Running thoughts

 Have you noticed I haven't been writing much?  I think this might be my record, 2 months without a post.  And I put off an important post, but I suppose it goes along with how my running has been going, for longer than the end of my run streak.  

My runstreak mainly only had me running a mile a day, but essentially I quit running awhile ago.  At least I quit running for any reason other than to keep my streak going.  The heart of it was gone.  

I don't know why, but I haven't been running much.  I think it's the rebellious part of me.  My head saying "I don't have to run if I don't want to," so I don't.  When I ended my runstreak I decided I should have some rules. I've always had running rules, long run on Sunday, never run on Monday, run on Thursday or Friday.  Things like that.  Well, I didn't want to go back to rules . . . I just got off one 4 year long rule of having to run every day, but I also didn't want to have no rules because that means I will quit running.  So I decided no going more than 2 days without a run.  

In December I decided I didn't want to run because it was cold.  We had a couple snow storms and an ice storm, but I was feeling guilty, so I started to go walk on my treadmill.  That actually helped a little, but then the week before Christmas I missed 3 days in a row and the week after Christmas I didn't run for 5 days (including January 1st).  I actually was sad I didn't run on New Year's day, it's the first year I haven't run on the first day of the year in years (even longer than my runstreak).  but we were coming back from E. WA that day, so I didn't have the time.  

I want to want to run, but I'm struggling with it.  What helped me to start in the first place was reading blogs, especially Katie at Runs for Cookies. I don't know if you've noticed, but blogs aren't very popular anymore and many (most) of the ones I started reading are gone.  And Katie doesn't talk much about running anymore (I still love reading hers, but it doesn't motivate me to run anymore).  So I bought a book.  I've enjoyed a couple of running books, "North" by Scott Jurek, "Running Man: A Memoir," by Charlie Engle, and "Fast Girl; running from madness," by Suzy Favor Hamilton.  I've also read "Wild: From lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail," by Cheryl Strayed (a movie I love with Reese Witherspoon), not a running book, but still inspires me. So I bought a book "Reborn on the Run," by Catra Corbett and Dan England.  I read it in two days.  😊  I also subscribed to Runner's World again.  I haven't been able to read it since my Mom died because she used to subscribe to it for me.  But I need the inspiration right now.

I have a couple other books in my Amazon cart, and I got a couple on Amazon Unlimited, so we will see.  "Reborn on the Run" was a really good book, and yes, it does make me want to run more.  Although Catra, the person the book was about, was an ultrarunner, and I don't have a desire to do that, even after reading her book, or maybe I should say, especially after reading her book.  

One of the things I've struggled with is moving.  I love my new house, but I miss my old neighborhood, and my running routes.  I lived within the same 5 block radius since I moved to Mount Vernon in 2007, even when we moved, I was still able to run the same routes I started on.  Burlington is nothing but dead end streets.  It annoys me. And in order to get even just 3 miles on residential streets (which I like), I have to run through the small downtown.  Otherwise it's running on the dike next to the river.  It's pretty, but I like the houses, I've always enjoyed looking at houses.  

Today I decided I'd go run and through the residential areas, and expected only to get 2 miles.  I ended up with over 3, but I also ended up having to run on a two lane highway for a little while because I misjudged where the trail starts next to that highway.  Where I was was still "residential" but is definitely a highway (Hwy 20) where the speed limit is higher than . . . say Pine St. in the middle of town.  I ended up walking the 0.4 miles after hitting 3 miles.  It is obvious that I'm losing some of my running fitness, I was a little sore after just 3 miles today.  

I think I'm going to sign up for a half marathon for the spring.  That will force me to run. My Mom's death caused me to lose as much interest in running and races, maybe my Dad's death will be my way back into running more.