On the Road Again - Half Marathon Redux

Half marathon training has picked up again. Unbelievably, I really am torturing myself with this a second time. I think it's like childbirth; the agony of the race is so far behind me that I don't remember how badly my knees/feet/body hurt or that I laid in a tub of ice several times over the months leading up to the race.

Hm... why did I just remind myself...

The point is, I'm back at it. I have new goals too! At the Philly Half my goal was to finish, with a secret goal of breaking 2:30. Going into this one I'm gunning to race it and actually finish in 2:30 this time.

If you look closely you can see feral cats eating a piece of pizza.

Training is in the 'so far so good' phase, which is where I can look back on the week and say "Look at that, I did all my runs at the required mileage." It's bizarre how much three miles feels like nothing now. I remember struggling so hard to get through three miles in the beginning of training last summer. I'm not setting any land speed records, but I finish my runs with tired legs and I'm usually barely winded.

You see normal things on early morning runs.

My running goddess friend is 'helping' by advising on other more speed related workouts to help me get to my own suicide goal time. I did my first sprint work last week and it was actually pretty fun doing a couple intervals as fast as I could go. Until I got home, flopped on the bed all sweaty and contemplated throwing up.

Since then I've had another excellent sprint work, followed by one of my fastest two miles I've ever clocked and OH GOD I AM A RUNNER.

I call this "find the cat".

How did this happen.

And also why.

Send help.

And a leg rub.

Or butt rub.