Two a days? (wk tot 11)

These days I often finding myself questioning my motivation to run.  Maybe motivation isn’t the right word.  I’ve just been off the roads in any consistent manner and it takes all my strength to get into a routine.  And I know I’ve been out of it for a while (does anybody read this anymore?) – my fault, I know – but it’s also disheartening that it’s just not as easy as it was six months ago.

Six months ago!?  Oof!  I think about that PR I ran out at the New Bedford Half and wonder how I was able to hit a 1:30.   Now, with my first race (really?) of the season quickly approaching, I’m finding it more and more likely that I will be modifying that goal of a sub 1:30 half at summer’s end.  Even if it was a “soft” goal, I’m just under prepared, and haven’t been able to get over the sound for track workouts with Club Northwest (where I would have my butt handed to me anyway).

Excuses, excuses, I know!  We’re still settling into the new (amazing) apartment and my schedule is yet to solidify.  School will just throw a wrench into the plans when it starts up at the end of September so I’m totally lost.  I also must admit that I’m floundering a little bit without regular runs with my old friends back in Boston and my weekly speed/interval workouts with CR.  I ran a rough and hilly 13.5 or 14 (I’m still getting used to the mileage here on the island) on Saturday and was totally spent, to the point where I had difficulty walking the mile cool down back to home.  (Jimmy even had to run out a banana and gatorade for me at the end of the driveway.)

What I’m coming to realize though is that because of the hills and the unknown environment and the lack of company, my best bet is to really just get up and start running.  Today I did a moderate and hilly 7 miles (with breaks for lights and such, then one mile walking cool down) at about 7:45 pace at about noon (so silly of me to do any run at noon in the summer) then a 4 mile jog with Jimmy, finishing up at dusk.  The first run was hard and hot (and damn those hills!) but I was happy with my pace, since it was the first time that I was consistent at about that speed in a while.  I’d like to think that without the hills I’d be closer to 7:25 or so (maybe even race pace?) but who knows.

I’ll be interested to see how my time at this half on Labor Day compares to today and the SF half that I spontaneously ran in.  The second run felt good, though my legs were tired.  It helped that the last mile and a half or so was on soft pack ground.  Hopefully tomorrow I can hit an good 6 easy then do a tempo run and an easy recovery on Thursday.  Last week I barely hit 30, but hopefully I can ramp my miles up to 40 without a problem.