Race Time!

This has been a great week for running so far.  Since the kids are on Spring Break and my husband is also on vacation, I’ve been able to ditch the treadmill and run outside 3 of the last 4 mornings.  Typically, my daily runs last about 3-4 miles.  When I’m training for a race, I dedicate one day a week to longer mileage and keep the other days at 3-4 miles.  I do weights 3 times a week and sometimes throw in a ride on the stationary bike. 

As I laced up and headed out for a quick run yesterday, I realized that I have just a little over 10 weeks until the Hospital Hill Half on June 1.  If I train the way I have trained for half-marathons in the past, this is plenty of time.  However, it was the realization that it was coming up sooner rather than later that got my blood pumping.  With that notion at the forefront of my brain, I decided to go 5 miles and oh, how glorious it was!

Perhaps this is just me, but as long as I run regularly, training for a race is like riding a bike.  I haven’t done a half since November, yet the miles still come as easily as if it were yesterday.  When I was training for my first half, a wise person told me not to increase my long run each week by more than 10%.  I have adapted that a bit and increase my long run by a mile each week, and that works well for me. 

On that note, I can’t wait to get out there next week for 6 miles!  Should I be this happy and energetic about increasing mileage?  The answer is yes!  I am at my happiest and most efficient running when I am training for a race.  I love to go for leisurely runs as well, but there’s just something about having the motivation of a race to keep me going.  One of these days when life slows down a bit and I have the time to properly train, I'd like to run a marathon and maybe something more.

I will more than likely never win a race.  I’m not being negative - it’s just a fact.  Quite honestly, I’ve been pretty pleased with my results in most of my races and even won my age group in a small race I did last year.  I race because I enjoy the experience and I’m always looking to better my times.  I race to prove it to myself that I can.  If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be running half-marathons, I would have told you that you were absolutely crazy.  And yet, here I am.  That just goes to show you that with the proper training, anyone (really!) can do it. 

I haven’t run Hospital Hill before, and I’ve heard there are some killer hills.  What do I say to that?  Bring it on!  I’ll be ready to go.