Running Lately

Once upon a time I used to write weekly updates about all of my training. They were actually some of my favorite posts to write. I love having a place to talk about my training, and reflect on how the week went, but I guess it just got to a point where I felt like, without training for any type of new distance or event, it had all kinda been said before. Also, life gets busy, and I can barely keep up with one recipe post per week, let alone anything about life. Hopefully soon that will change because if you’ve read this blog. um ever? then you know my favorite thing is to talk about myself.

So…running lately. Last year was all about the big challenges. Running a marathon (like, really running one…not hobbling through 5 hours of injury the way the first one went down), and completing my first half ironman.  As soon as the half ironman was over, I came back to the one thing I’ve wanted forever…a sub 2 hour half marathon. I’d never actually trained just for a goal time. I’ve had goals in mind, but the idea of completion had always been enough.

I’ve spent the last 5 months working super hard for this goal with one failed attempt, and now I find myself just two weeks away from my 10th half marathon, and what I’m hoping will be the day I reach my goal. Training for a time is so different. It’s scary and hard and intimidating. I sometimes wish I was the type of person who could just stick with running because it’s fun and not seek out new goals, but that’s just not me, and I’m about out of new distances I plan to conquer for the time being, so I’ve been focusing on speed–something that does not come easily to me, but it is actually improving!

In January I ran a new 5k PR and then in March I ran a minute faster than that and set a shiny new PR of 24:38. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I’d be able to run a sub 25 minute 5k, so it feels like my work is paying off, and all that’s left to do as I go into my taper is get all my things together for the big day. I love to get a brand new pair of shoes just a couple weeks out from the race–the same kind I’ve been running in, of course, but just a new, extra cushy pair that doesn’t have the ware of my entire training cycle on it. And I love that Zappos makes it so easy!

If you haven’t heard of Zappos (have you been living under a rock?), they are a customer service company known for shoes, but there is so much more–they also sell clothing (jeans, fashion trends, you name it!) and accessories. They’ve been around for 15 years and they now offer over 150,000 styles from over 1,000 brands, which means if you want it, there’s a great chance you can find it on their website. The company is based on a community and team culture with a focus on customer service. They always have fast and free (my favorites) shipping which means that when I order shoes for a big race, I know they’ll arrive on time. Don’t like your purchase? They have a super rad 365 day return policy. That is crazy good! Have more questions, but want to talk to a real live human being? I prefer that too. That’s why I love that Zappo’s customer loyalty team is hangin’ around waiting to answer my questions 24/7.

 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.