Let the season begin

The days have been warm, and the nights have been cold.  It is unfortunate that I have found myself out many evenings this week without a jacket.  A soreness in my throat came on last night, and my nose is all stuffed up today.  The worst part is that my vacation is now over.  *sigh*

I know no better way to end a vacation than with a great run.  So yesterday, while I was still feeling well, I made took a trip to my favorite open space to get my shoes dirty.   

Instead of my usual route (when I was actually running there), I took a more popular trail which I usually avoid.  My avoidance is due to the intolerance that I have with meeting up with person after person while traversing the eight switchbacks.  The trail, however, is oh so lovely.  It is shaded for the majority of the climb, and has several little foot bridges to cross the creek when the loop returns to the bottom floor.

My lack of routine on this trail has made the climb mentally challenging in the past.  Although the assent of my routine trail is steeper, the familiarity with the land marks allow for an easier run.  This is much the same as racing a course that you are familiar with, compared to a course that you have never run (or even driven) before.  It is just easier.

I was prepared for a tough run – much the same as my experience last week.  The run, for whatever reason, today was easy.  Perhaps it was due to having run the trail just a week before, or maybe it was just because of the relaxed state that a vacation (even when the majority of it is at home) can produce.  Regardless, I found myself surprised to be at the top of the switchbacks, and on my way back to the van.  Because I was feeling good, I added on an extra mile to the run.  Not too much, so as not to overdue it, but just enough to feel like my running is progressing.

It is nice to see my running improving.  I have been diligent in my stretching, the performing of my ankle strengthening exercises, and in icing my knee post run.  I have a long way to go to get back fully.  Every little improvement is promising, and the timing is just right, as today officially marks the beginning of the Team In Training (TNT) Summer season.  I am thankful for these little successes.

Speaking of successes, my fundraising has gone better than I ever dreamed.  I admit, I had hopes of having met my requirement by the first training event, but I honestly felt that this was an impossibility.  To date, I have raised $2,165 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) plus approximately $400 more in donation matching.  I can actually say that I have already met my requirement.  THANK YOU so much for your support!

Let the season begin.  I am ready to begin training again.

The TNT kick-off event is today.  Unfortunately, it is being held too far way to get YaYa to soccer on time, so I will miss it.  I would like to be involved in as much of the TNT experience as I can without straining my psyche or the family. 

During the beginning of the training season, while the long runs are relatively short, I will have YaYa in tow.  More accurately, I will be doing my usual bicycle-run chase routine with him.  In the past, our system has been good; he knows how far ahead I am comfortable with, and stops to wait for me along the way.  Adding the large TNT group to the trail may pose a problem however.  We will just have to assess how well this is working and adjust as needed. 

I hope that my having YaYa will not be a problem for anyone, as I do not see any other options for his care at this point.  I have already abused my neighbors in getting YaYa from school to soccer practice, and do not feel comfortable asking for more from them. I realize that once the runs get longer, I will need to find other options. 

At this point, I will keep my goals simple.

• Beat this cold
• Respond to my body’s needs (i.e. stretch, strengthen, ice, etc.)
• Work the training program as fully as I am able (either with TNT or on my own)
• Go with the flow and not stress about missing events
• Get ready for today’s soccer game!