Crossroads

Wow! Another week without a paper due for school.  That's 2 weeks in a row, which means that you get another post from me.  =)  This particular class is almost over, it is on Addictions counseling and I'm ready for it to be done.  One and a half more weeks . . .

Saturday was my birthday.  I turned 42, which makes me wonder how I got here.  How did I get to be 40, much less 42?  Anyway, it was a nice day.  Chris and Damian both worked, but Maddox had a soccer game and my dad and sister came up for that.  We went out to lunch and then I bought new running shoes.

I bought Hoka's which I've never had before.  I was pretty excited to go run afterwards.  I did 5 miles and was really disappointed that I had rub spots on both feet in the arches and on my right pinkie toe.  Thankfully I got them at the local running shop and they allow returns even if you've worn them.  I may have time today to go return them.

That evening Chris and I went to a nearby town for dinner.  We were there over the summer with my sister and her husband (and kids) and I thought it looked like a really nice place to have a nice dinner, so we went back.  I enjoyed it a lot.

On Sunday we officially celebrated my birthday.  I had ordered myself a new Garmin running watch (Forerunner 35) and it came in the mail (through Amazon) on Sunday, which was super exciting.  I was supposed to run 10 miles in preparation for the half marathon at the end of the month, but I didn't want to run.  Like really didn't want to run.  However, I had my new Garmin, so I decided to go run 5 miles.

I wouldn't say I enjoyed my run a lot, but I'm glad I did it.  I also opened my birthday presents and I was pleasantly surprised that Damian got me a really nice hiking backpack.

I guess that means I'm gonna have to do some long distance hiking.  =)

So marathon . . . or half marathon training.  I don't think I'm into it.  This makes 2 weekends in a row that I didn't run as far as I should have.  Last weekend I ran 7 miles instead of 8 or 9, this week 5 miles instead of 10.  The half marathon is in 3 weeks and i haven't run farther than 7 miles in over a month.  I don't think I can run 13 miles comfortably.  I am not sure where I stand running wise right now. . . I'm not feeling the long distances, I get the desire, but then when it's actually time to do it I don't want to.

I've been debating about going back to running just because.  When I first started running I was running 5 days a week, and while I don't think I'm going to do that, I was also running because I enjoyed it.  I had no goals and no time expectations.  I'm thinking I might do that for awhile.  Run when I want, as slow as I want without any pressure of "I have to go XX distance at X.XX pace."

Several months ago someone I've been following since I started blogging, MaryFran, wrote "I need to stop thinking about the distance I used to run.  I need to stop thinking about the pace I used to run.  I need to just run the best I can at the point that I am at right now" and it really resonates with me.  That is where I want to be now.

I guess we'll see how that goes.

Oh, and I love my new Garmin . . . it measures heart rate on my wrist and tells me how I slept, reminds me to get up and move around (which I need to do) and links to my phone so I get notifications on it . . . oh and controls the music on my phone.  (I only slept about 1 hour of deep sleep last night, broken up throughout the night, which is not great, and my resting heart rate average is 60, which is really good.)