Adding miles 2 by 2

Did another 2-miler on Sunday evening. I've enjoyed taking advantage of the not-yet-scorching temps in the early evening hours. I know that in a few weeks, Saturday morning runs will be pushed ever earlier to avoid melting onto the pavement.

Sunday's run was another alone run. Tonight's also will be... and unless I hear from Tiffany about Thursday morning, chances are, I'll be alone all week. I'm getting back in the game... probably for the first time since the marathon last November. I've been putting in miles, but doing so grudgingly. And it definitely isn't easy to keep up at 5 a.m. when you aren't even sure you enjoy running anymore.

I think that is why I've been avoiding this space. Why keep a running blog if it is centered on complaining? But I'm finding myself wanting to run on off-days and thinking about the route I want to take. Thoughts of fall races are exciting, not foreboding.

Since the two 2-milers felt good, I think I'm going to go ahead and bump it to 2.5 tonight. The low numbers feel ridiculous... but if that's what it takes to WANT to run again, I can handle these small chunks. We can probably all use 9 mile weeks every now and then, right? (Someone please assure me that I'm right!)

Summertime

First run of the almost summer. Short 2-miler, but felt good. Reminder of why I run in the early mornings during the summer (and recently, year-round). Running in the heat is draining! And it isn't even the crazy hot and humid days we'll have in the legitimate summer.

Ready to start back on a regular plan to get back in race shape for the fall season. I'll probably take it fairly easy this week -- maybe 2-milers every other day, with a longer run next Saturday (maybe 5k?).

Since I've been out of town so much on weekends -- and will continue to be throughout June -- I've been running alone. It's been so long since I've run consistently alone that I feel I have to rebuild all my mental strength. I imagine it will be good for me -- it will be nice to be back to the point of running 7+ miles alone. It's been over a year since I've had to do that (whoa, I've been a marathoner for over a year now. CRAZY!).