The running part of my post: keeping pace from Week One, Week Two also totaled 15 miles. Runs were the usual three on Monday, four on Tuesday, four on Thursday. I originally thought about running the last four on Friday with this weekend being resting time. Then I woke up Friday morning and couldn’t stop dragging tail. So I figured I’d squeeze in four miles bright ‘n early on Saturday.

Saturday wasn’t moving much faster. I was still exhausted and had the second of the Fantastic Frigid 5k series way up yonder in Delaware County, where I volunteered as one of the course marshals. There was no way I’d be able to run, get showered and get out the door by 9, so I skipped the run to get up there on time.

Even without the run I was still late leaving my place though.

Thankfully the drive up wasn’t bad, although I discovered once I got to Stratford Ecological Center there were no parking spaces. The guy directing traffic told me to take the handicap spot “since we’re probably not going to have any handicapped people coming out here today.” My parking job was so atrocious it was actually impressive.

Saturday was a busy day of errands up north, since I was already there and so were all the stops I needed to make. I don’t know if this is an age thing, but does running errands feel like it takes forever? By the time I got home it was after 5. I was gone the equivalent hours to a workday. And then I got home and got to work again, putting the finishing touches in my kitchen and living room for the Great Update Project of 2023 …. So Far! Granted, it looks great and I’m happy with how everything turned out, as well as the fact I went ahead and got it all done.

The only thing I didn’t get done was running, but that could wait until tomorrow. Sunday Runday is a thing, I figured before falling asleep on Saturday night.

Surprising no one (but me) at this point, I was also moving slowly on Sunday morning. I didn’t want to be late for church – and I wasn’t, believe it or not – so I skipped the run again. Then came home and started the cupcakes, as well as some studying for my life and health insurance exam.

Around four o’clock I had enough of studying and a burst of energy, so I got changed, got to the gym and told myself it was four miles and bust isn’t an option. So I ran my four miles, gradually increasing my speed as my body relaxed into the run. I started at 5.3 and was able to work my way up to 6.0 MPH in the home stretch of my run. I can’t even remember the last time I got up to 6.0. it could have been a few years ago.

And so I’m ending Week Two of spring training on a proud note. In weekends past if I didn’t run first thing Saturday morning, the run wouldn’t happen at all. Granted, afternoons aren’t my favorite time, but it still got done. I didn’t let myself off the hook or break that promise to myself of 15 miles.

I’m exhausted from the run, this past weekend and really this past month. But I got all that I needed to completed, with training, with home projects and with studying for that state exam, which has been the most stressful of the three. Done is good. Done is always good.

So my friends, this is going to be my “good bye to January” post as well. It was busy, it was restorative. I got back to normal, decluttering my home and my mind. And today I baked some cupcakes, which is something I haven’t done in forever. I forgot how fun it is to use my hands in batter.

See you all in February. Enjoy yourselves and enjoy life, however that looks.

Yours in running, writing and life,

Allison