Thanks for Making Me Cry

Last week I had an awesome run, with CORE work, and couldn't wait to do some more. But this weather is really messing me up. The roads are not clear enough to run on, heck, half of them are not even clear enough to drive on! So I'm stuck here. At this point I would even take a "dreadmill" run.

But enough about the Snow, let's talk about me.

Finally my passion for running has actually shown itself to be useful ... It's the one thing that I love about my running style. I know I'm never going to win a race. I'm never even going to win my age group - but don't think I haven't at least fantasized about that in the smaller races I've run. But while no one would ever say I'm the fastest in my group (even though I have the standing record on Team RLAMother for the fastest Half Marathon, at least until the Disney Half Marathon when T blows it out of the water), I certainly would say that I enjoy "racing myself" more than some of my fellow runners.

Last year I raced over 90 miles. And while I'm proud of my speed racing (i.e. - the amount of time I shaved off my previous PRs), I'm more proud of the fact that for the most part, racing that much was the MOST fun EVER. And, only ONE TIME, did I think during one of those races "This isn't fun at all". It was August. I was, uh, "revisiting" my gatorade on the side of the road at about mile 6 of a half marathon. After that my blood chemistry/hydration was out of whack for the rest of that race. That day. Probably that week. It wasn't a shining racing moment. And I didn't PR. This year though, I haven't run a single race. Because I'm not fit enough? No and Yes. Because my knee is damaged? Maybe, yea, some of that. But a little bit because I know I'm supposed to be taking it easy during this phase of my recovery and it's

"not fun to race if you're not going to have a chance to PR". Or is it? Isn't some of the fun of racing the pre-race hype? The running alone in a sea of runners on roads the way GOD intended - CLOSED TO TRAFFIC for my use? The post-race high? The free water? (wait, are you telling me that no one else is running for the free water?)

My experience as a "running for the passion of running" runner finally has come in handy. I'd like to say Thanks to Anne for making me cry today. She says I gave her an Aha moment, well, she reminded me of mine. My list of priorities on marathon day in November, in order of importance -

Have Fun. Finish. PR.

I think I will sign up for the MONUMENT 10K. Because my Dr says I can, and even though I can't PR, I will start in my SEEDED wave (thank you very much), in a CHEETAH SKIRT (goddess willing I will have a new one by March) and I will run because it makes me HAPPY.