Grunpy

"Grunpy (noun): My mood when I have not been for a run."

The last several weeks have been rather crappy for us and has resulted in my ability to come up with all of the excuses to not run. Some excuses were more serious than others and some definitely warranted a few rest days. I'm so glad to have most of that behind us now. 

Just a couple of weeks ago though, Char and I did get a short run in: 

 

And, we haven't been out since...at least for a run. We try to get our walks in regularly because otherwise Charli just doesn't settle down, or won't settle down I should say. 

But! This week we will start training for a marathon. I am really looking forward to having the motivation to move, lift consistently, and eat a little better to fuel my runs. The only real accomplishment I had in 2020 was the completion of my first 50k. Having a running coach was definitely a huge blessing so I have hired Coach Kim with Beyond Limits Runner again! 10/10 recommend a running coach versus finding any plan on the internet. And, if you find someone like Coach Kim, you get the bonus of her background in biology and her extensive medical knowledge to help you learn to listen to your body and adjust or modify as needed. 

I do hope that COVID doesn't take away any races for us this year. But, as we know, you don't need a race to set and meet a running goal. 

I am planning to take Charli on the shorter runs during the week and on the short "long" runs in the early weeks of training. The race is not until August but I know that once the weather gets a little warmer Charli will be miserable outside. At that point, we will revise Charli's participation in the training schedule and work out a plan that meets her needs. 

There are definitely pros and cons to being a runner, and in no particular order:

Pros:

• Schnacks, nomnom
• Feeling strong
• New running shoes and/or new gear
• Camaraderie with other runners
• Being outside, trails, new places (in 2019 I went to Lubec, Maine with my friend Krista H., and it was AMAZING aside from the fact that I broke out in hives and had trouble breathing)
• Improved mental health and ability to focus on homework/work
• Time with Charli 
• Bragging rights when you lose a toe nail (I have one toe that still hasn't recovered from 50k training in 2020)
• Massages
• Meteorology skills improve significantly when planning runs during any given week 
• Runs during lunch at work break up the day 

Cons:

• Waking up early
• Rigid pre-run routine and eating schedule
• Waking up early
• I still haven't convinced John to bike on my long runs to be my personal hydration station--will someone else please give him this idea so he will recognize it as a good idea?!?!?!?
• Prepping for long runs the night before and praying you didn't forget anything
• Chaffing/blisters
• Running out of water unexpectedly and having to drink random bottles in your car from who knows how many years ago and how many weather changes
• I have IBS, that's all I need to say there
• Foam rolling--it hurts so good! 
• Losing a pocket in order to carry a rescue inhaler means you might have less room for on-board schnacks
• Waking up early

If I were to set just one goal for this training season, it would be to learn how to wake up early! One of my greatest loves is rest. It takes all of my strength to get out of bed early. Because of medicine I have to take, I have to get up even earlier on long run days so that I can time the medicine with breakfast/hydration prior to leaving the house. Last year, I spent a lot of unnecessary time in the heat when I could have gotten my run done earlier in the day. I was miserable. Will that be enough to motivate me to get up early this time around? Only time can tell....

I have quite the assortment of chronic health issues that can become incredibly pesky. As a result, I have learned that slow and steady is the best way for me to attack my running goals. 

Here's to earning a few more cookies over the next 6ish months!