Getting Back in the Race

I have not posted much about my running because, frankly, I have not been doing much of it. Now that the temperatures have cooled down significantly here, I am getting the racing bug again. Since we finished the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon, I have been avoiding racing. The weather was definitely part of the problem, but missing our "running friends" from Amarillo has also been a big part of it. The runner's club in Amarillo is great (and improving), so it was hard to leave all of the familiar events. When I ran a race in Amarillo, I knew lots of people. I cheered them on and they cheered me on. We traveled together to run races. We did not train much together, as I often prefer the peace and solitude of a solo run. However, every time we got together and raced, it was a blast. There's a runners club in Fort Worth, and we both joined. We even ran the "Lucky 7" race back in March and had a good time. We missed some of the other club races due to travel and other obligations, but I can say I probably did not give the club a fair shake because I was homesick.

I started racing again this month. When we visited Amarillo on October 4th for a wedding, we ran the Oktoberfest 5K. It was an off-road event, and I was definitely hurting at the finish, but I was also pleased with my time of 27:42, especially since I did not train much. David ran a 23:45. On Thursday night, we ran the Friends of the River 5K. One of the reasons we decided to do this race was that it is pet-friendly. Finn actually got to run her first 5K . . . and she kicked my butt. Finn and David finished in 24:03, which is 7:43-per-mile pace (did I mentioned that he finished a 50K five days earlier??). I used this race as a "time trial" for my new Run Less Run Faster training program, and finished in 26:03, which is 8:21-per-mile pace. Although no where near my personal record, it did give me a good indication of my fitness level so that I can better prepare for my upcoming training. We had a great time running the race and at the after-party.

As for my future in racing, I continue to evaluate my goals. When I finalize my plans, I will let you know.