It's been a long time....

Hello my blogging friends. It's been a long time, too long!

I kind of disappeared for a little while. It wasn't really a planned break. I just lost motivation there for a little while. Well a long while really. So many things piled up, mostly just excuses that prevented me from getting out the door and doing what I love to do. First it started with my work schedule, working 9 plus hour days, getting home after 6pm. Then I would feeling guilty for going out to run after I was gone all day instead of spending that time with my family. Then it was the hot summer days I wasn't used to (nothing like the weather I was used to running in the PNW) and being to lazy to wake up before work to get my run in. Then I got sick for about a week, then after that I kind of just gave up trying to make up excuses. I would occasionally get a run in here and there, but my training was pretty much out the window. It actually made me sad cause when I did go out and run I could barely run 3 miles without having to stop and walk. Yes granted I would still try to go run when it was blazing heat outside and that had a lot to do with it, but I would be mad at myself for letting myself get to this point when I had built up such a great base of speed and endurance.

So now all there is left to do is stop beating myself up for letting myself to get to this point and just start over. This weekend gave me lots of inspiration and motivation. Even with such little training I ran a half marathon this past Sunday. It wasn't my best race, and probably wasn't the best idea to run it but I felt like I needed to for myself, I love the race atmosphere and I thought it would give me the motivation I needed again. I walked a lot more than I have in any half marathon and the last two miles were probably my slowest. No matter hard I tried to run faster my legs just wouldn't go. I managed to run it in 2:01:17 which is my second best time.





Before



After



After the race I was happy to be done and glad I ran it too. I waited around for a little bit and thought about going home. But instead I decided I should support my friends running the race. I drove to try and find my friend Kacey who was running her first marathon and Linzi who was running her second marathon. I text her to see where she was and started driving slowly, feeling like a stalker looking at all the runners haha. Then suddenly I spotted Linzi's pink hat and honked and cheered! I drove back to the finish line, parked and ran back on the course to wait for her. I saw lots of runners as I waited for them. Many of them shuffling along, in obvious pain, other's with family members following them on their bikes along the course. I thought of the way I feel at the point in past marathons I have run. How much everything in your body hurts and you just want to be done. But also how good it feels to hear people cheering for you, so that's what I did, cheered for each runner and told them good job as they ran by. It actually was quite inspiring to watch them run by, so close to finishing yet so far away. At least for me those last 2 miles seem to take forever. For a second I wondered how I could put my body through that (3 times), but then I remember how good it felt to know all your hard work and months of training was finally paying off. I realized I missed that sense of accomplishment.

I saw Linzi and Cambry running towards me. I cheered and hopped on the trail to run the last bit with them.

This was actually the first time I have met Cambry. She ran the last 9 miles with Linzi and it was also a mileage PR for her. You can read all about Linzi's marathon HERE

I also got to see my friend Kacey finish her first marathon and was her official finish line photographer

She made me remember how just a year ago I had ran my first marathon.

All those feelings from my first marathon came back to me and made me smile. I was glad I could be there to share that moment with her.

Kacey, Cambry and Linzi probably don't realize how much they inspired me.

Kacey helped me remember the sense of accomplishment after running your first marathon. Knowing you freaking ran 26.2 miles and that marathon runners high you feel for the next few weeks. How even though her first marathon was rough she finished it and knows she wants to do another, just not soon :)

Cambry helped me by remembering what it was like when you reach that first mileage PR. The longest distance you have ran and how bad ass you feel and how you know your goal of whatever race distance you have set for you is attainable.

And Linzi, running her second marathon, looking like a rock star even at mile 25. All smiles and cheerful. Even though she wasn't going to meet her goal she was still going to finish strong and not let anything get her down. She was so inspiring, watching her sprint to the finish line. I was honored to be able to run the last bit of the marathon with her and cheer in to the finish line.

I'm telling myself this was a small set back but I WILL get back into solid training and back to just doing what I love, running.

And I WILL start blogging again. Not cause I feel like I have to. But because I love the friendships I have made through blogging. I met Linzi and now Cambry through blogging as well as other inspiring bloggers. I need to use my blog as a way to motivate me again. It does make me feel good to know that there are people who enjoy what I write and miss my blog (thanks Ashley for the motivation on dailymile :)

I'm going to learn from this set back and hopefully rock my training the rest of this year :)