Lately

Lately I have been feeling kind of different about running. I guess you can say that I am kind of in a "running funk." My head has not been in it and my heart has not been in it for sure. I am still running but I guess my attitude towards running has been a little different. I feel like I have been in constant training mode without any real break. I am not burned out but I feel like I am getting there and need some change. Joining a running club has really brought the changes that I needed.

My running club has also changed my perspective on running and learning to run at an aerobic pace with them has been a huge change for me. Joining this club was one of the best decisions that I have made in a long time. The club is currently training for the LA Marathon and they run about 60-90 seconds under race pace. Running at an aerobic pace is tough but since we are running lots of hills it may not be such a bad idea for me right now. Slowing things down also has it's benefits such as lessening the chance of injury and improving your endurance. Running with the club is fun so I look forward to my runs with them. It definitely beats getting out there on your own especially when you are lacking motivation or want to skip a run!

I think the hip bursitis I was dealing with a few weeks ago kind of made me realize that I need to listen to my body and take things down a notch for a while. I learned a lot about myself and wanted to take those lessons and learn something from them. I was foam rolling, stretching and all of that good stuff but I guess the increase in mileage was not such a good idea. I ran 150 miles in July and I was well on my way to another 150 mile month for August. I normally run 25-30 miles a week. I am not a high mileage runner and 150 miles a month is pretty good for me. So I have decided that I am going to go back to running the lower mileage and make each run count. I also found that my runs are so much better when I run every other day versus consecutive days.

Having said that, I will be running Marathon #6 next Sunday. The only difference is that I will be running with a friend and hopefully pacing her to a new PR. I think it is going to be kind of nice since I will be running at her pace and without the pressure to break four hours or PR. I know that it is still going to be a challenge since marathons will always be difficult in my books! I want to enjoy this marathon and focus on my friend and not myself. This will be her second marathon and her first experience was not a good one so hopefully she will have a different perspective after this race. 

How do you get yourself out of a "running funk" and find the change you need?

Does your training include running at an aerobic pace?

My First Run with IERC

Last week started out really well and things kind of went south at the end of the week because my son was not feeling well. I was on schedule for most of my runs and I even went for my first run with my running club. They are currently training for the LA Marathon which I have no plans to run whatsoever so I am kind of running with them for some short runs and then doing my longer runs on my own.

My plan was to run the 3 Miles they had on their schedule and then do a longer run on my own on Sunday. My long run didn't happen because I had to take care of my son. I haven't decided which pace group I am going to be running with yet since they run in an area which is much hillier than what I am used to.

I also had the opportunity to meet these two sweet girls that I know from Instagram. I guess you can say that I enjoyed it. I am looking forward to running with this group and hopefully becoming a stronger runner. I think it is going to be a nice change for me. I think I need that right now. 

Are you part of a running club?

What do you like best about it if you are?

Why I Joined a Running Club

I am not going to do my weekly recap as I normally do because I don't have anything to recap. I am sure you don't want to hear me talk about how I have not been running so I won't do that either. I think I  just will talk about the other exciting things in my life like my new running club. I have a lot to be thankful for so I am staying as positive as I can about this whole hip issue.

I was planning on going to my first meeting with the club on Saturday but I knew that I would have been tempted to run. I decided to wait until I can run again since it might be weird to show up at a running club if you can't run. Hopefully that will be really soon. I have been wanting to join a running club for a while but just haven't taken the time to do it.  I wanted to join a running club for a few reasons so here are just a few reasons why I decided to do it.

1) I am tired of running those long runs all by myself. Those 20 milers can be pretty brutal when you are out there by yourself.

2) Time flies when you run with a group or even with one other person. I used to run with my close friend but once her husband passed away her desire to run just kind of went away. I have been trying to get her back into running but I can see that right now she just isn't ready. I miss running with her so I figured that joining a running club would give me some company and give me an opportunity to meet some new people who also love running.

3) I like the idea of meeting other people who share the same passion as I do. I think that this like-mindedness (is that even a word) is great because it causes us to motivate each other, share training ideas, share our achievements and it is also a safer environment than just running alone.

4) I feel like I need to change things up. I sometimes feel like I am stuck in a typical routine and running the same old routes that I always train on. I think this will be a nice change of scenery for me. Running in new places always makes me feel refreshed and I kind of like the idea of not having to map out a 15 mile route or a 20 mile route for my long run.

These are just a few reasons why I joined a running club. I am sure there are a million benefits to being a member of a running club which I will soon find out.

Are you a member of a running club?

Tell me some of the benefits that you have discovered to being a member of a running club.

Three Things Thursday

1) I have not gone for a run in five whole days! Yes, five whole days! I don't have any exciting news to share about running because today makes the fifth day of no running. Am I repeating myself? I am dealing with it way better than I thought I would. This might sound weird but it has been kind of nice to come home and relax and take care of the things that I normally put off for the weekend.

2) When I can't run I kind of go on these missions where I do things that are related to running like shopping for running clothes and shoes. I didn't do that this time around but I did do something that I have been wanting to do for a long time. I joined a running club! I am kind of tired of running those long runs alone so I am thinking this change will be kind of nice.

3) The Ventura Marathon is next Sunday which also happens to be my 21st birthday. I have not made a decision as to whether or not I will run. I know that I want to but what I want to do and the right thing to do are two different things. The deadline to defer the race is Tuesday, September 2nd. The race director is not charging any fees for deferring this year which is really nice of him. I will make my final decision by next Tuesday. Pray for me!