Coming up for air

So much to say, so little time or energy. I can’t even compose a complete sentence (see previous sentence). This calls for bullet points!

- Metaphors/Phrases I would use in sentences about how busy I am, if I could compose a complete sentence: A lot on my  plate, Juggling, Spinning Plates (you know, like the circus thing? This lookss really weird written down), Busy Bee, Over-extended, Spread thin, Etc..

- My life is now officially centered around the new house and the 1,000 things that need to be done. We are about 75% done with painting – we are painting the entire interior. Literally every single non-floor surface in the house. It’s a lot of work but it looks amazing. Once that is done the other 999 projects can begin. Like moving. A more complete house update with lots of pictures will eventually be posted.

- Things I would not have committed to if I had known we were buying a house/if I knew how much work it would be: Book Club, Yogathon, (plea for donations will eventually be posted), Marathon Training, Softball League

- Yoga and climbing are both officially on the back burner. Instead of feeling bad about it, I just decided to take a few weeks off so I can take care of these initial big house projects and moving.

- I’m training for a marathon! I may shelve yoga and climbing, but no one puts running in a corner. It takes a lot of energy to run 16 miles and then paint for 8 hours but I’m doing it (so is Zach). This is the first time my marathon training is not my primary focus in life. We’ll see how that affects the outcome. I’m getting my miles in and it’s actually going pretty great.

- Some highlights from last week’s training:

---- My first speed work in like a year! 6 x 0.5 mile intervals at something like a 7:15 pace average. Not bad!

---- Long run of 16 miles with 10 at 8:24 pace. They were supposed to be “Goal Pace” but I don’t really have a goal yet. So I just went for it! Felt great and just cruised along.

---- Total miles for last week: 45! The next three weeks are 50+ and then I taper. Yikes.

- We DNS a trail race we were signed up for on Saturday (see all previous posts about being over-extended, having an entire house to paint, etc). It was 2+ hours away and we just didn’t have the time to spare. We got our miles in near home and then got back to work. It was a cheap entry fee so that’s fine. Moving on.

- Going with the flow! Taking it day by day! Trying to enjoy the process and remember this is a GOOD thing and quit complaining! ETC!

- Well I think that’s it for now. Sorry no photos! There will be plenty soon. Thanks for reading!

running stories

A quick note- I changed the title of my blog back to "running stories." My mind was wandering as I was out for a run this week, and I was thinking about my most recent blog post and the blog in general. I decided that I really like the name "running stories" and that it should keep that original title. I had that name for so long, and just changed it to "creating space" last June, but I was ready to change it back.

When I first posted about going in a New Direction,  I was in a place where I really needed a change in my life. I wanted to take my focus away from training hard and racing, and spend more time looking inward and figuring out what really drives me. I knew running was important to me, but I felt like it was covering up a deeper need for validation. I specifically felt like I was reaching out for validation from my readers hoping that your words would fill something inside of me. I renamed the blog because needed "permission" from myself to stop posting the stats of every single run. I hoped that would help me take the emphasis and importance off of my running performance, and force me to find that satisfaction from other sources.

Not sure I figured it out just yet, but I do think I made some progress. I do think that changing the name allowed me to open up quite a bit about my feelings and my life, and I am happy with that change. I also like not posting as much about my running, because that always felt like such an obligation.

That said, I have also realized that running IS important to me. I have started expanding my horizons with yoga, climbing, etc.. but the truth is I am a runner through and through. As things change in my life, running is the thread that follows through it all. I do still think that I need to find satisfaction in a broader range of activities, but I still want to run, train, and race. I love posting my race reports and occasionally posting about specific runs. And darnit, this is my blog and I'll do what I want!

So that's the update. It's "running stories" again. I will continue creating space in my life for other pursuits and loves, and I will keep trying to find room in my life for the present. I haven't lost sight of that goal. But in seeking that balance, I decided I do want to tip the scales back towards running just a little.

Thanks for reading. :)