I don't make New Year's resolutions. Truth be told, I don't need to make them; my husband makes them for me.
Apparently Neil likes to sign me up for races that are made for crazy people. I guess he thinks I fit the bill. A couple of years ago, he signed me up for the Ragnar Relay - where a team of 12 people ran a combined total of about 200 miles across the state of Florida in a little over one day. My mileage was a total of about 16.5 miles, but broken up into 3 separate legs. I thought he was crazy. No way I could be a part of that. Then, I trained, and I did it. But let's not mention the fact that Neil got the stomach bug and didn't end up participating...
So this time around, Neil's brother, Jonathan, calls and asks if we want to do the Hotter'n Hell race in Wichita Falls, TX. 3 different events. A 100-mile road bike race, a 13-mile off-road mountain bike race, or an off-road trail run of either a 10k or a half marathon.
Did I mention it's at the end of August...in Texas? CRAZY!!
Yet Neil is like "c'mon Pammy. It's not like it's crazier than the Ragnar - and you did that."
Yes, I did run my longest leg of 6.6 miles in something like 95-degree record-breaking heat in November, in the middle of the afternoon without any shade...after having next to no sleep because of running in the middle of the night and then trying to sleep on the floor of a middle school library...
But Ragnar being crazier? I'm not so sure about that.
Right now, I'd be starting pretty much from scratch as far as training goes. I've taken a running sabbatical, so to speak, for a couple of months...or a lot of months now. (Life just got crazy and super-busy with 3 kids, home school, and breastfeeding.) I ran on Friday, and I made it a mile...in 11:30. great. But I know that I can start from scratch. I did it when I first started running, and I've done it every time I've had a baby...this time I just have to start from scratch for the second time since having Isaiah. So this will be my 5th time to do it. It's no fun at first, at all. But give it about a month, and I'll be loving it as much as I always have, and I'll eventually pick up the pace again.
But even if I do the half, it isn't the distance that scares me - it's the heat. Especially considering how many consecutive 100-degree days we had this past summer.
I know that the right gear is everything. Hydration belt or pack. The right attire. The right shoes for running trails. And some of those amazing energy gel things that you can suck down when you feel like you have no energy left...so long as I can find the caffeine-free kind. Also running outside in the Texas heat to train is a good idea. No problem, I'll just step outside my door in mid-day come summer-time and go for some "adapt to the heat" kinda runs.
And this time around I'm going to train the right way. I'm going to give myself a break every couple of weeks and just have a "slow and steady", low-mileage week.
And I'm going to do strength training too, to prevent injury.
I guess we'll just see how it goes. I'm sure I'll be proven wrong again...and I'm sure I'll love it. If nothing else, it gives me something to train for, right? Motivation - setting a goal - is everything.
So when do I start training? Good question...
