These are the days that make me a better runner.

Tonight's 5K was so hard! My shin splits are back in full force. (For some reason the left is worse than the right, for a change.) My legs felt like they were made of lead. It never fails, though, that when I think I'm performing poorly, I'm actually doing quite well. My first mile was around the 9:30 mark, which I'm pretty happy with for a first mile. I suffered on the third, though. But these are the runs, when I finish with a decent time, or even just finish, that make me a better runner. It is further proof to myself that most of it is mental, and that I can do this, and that's better than a great time.

I was a bad running buddy today.

I've been a bad running buddy this week. Tuesday morning at 5:45 my new buddy texted me to see if I was ready to go. Bad move - I'm never ready to go at 5:45 (or 7:45, or 8:30) in the morning. I negotiated my way back into bed, and we agreed to run Wednesday morning instead.

I woke up Wednesday morning at 6, turned on the television and saw that all of Parker County was lit up with a storm that was headed our way, so I called my buddy and called off the run. She was disappointed, and said she was going to run in her neighborhood. I hope she did - I went back to sleep, and the storm, of course, never materialized. I feel guilty about not showing up. I told my mom (the accomplished marathoner) about this, and she had a good point: part of the job of running buddy is to not judge and not question the other person/people, and to remember they are adults, and that if they don't want to get up, they don't have to. Or if they want to run in the rain, that's fine. She's right. I try to be a good buddy, so I hope my buddy will extend that to me. So far so good - but it's a good reminder that I should hand out good karma if I expect to get some back.

So I'm off to bed before too long. Tomorrow evening is my weekly 5K. We'll see if I can beat last week's time.

The Plan

I'm starting to work on my plan, trying to figure out what and where I'm going to run next year, and I'm already hitting snags. I was planning on running the Houston half marathon. It's already full. Which, honestly, I'm ok with, since I'm going to be in Houston the weekend before for a wedding and I don't want to drive down there two weekends in a row. So now I'm looking at the Austin 3M half marathon, which is later in January. Since it's late in January, I can justify running the Cowtown half, which is the last weekend in February. Nothing great about the Cowtown except that it's local. Last year I ran a Dallas race in March, which would be nice to do again, since it's the same course as the White Rock half. I didn't see it on the list yet. I know I want my July race to be El Scorcho, and I really want to try and get into the San Fransisco Nike Women's race. I'd also like to try and find one in New York, so I can get in a visit to Julie and Finn. So that's not a terrible start to the plan.

The other part of my training that I struggle with (constantly) is nutrition. I'm so confused about exactly what it is I'm supposed to be eating. I know I need to cut back on the carbs, but carbs are fuel for what I'm trying to accomplish. I could also cut back on the sugar. I've done relatively well with breakfast lately - I've been eating Rice Chex with rice milk or organic oatmeal. A big part of the problem with breakfast - well, with any meal - is that I'm so busy I don't have time to prepare lots of food. I know I eat at restaurants way too often, but it's convenient. I suppose my bank account would prefer that I restrain myself. And frankly, at the end of a long day or a hard workout, grilled chicken and steamed veggies - even if I can wait around long enough to prepare it - is not what I want. It's something I'm working through.

Saturday Four Miles...

Went very well! I have a new running buddy who is just getting into running, and this was her first four mile run since we've been training. I really admire her enthusiasm and spirit - she is inspiring me all over again. It's so easy to fall back on the begrudging run, and I'll admit, I don't always enjoy it. But I never think back after I finish and think "I wish I hadn't done that" - I'm always glad that I did.

5K PR!

I ran a 29:40 5K tonight - almost a five minute improvement over last week! Of course there was also a 20 degree difference, too... I can't wait for October.

So, this internet thing...

Is apparently here to stay. I've decided it might be time to jump on the bandwagon and blog something.

Over the last few years I have reluctantly become a runner. I can't say that I enjoy the actual activity of running; I enjoy stopping quite a bit. I especially enjoy pancakes after a weekend run. I do like the empowerment of being able to complete a lengthy run. I love the opportunity to have dedicated time to talk with a friend, or listen to music, or just let my mind wander. I could do without the shin splits, the foot problems, the sore muscles, and all the sweat.

But! I digress. In honor of my thirtieth birthday, I am contemplating running a half marathon each month of 2010. Some I will run, some I will race. I don't have a set schedule yet. But I think it's an interesting challenge that will provide plenty of fodder for the Thirty Dozen.

So it's something to think about. For now, I'm off for my weekly summer 5K on the river. I'm taking Oliver the puppy with me tonight so Alicia can walk him while I run. Last week it was 105 degrees; today it's in the low 80s, but much more humid. I placed first in my age division last week mostly because everyone else was smart enough to stay home.

Yours in running shoes,
Monica