I figured an update is due:
- Running is in a holding pattern at best; I'm not increasing mileage right now. All of the wonderful things life brings are encroaching on training time. I started some business classes and we adopted this sweet toller puppy who is going to make a great running partner if he can stick to running in a straight line!
- This means I'm going to have an interesting September. I'm not willing to adjust my plans; I will gut it out and see how far I go. I don't know how many opportunities for 100M or 100K I will have, and it's arguable whether a person is ever really ready.
- On the unprepared topic, I signed up for the Serious Series without having a real plan for or commitment to training for it. The Trail Marathon tends to have a small field; I could only speculate as to several reasons why. I had signed up for the No Wimps Challenge (a half and a full, back to back), run the events (badly, while praying that a sag wagon would pick me up at mile 19 of the full), and won an age group award (my fourth, and two were in high school) for finishing the full. There are no words for my surprise, but this would be a lifelong highlight. Whether or not these circumstances repeat, I absolutely plan to run the No Wimps Challenge again, and if our winter consists of three months of below zero weather, I will not be prepared. I don't know if this sets a good or bad example; possibly it's both.
- I ran several halfs in the spring and most were wonderful. The Dexter-Ann Arbor Run was not a high point because it poured rain the entire time. I'm not a tough runner in the rain. Running in soggy shoes causes really bad things to happen to my feet, and I'm allergic to some of the preventive treatments for this. It's an ongoing question. I finished the race (good) unhappily (bad).
- I also ran the Running Fit Dirty Duo, where I met some new friends (great people always attend these events), tripped a lot, and went down hard during the 5k. My leg was tender for the remainder of June.
- I see that one of my running heroes is running the Javelina Jundred this year and another is running the Woodstock 50 Miler. I always like getting to say hello to friends and competitors at Woodstock.
- There's an ongoing battle to take an impulse trip to hike into the Grand Canyon. This is a burning bucket list want.
- Other wants but probably won't-do's: North Country Half; Marquette 100K. Marquette is on the long term must-do list.
- Michigan is apparently experiencing a record number of mosquitoes this year, and this is adversely affecting the amount of trail running I'm able to do, which is sad. They bite right through the deet. I'm going to peruse Amazon for eucalyptus and lemon oils.
Any run is a good run - Happy Summer 2015!
