D.C. people — was last weekend beautiful or what?
The husband and I celebrated the (now gone) warm temperatures by taking at 4.5-mile stroll on Saturday. It was a pleasant, wonderful walk; we saw lots of baby carriages and I said to the husband, “That’ll be us soon.” He grinned and said something wanting to eat all baby toes and fingers.
Sunday’s long run (during a recovery week) was also quite nice; though it was a bit chilly in the morning, I still ran without a hat! (And the day bloomed into a warm and sunny one.) It was great to get out there and run without a cold bothering me. After last Thursday’s speed work, however, I knew I was recovered. Tough as it was, it also made me feel better about my goal for Cherry Blossom. It’s something I know I can do, something I’m absolutely confident in. I’m hoping the speed work adds that boost I need to rid myself of the minute still hanging on, and that the long runs that I’m trying to do at a disciplined pace help me get through the race’s first three miles without expending too much energy or impatience. I will also do my best to start at the front of my corral so I’ll have less traffic to negotiate.
Long runs, however, as my happy moments. They bring up in me a wellspring of joy and self-assuredness that’s close to unmatched in my other physical endeavors. When I ran consistently in college, I would use the time to write papers in my head and tease out complex ideas that were nagging at me. I want to get to a point where I’m using the long run in such a way (or my in-week runs, as they’ll hopefully get longer).
The idea of a June 10 miler entered my head after yesterday’s run, and I’m flirting with the idea of doing the Baltimore 10-Miler on June 14. I figure that as long as I can keep on going, I should keep on challenging myself. Perhaps this will be the spring of 10 milers.
(Summer’s a bit tougher to call given my aversion to the D.C. heat and humidity.)
With my more relaxed work schedule, I’m also thinking that some quick afternoon runs are in order. Given that I’m home before the sun goes down (thanks to not having a crazy work environment and the lengthening days), I could take a long way home and rack up some miles. While I’ve been pretty good at working out three times a week, I feel that I have the energy and time to add another workout in, even if it’s a two-mile run.
My yoga class is starting this week, too. I’m hopeful that I’ll love it and will want to get more serious about it as a way of diversifying my workouts and improving my flexibility. It will also ease my mind more, I hope — while things are going swimmingly right now, I want to practice mindfulness and positive thoughts for when the going gets tough (it’s life — it will get tough).
I’ll end with Friday night, which was a lovely prelude to an active weekend. My husband and I didn’t do anything fancy — we went to a place with a good happy hour, sat at the bar, had a few beers and some terrible bar food, and just talked away the night. It was so relaxed and fun, making each other laugh and tasting each other’s beer. After last year, where we were constantly stressed, had too much on our plates, and didn’t focus on ourselves or one another, we’re in a good space where we’re remembering what a team we are. To sit in a bar for a few hours on a Friday night felt like something of a luxury. One we’ll repeat soon!
And now, the week. It’s a fertility week, but I find myself strangely unaffected — there’s no frantic scheduling, no anxious calculations. What will be, will be. I’m excited about my speed work come Thursday night (eek! and did an easy run this morning). Friday night will be another night out, this time to see Richard III at the Folger (squee!).
It’s a busy week, and not everything will get squeezed in, but there’s so much joy in there, I can’t help smiling.