Feeling ambitious

First of all, thanks to everyone for being so supportive and helpful with my decision to get a tattoo. I still have no serious plans to get one right away, but it is in the back of my mind, and I'll be sure to keep y'all posted when I do make that choice.

Now on to running. This is a running blog, right? :)

Let's first get to last week's training schedule:
Monday: yoga and cross <----Check!
Tuesday: 5 mile run <----Check!
Wednesday: 7 mile run <----Check!
Thursday: 4 mile run <----Ummmm....nope.
Friday: stretch and strength <----Check!
Saturday: 10 mile run <----CHECK!
Sunday: rest <----Does this count as a check?

So, not perfect, but 86% isn't bad, right? In school terms, that would be like a B. And if we go by how well I applied myself in school, well, then I'm right on track. haha. My 10-mile long run on Saturday was perfect. The weather was perfect, the run was perfect. I haven't had a long run like that in a while. It was one of those runs that again solidified my love of running. I just kept on running, letting my thoughts wander away to anything and everything, and before I knew it my 10 miles was up. I could've kept going! I was enjoying my time and my thoughts. I love how running provides that escape for me. You know, the times when I need to be just completely by myself, with only me in mind. When I'm out there on the asphalt it's just me. Not School Christy, not Work Christy, not Wife Christy, not Friend Christy, just Christy. Just me. Runs like that make me feel so motivated, so powerful, so capable of doing whatever I want. Maybe it's a bit selfish, but I think we all need that kind of escape in life, whether it comes from running or not.

So I was looking at my calendar and realized that my second bout of marathon training starts next month. Wait....what!? Yeah, that's exactly what I said. But it's true. May 15th. It will begin again.

I may be a little ambitious, but I have high hopes of not only running one marathon at the end of the year, but three. Yes, my friends. Three. First on the list: the Top of Utah Marathon on September 18th. I'm fairly familiar with this course, and it's always been a goal of mine to run this marathon. It's located near Utah State University, where I attended college. If you remember, last year I ran the Top of Utah Half Marathon, and the full marathon course is basically the same. It starts about 7 miles further up the canyon, and ends about 6 or so miles past the half marathon finish line in the city of Logan, Utah. I'm hoping for a PR.

Next up is the St. George Marathon on October 2nd. This is contingent upon me getting selected in the lottery. Which, speaking of the lottery, is open right now and ends on May 1st. So if any of you are thinking about running the St. George Marathon, you'd better head on over to their site and enter. Hold that thought. Maybe you shouldn't enter. More chance for me to win the lottery.... Anyway, I really, really, really want to run this marathon. I love this area of southern Utah. Red rock, rolling hills, and the course touts a -2500 foot elevation change. Can we say (all together now!) PR?!?! If I don't get selected in the lottery, then no big deal. I'll just find another random marathon to run in October or November. Maybe the Mesquite Marathon? I'm really shooting for 4 marathons in one year (including Disney). Is that too ambitious? Probably. But for right now, I'm going to go with it.

Then, to finish off the year just right, I'll be heading south to Sin City where I plan on running the Rock n Roll Las Vegas Marathon on December 5th. First of all, I love Vegas. LOVE IT. Secondly, I've been wanting to give the Rock n Roll race series a try, and I figure there's no better race to try than the Las Vegas one. I'll have to celebrate with a little roulette action on the Strip. :D

And finally, this week's training schedule:
Monday: yoga
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Wednesday: 7 mile run
Thursday: 4 mile run and cross train
Friday: stretch and strength
Saturday: 11 mile long run
Sunday: Rest