Loving a cup of coffee

All is quiet. For now. Jackson is sleeping and Altman has headed out for his MOC meeting. Soon, the house will be full of noise and movement again but for now, I am having a cup of coffee.

This is one of the few things that I miss about pre-baby life. I don't remember life before Little Altman and honestly, it couldn't have been nearly as fun as it is now. But, I miss being able to sit down on a Sunday afternoon, after my run and breakfast, and having two or three cups of coffee. These days, I wait until nap time happens. Sometimes, I take a nap so I don't get my quiet coffee time.

I like this time because I can turn on junk TV, grab a cup, and just sit for a minute. Yes, there is a huge pile of laundry to be folded and more in the washer and dryer. And yes, I could probably wipe down the counter tops in the kitchen or sweep the floors or do some work.

Yes, I could do those things but I won't. When Jackson wakes up, I can do them while he plays trains. For now, I am going to find the remote and pour myself another cup!

Celebrating the Start Line

I did it. I actually made it to the start line and I couldn't be happier. I have posted about how terrible this last year has been for running. I have warned you that yes, you can get hurt too. I have also told you that being injured sucks. Big time.

I spent last fall feeling recovered from injury and pretty excited about a November Half Marathon. Heck, I PR'd in the 8K and was the Overall Female Winner. So, I should have been more than ready for my November race.

So close but so so far. About two weeks before, I did a training run on the half marathon course. I ran too fast and too hard. I was mad about my overall performance on the training run so I ran hard the next day.  I didn't give myself time to recover and on the following Tuesday, I was gonna do just "an easy speed workout" and I pulled my hip again. I went to PT that Saturday and was really as ready as I could have been.  I blogged on the story.  No race.

I didn't even make the start line.

My expectations for the Aramco Houston Half were low. I experienced what is called a chemical pregnancy around Christmas and had stopped all intense training. When I found out that I wasn't really pregnant then I jumped back in to training but let's be honest, I didn't have a lot of time. Heck, I didn't have a lot of time to begin with going into this cycle.

Last weekend, I watched the Olympic Trials. What an amazing event. USA's top athletes battling for a spot on the Olympic Marathon Team. It was a once in a lifetime experience. Inspiring.

I ate some carbs, got some rest, and got up on Sunday morning for the race. We jogged to the start line. That went well. I spent the mandatory forever in the corral (yes, race rules) until the gun fired at 7 am Central time. I crossed the start line. Holy Crap!

The race was fun. I had hoped for a better time but to be honest, the crowd was tough to get through and when things finally opened up around mile 10, I just didn't have the get up and go that I needed to kill the last 5K. I didn't really care.

I knew I could finish....if I made the start line.

This was my slowest half in forever. That is okay. Some people dream of running the time I ran last Sunday. I dream of running a PR someday. For now, I am going to celebrate the Start Line. It was a place I wasn't sure I would see again for long distance racing and I am happy to get re-acquainted with it.

For now, I am gonna run for fun. A novel idea but something I haven't done in years. I have been pushing back against my body for being hurt. Now, I will re-embrace cross training and lower mileage and I will look forward to the next Start Line.  See you there.

Writer's Block

I want to write something relevant so badly and I just cannot get the words out these days. I have an idea where the writer's block is coming from and would love to tell the story but....

I have a lot to say but once I start writing - I hate every paragraph and every word. Hopefully soon I will be able to get the words out and tell some funny stuff. I have plenty of material but I am just not able to get it out to you.

I hope it goes away soon. For now, I will keep taking mental notes and hope that sometime soon, I can write again!