an amazing likeness
I am full of regret that I haven't had the creative energy to find much to share here in our forum for the past few months. It is just great to see that Mitch is back, and some other folks have joined Meg in keeping things going.
Tomorrow I'll lace up my running shoes at dawn and head out for my 50th half marathon. I've run a few more which I didn't log as 'races' due to things like course was short, course was long, pacing someone else, etc -- so tomorrow's will be the official #50.
What I like about the distance is that training and preparation pay off -- I may not be able to outrun the other person, but maybe I out-trained them; I like that there is strategy about managing energy and effort; I like being part of the finish where there are finishers celebrating that they've done something they (and others) didn't think they could; I like that moment just before the start when the nervous chatter goes quiet and most of the runners are looking down and thinking about the task ahead while waiting for the horn; I like that feeling I get at 10miles when my internal mantra switches to "5K-to-go"...so many things.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
Well...that stunk. Legs didn't want to run right from the start...faded terribly from 9mi onward...heavy rain the whole race...uggh.
#RunEveryDay
It's been a crazy busy weekend to start June. I coach my daughter's softball team (U10) and we had 3 games and a 90 minute skills session yesterday. It was a long hot day. Then today, the other coach for the team handled the last two games of the "tournament" (no score kept) because my daughter and I were already committed to a race before we had the ball schedule. We ran a 5K and she took 3m27s off her 5K PR from last September. Man, if I ever actually train her to run, she's going to be faster than me. It's such a rush for me to be out on the race course with her; we run her pace and walk when she wants to walk. She doesn't care about the time. It was the smallest race I've ever run, I think; 100 people total divided among the mini 1K, 3K and 5K.
I'm feeling pretty good about running. I've had some really good runs the last few days even though I didn't long run this weekend. I need to figure out what I want to do about a training plan for my next training cycle. Usually I start mid-June for my fall goal race. I really want to PR this year. It feels like too long since I really had a great half and I'm not feeling very confident about the training. Questioning if I'm not doing the right things and second-guessing things that are probably alright. Argh!
MT, I love that minute before the start in the chute. I always close my eyes for just a minute and really listen. It's amazing. The race should be the celebration of all the work completed in training. Rain is not fun for 13 miles. 50th half is a pretty cool milestone though!
Half Fanatic #9292.
Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.
Andy, wow, congrats on the 50 halves!! I'm not sure I'll ever make it that far. I think I'm sitting about 19. I always enjoy your posts here, but I completely understand how easy it can be to slip.
My FIL only made it 4 days! He died on the Friday before Memorial Day. I'd like to say a few things and vent a little, hope you don't mind. Thank you for all the kind words, Hospice was good and prepared everyone accordingly. My wife's siblings were total idiots!! I hope I don't need to be around them again for a very long time. They were basically acting like vultures,wanting to know when they get their "stuff"! Then, to top it off, they tried to accuse and blame my wife for her making all the decisions about the funeral like what songs to play, color casket, which flowers, and what day and time. If them assholes would have come around more often, they'd know their mom and dad already had all the stuff picked out and arranged. One more thing and then I'm done. For 4 days, I watched the life being sucked right out of my FIL. That was by far the most horrific thing I've ever witnessed!!! The last day, even though he wasn't in any pain, it was just aweful to see his body labor so hard just to take a breath. The sounds of the labored
breaths were terrible too. I will do my best to avoid that again. I never want to watch a human being die again! Dealing with the death is bad enough, then compound that with, the horrible sights and sounds of his last breaths....no thank you, I pass. I am glad is is no longer suffering though.
My wife has been talking a bit about trying to walk a half. She has done a couple of 5k's so the bug has bit her. I hope to help her get conditioned to be on her feet walking for the 3.5-4 hours. I don't think we have anything decided yet, but it would really make me proud to help her!
I did 5 miles the other day and hope to do another 5-7 on Tues.
Death really brings out the worst in people sometimes. I'm sorry to hear her siblings were such jerks. It sounds like the two of you really were there for your FIL. It's a tough loss. That's great she wants to try a half.
How are you and your wife doing? Sometimes I find that after the funeral when everyone else starts to get back to normal, that can be a tough time.
I wrote up a rough running schedule for myself to train for my fall half. It's not ideal and I will likely put some hills on it although it doesn't have any now. But I think it's good to have some sort of framework. It's not a ton different from what I've been doing the last couple of weeks. But I'm finding more 5 and 5+ mile runs made my last LSD much easier. That could be coincidental, but I'm starting to feel stronger again. Here's hoping it's results.
Meg, thank you for asking! I am doing ok, but my wife is a different story. Everything that happened with her siblings and the way they treat her mom, are weighing very heavy on my wife.(It is just so wrong for someone to blame others for something they had no control over! I think it's their own way of dealing with the guilt they put upon themselves). Mrs Hog is a strong woman, it will just take some time. We are taking it a day at a time. Planning to go visit her mother over July 4 weekend, so that will be a good thing.
I did 7.2 miles this morning when I got home from work, and wow, it must have been a million degrees out! The humidity down here in Alabama is crazy this time of year.
I have always been in favor of a plan that includes more medium length runs!
. We are taking it a day at a time. Planning to go visit her mother over July 4 weekend, so that will be a good thing. I did 7.2 miles this morning when I got home from work, and wow, it must have been a million degrees out! The humidity down here in Alabama is crazy this time of year. I have always been in favor of a plan that includes more medium length runs!
. We are taking it a day at a time. Planning to go visit her mother over July 4 weekend, so that will be a good thing.
Day at a time is good.
I've tried to add more medium length runs. I haven't had a really good half race in about 2 years so a strong race in September is really the goal.
Sending lots of love your way H4L. It is never easy I don't think when a loved one dies. And people's actions can either help or hurt. Sigh.
Very sweet of you to remember Meg and to ask. I had forgotten because I haven't been in here much. I'm sort of plodding along again trying to take things easy while I figure out what to do about my ankle.
First or last...it's the same finish line
HF #4362
Haha, I did a one mile fun run after helping with timing a 5 miler. Thought I'd race it just to "see" what I had....did a 1/2 mile warmup...time was 7:21.
I also ended the week with a little over 14, and June will be a new monthly high in quite a while.