Wednesday, January 30, 2013

(Non) Running Round Up: First Edition of 2013

Happy 2013 and welcome to a whole new year of running!

I realize I'm behind on this kind of well-wishing, but I feel like I haven't had that much to say. I haven't been running, but I've been seriously thinking about it (that's worth something, ain't it?). I'd love to (finally!) share some of those thoughts with you.

Sicking Sticking With It
Getting into my shoes has obviously been a big problem ever since I ran marathon #3 in August. I feel like I've been plagued by illness ... and thanks to the blog acting as an online journal, after looking back, I apparently have been! One of my classmates also confirmed that ever since she's known me (i.e. since the start of the school year in September), I've been sick. I'm not trying to use this as an excuse for not running, but in some ways it's nice to have validation. 

My only thought on this: did I not run because I was sick, or was I sick because I didn't run? 

I do actually believe it's the latter. Obviously, there are plenty of studies out there that show physical activity helps to decrease stress and boost immunity levels. I haven't been running, therefore I've been stressed out and sick all the time. Makes sense! 

The solution? Go running. Go figure. 

Time Management is a Bitch, But ...
I found it extremely difficult in my first semester of grad school to balance schoolwork, life and running. And I know it's going to continue to be difficult for the next year and a half. Not that long ago, I got to the point where I seriously considered not running at all! But that's silly, right? Time management will always be a challenge. If I can figure this one out now (it will be a miracle!), I think being able to juggle any schedule in future can and will be possible.

Long story short: I'm continuing with the plan to run Five by 35. And blogging about it at the same time. While undertaking a Master's degree. (I must be out of my freaking mind.)

Racing 2013-Style
I'm just gonna lay it out there. Here's what I'm thinking: no spring or early summer races. 

I know it can be hard to stay on track that way, but here's the thing ... races cost money! And I'm a poor student now. I never realized before how expensive entry fees are, but that's because I was always earning money. 

I think, to give myself the best chance to finish marathon #4 this year, I need to pick a full that is scheduled for late summer or early fall. The current school term wraps up in April. Over the summer, I'll be working and doing a little research, but I'm not expecting to be as time-crunched as I am right now, which means (relatively speaking) I'll have oodles of time for slow long runs on weekends. 

(Sidebar: as I finished typing that last sentence, I got tingly all over. I'm gonna take this as a good sign that I'm ready to get back at it!)

Here's my shortlist for #4:

The criteria I used to evaluate which races made the final cut were:
  • Dates: as alluded to earlier, this one was the priority; 
  • Proximity to home: if my husband and I have to travel, we didn't want it to be too far; and 
  • Size: the last two marathons I've participated in were a little smaller, so it would be nice to run a race with a fair number of registrants.  

I need to pick one soon, so I can get it in the books and commit to it publicly ... always helps in the goal setting process! 

Will you help me choose? Please vote on the blog's main page!

Quote of the Day
This time it's from the man, Albert Einstein:

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.

Therefore, to get out of this non-running rut, I've gotta do something different. Got it. 

Thanks Al!

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