, and Julie and Kristy Marie will probably run the marathon. I will have plenty of people to watch and cheer for that day, and I'm happy to do it dressed in warm, comfy clothes and drinking my coffee. Go Friends!