Runniversary

I've been running for a year. March 16th was officially my first "runniversary". Wow!

Guess what? I still don't like to run, but I don't hate it any more. It's wiggled into my life and become part of my routine. If I skip a workout on a "running day" my body knows it. If the weather is bad, I find a way to do it anyways. Even if it means running in the snow.

2009

“For an athlete to function properly, he must be intent. There has to be a definite purpose and goal if you are to progress. If you are not intent about what you are doing, you aren't able to resist the temptation to do something else that might be more fun at the moment.” ~John Wooden

In 2009 I accomplished a lot, and lived with as much intention as one can muster.

Possibly my biggest accomplishment? I'm not sure if I'm an athlete yet, but I'm definitely more athletic and healthier than I was at the beginning of 2009. I've continued running (even though I'm still not fond of it), have been going to spin and core conditioning classes lately, and recently started cross-country skiing. The kids got me a set of touring skis for Christmas, so I am looking forward to spending more time on the snow, making my way to the many warming shelters in the area.

Salmon Run

Today I ran the Salmon Run 5k with some girl friends... Melinda, Kate, and Shannon. It was breezy and cool, but we warmed up quickly once we started running. I was definitely grateful for my new arm warmers! I did better than I thought I would, especially since training for the last week has been a little erratic for me.



Melinda, Shannon and I have been running together on a fairly consistent basis. It's nice to meet up with friends for a workout, and it's definitely motivating to know that someone else will be there. After the 8 mile hike in Kauai I gave myself a few days off from running, and it definitely came back to bite me during my first few days back in training.

Despite this I managed to run almost the entire 5k, slowing for a 3-minute walk break after about 30 minutes. I ran the last 5 minutes, and I finished slightly faster than I did for the Light of Hope 5k last month. I definitely didn't feel as strained. So... some progress is definitely showing.

In a few short weeks it'll be time for the "goal race" ... the Pacific Crest 5k at the end of June. (And, my 35th birthday.) We're already talking about what to do after that race. Shannon's talking about a 10k in September. Hmmm...