Spring in your step
So finally after 95 days of snow on the ground I am ready for spring. This winter has been a notable one in the midwest. We had 3 back to back blizzards leaving snow on the ground for 95 days strait. That is right I did not see any grass for 95 days. So when the first thaw approached I was reluctant to believe it. Yes it melted most of the snow, and threats of flooding surrounded and potholes emerged; but was it really spring? Nope we still had snow the last weekend of March. This snow put a huge damper in any plans of a spring marathon, the snow, cold and conditions of the road, and my schedule made it harder to get quality milage in and so 2 weeks ago I decided a spring marathon was not going to happen. It will have to be a half marathon.
Why does it feel like I lost. It feels like I let winter win. Most people have a life goal of running a half marathon, and for me I feel like I am settling. I actually love racing the half marathon more than a full, but thats just it, it’s a race to me. Not as challenging not as hard. Why do I feel this? A half marathon is a great race and it is hard it’s longer than a 5K or 10K and should receive more credit because it is a faster race than a marathon, and can be just as challenging. Heading out too fast at 10K pace can hurt you and too slow and you will not hit a PR. To me running the half would compare to running the 3,000 in track. I was a mid distance runner that occasionally went to the long distances. And now I am that long distance runner that occasionally goes to mid distance. I will try to embrace the half marathon and it a PR, I mean actually a PR in the half for me was during a full marathon. I guess I should improve that, and I can learn a lot. Maybe I need to focus on the half marathon for a while, to improve my speed to get that BQ. I guess that is what upsets me the most. I am so close to a BQ I can taste it, so not getting the training I wanted to, made it sobering to give in.
At last though I can say spring is here. This week we will hit the 80s. And I will approach this spring with more bounce in my step. I made it through one of the worst winters in Nebraska history. I did manage to run most of the winter outside and I did get good training for a half marathon in. I can always push my training and shoot for an early summer marathon and a late fall marathon. But with spring its hard to chose what sports to do. Cycling, running, swimming. Then you include yard work, walking the dogs, BBQ and all the fun spring and summer brings and that is your biggest challenge.