Pondering the slump...and doing something about it.

I'm a little bummed out about not being able to run another marathon at the end of the year. But I'm a firm believer that certain things happen for a reason, even when running is involved.

You see, things in my life have been all over the place lately. Up, down, you name it. In turn, my running has followed that same pattern. Up, down, lots of miles per week, no miles per week, stagnant, no progress, frustration, even a redemption run or two. It's been utter chaos, really. A lot of it has to do with, well, life. I've taken the past couple of weeks to to really reflect on why my running has been "off" this year. Let's review, shall we?

January: I ran the Disney World Marathon.
It was amazing. It was emotional. It was the biggest accomplishment of my life. But it was also a bit exhausting. At least the training was, anyway. After the marathon I think my body decided it needed a bit of a rest period. I was still running, of course, but I obviously wasn't hitting the same kind of mileage that I was during training. And here's where my problems started -- I didn't make any short term race goals, and if I don't have a race to train for, I don't train at all. I casually run.

March: I ran the Gate River Run 15K, went on a week-long cruise.
I set a goal for this race, and had it in my mind that I was going to train for it, but I didn't train like I should have. I think I still had it on my mind that, "I just ran a marathon. What's 9.3 miles compared to 26.2? My body can still run 9 miles, no problem!" Wrong. Lackluster training = lackluster run.

March and April: Husband in Las Vegas for internship #1, I get laid off at work.
This is where life started to get in the way. I was all alone in Florida, was just laid off from work, and didn't really have any motivation to get off my butt and do anything about it. I didn't run any races because I didn't want to go to them alone (husband usually comes to cheer me on), and because I was just laid off, funds were low. I spent most of April sleeping away my sadness. It's tough to admit that, but it's true. In fact, the only time I got out of the house was to go running (thank heaven for that!), and it was only a couple of times per week.

May: Decide to move back to the homeland (Utah) to find work.
I immediately start to actively job hunt. If any of you have been unemployed, you'll know job hunting is exhausting. Not fun at all. Mixed in the job hunt I attempt to do some running in my home state, and then I'm quickly reminded how much my body isn't used to altitude. Literally, every run for the first month was a struggle. Every. Single. Run. It felt like I was gasping for oxygen, couldn't keep a steady pace, and always felt like giving up. As my body adjusted to the altitude (slowly), the runs eventually got better. And then.....

June: I started work at Ragnar.
The only person that can even begin to comprehend how busy my life was during this month of employment is Morgan (and only because I tricked her into volunteering at one of our races! hehe!). My life at Ragnar was go, go, go. Especially during race weeks, which just so happened to be two out of the four that I worked there. I worked 60+ hour weeks, and on race weekends I probably worked 48 hours straight. And when I say "work," I don't just mean sitting behind a desk all day. I mean physical, back-breaking work. Setting up cones, moving supplies, organizing our trailer full of equipment, etc. (Side note: don't just thank your volunteers, thank your race directors!) Sleep was a hot commodity, taken at any given chance. At the end of each day I was so physically exhausted, I didn't even think about going for a run. All I wanted was sleep. I remember thinking to myself, "I finally have a job in running, but I can't even find time to run." Also, with lots of traveling comes lots of eating out. Not good for the body. Maybe in hindsight not getting the job permanently was a good thing? *shrugs*

July: Depressed about not getting dream job, and job hunt.
Oh, July. Can I just erase you? I was pretty disappointed and sad about Ragnar. Despite the hard work, I loved it. And having something you truly love to do, then have it taken away from you, well, it sucks. The first two weeks of July were just horrendous. Not a lot of running, a lot of binge eating, and a lot of job hunting. P.S. I LOATHE job hunting now. The last couple of weeks in July were a bit better. I had some job prospects, and I was starting to get back into running.

August: Things are looking up.
At the end of July I flew to Alaska for two job interviews. I've now (as of 16 hours ago) been offered both of them. I spent 10 days in Alaska with my friend Holly, and I managed to get in 3 runs, two 5-milers, and one 10-miler. Those three runs have made all the difference in the world.

So, let's get back to the original point of this post. I do have one, I promise!

I neeeeeeeeed to set a race goal for the end of this year. And because the marathons are now a no-go, I've set my sights on a half-marathon in October. This isn't just any old half-marathon, though. I feel like I have enough of a base to be able to run a half-marathon within a month if I really had to. It's not about the distance this go around. And it's not just about crossing the finish line just to finish. It's about the time. I'd like you to take a gander at the left-side of my blog. Go ahead, take a look. Under the section titled "Personal Records" what do yo see? Yes, folks. A half-marathon PR of 2:05:45.

I'm going to attempt a sub-2 hour half-marathon. Do I think this is possible? Absolutely. Do I think it's going to be easy? Hell no.

Thankfully, Runner's World decided to write a little 1:59:59 training plan in last month's issue. It's 10 weeks, and it just so happens to be 11 weeks from my half-marathon. Which means I would start training on Monday. Perfect!

I haven't even told you the best news yet. Going for a sub-2 hour half marathon isn't enough, my friends. But going for a sub-2 hour half marathon dressed as a zombie, well, that takes the cake. You heard me right. I'll be dressed as a zombie.
Say hello to the 2nd Annual Zombie Half Marathon, taking place on October 23 in Anchorage, Alaska! It will be cold. Possibly snowy. But what can be better than running through a crowd of the flesh-hungry undead?! Pizza and limbs served at the finish line.

In all honesty, maybe I'm glad my running has been "off." Sometimes it's good to be able to recognize your weaknesses, so that in turn, you can work on and improve them. I don't ever want to get this lazy again, even when my life isn't going the way I'd planned. It affected my endurance level, it affected my waistline (yikes!), and most of all it affected my overall mental health. Running makes me happy, so it's good to have a plan to get started again. I miss running.