Fall Running/Racing Update

Fall is officially here and that means racing season is here again! Now we all know that I'm no world-class athlete...so why get so excited about races? Well, because it keeps me motivated! It keeps me heading out the door for run after run and keeps me taking good care of my body. After a summer break from racing, I am ramping up my training again and have a few races in mind for this fall/winter.

I have found more runners here in Jonesboro than I have in all my years of running, and I'm so excited to have found a group of ladies that run at 4:50am (or earlier for longer runs)!

What? You're not excited?

Now let me just say, 4:50 am is a dark, lonely time of day (just in case you've never gone out in the streets to run at that hour). And as much as I tried to get out of bed and get my runs in before work, it just wasn't working out...until I met these ladies. It's a lot less lonely (and a lot less scary) to have 15 other ladies out there with you. Plus, it's a little extra motivation not to hit the snooze button when you know they're waiting on you!

The only catch is...they are training to run a half marathon in December and I'm training for a full in November. My 15 mile long run was pretty lonely last weekend, but this week I will get to run 7 miles of my long run with the group. It's a nice way to break it up a bit.

My first race of the fall is a half marathon next weekend on October 1, right here in Jonesboro. In November, I plan to do my first full marathon in Mtn. Home (which was where I did my first half marathon 7 years ago). Then it's quite possible we will be back at Disney again in January for Ryan's first full on his 30th birthday! So that's the plan, Stan (for now anyway). Wish me luck!