Seriously. Is it already that time of the month again?
It seems like I just cleared my running conscience and "bared my sole(s)," and it's time to
Runfess all over again. So much has happened, and September has been busy.
Let's get right down to business...
First of all, where has all of that precious daylight gone? I gotta
runfess...I want my sunlight back! My
#5at5's (those five-milers at 5:00 a.m.) are in total darkness now. Granted, there is a peacefulness and tranquility, like none other, under a starry (and moonlit) sky, but the diminishing daylight hours are a tad bit depressing. It's kind of a crock that we only have a couple months of extended daylight where I live. Ugh. Moving on.
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| Thankfully, I have my Knuckle Lights to keep me company in the darkness |
With the diminishing daylight hours there's also the cooler temps. Can I
runfess that these cooler temps of autumn feel refreshing, but I still prefer the summer heat? That's right. Actually, it's probably not that big of a surprise to anyone who has been reading this blog for very long...I'm a summer enthusiast. With the cooler temps comes the challenge of remembering what layers are appropriate for what conditions...and there really are no hard and fast rules since everyone has a different set of comfort levels in terms of what feels too warm or too cold.
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| Yep, we're back in the arm warmers...at least they add a fun splash of color |
Did you hear? I finished my 20-mile run this past weekend, which ushered me into that wonderful place called Taper (cue the celebration music). Since I won't be running any more excessively long runs (until race day, that is), I have already bid my hydration pack a fond farewell for now. Ahhhh, let me
runfess, it feels oh-so-good to know that it can hibernate in storage for a while. I do have a 10-miler on tap for next weekend, but I will not need to worry about having water with me for that. Come race day, I plan to utilize the water stands on the course, so the hydration pack will not be needed for that either.
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| bye bye for now, dear hydration pack! |
My recent trip to Philadelphia (for the
R'nR Philly Half Marathon) was a blast! Here's a huge
runfession, though.....it involved comfort zone violations all over the place. I do not take many trips of this magnitude on my own because the hubby is usually along with me. He gladly takes care of all the logistics (and I gladly let him LOL), but it was just myself and the daughters on this adventure. The youngest daughter and I had to find the car rental station in the ever-confusing airport upon landing in Washington, DC (totally NOT an easy conquest). We then had to drive ourselves (in crazy traffic) to the older daughter's house (in Hanover, PA). The next day, we had to navigate our way to Philly (in more crazy traffic) and find the expo location and hotel. The following day, I made a new friend and shared a cab to the race and did my first on-my-own Uber ride back to my hotel...before driving myself and the younger daughter back to Washington, DC (in even more crazy traffic) for the flight back to Iowa. This may not sound like much to most people, but it was a major anxiety-attack-just-waiting-to-explode for me. Thankfully, all went well and we made it back home unscathed. Whew!
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| and, I got to run the famous "Rocky steps" of the Philadelphia Museum of Art |
And, lastly, I am feeling pretty good about my upcoming marathon (the
Cannonball Marathon, October 13th, in Greensboro, NC). Seriously, I have to
runfess, this is the best I have felt in training for 26.2 miles (and I have done this seven other times). It has not been smooth sailing by any means, but I think I have done a good job staying on schedule with my training. This training cycle had me more focused on speedwork and HIIT components than ever before. I'm not hoping to crush my current PR, but I am hoping to run a strong race and finish with a smile. It would be really nice if the 26.2 gods could (finally) cut me a break and not dump any surprises on me come race day. None the less, my training is in the bank and all I can do now is trust that I did enough to get me to the finish line. Onward!
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| Ready for my 8th marathon...bring it! |
So, those are my
September Runfessions. Getting all of that out in the open feels ever so liberating. Can you relate?
How about you...do you have anything to runfess? How do you feel about the diminishing daylight? Or the falling temps? Ever traveled to a big city (or several) on your own? Rental car anxiety???
I love how happy you are to be in your taper! Yay! I will hope for you that the Mara Gods give you a good day on the day.
ReplyDeleteI don't drive and I find travelling completely alone can be less stressful as there's not another person to stress you out. However, extracting a car from a French airport when I was the one with the credit card and my friend the one with the driving licence, all in our schoolgirl French (which didn't really cover modern adult life!) was a fun time I recall from a good while ago now! And the horror of not being able to find the transit system in Dallas airport and having to run (before I was a runner!) all the way round the massive airport to get my connecting flight - argh!
Airports can be so frustrating! I work for a signage company, so I am hyper aware of wayfinding issues (having actual reliable signage to help one "find their way"). There were only a couple of signs that said "car rentals" and they lead us to a parking ramp and that was it. No arrows or signs in said ramp. WE walked back and forth to several different info desks before someone finally told us with way to go (via a SHUTTLE).
DeleteI also gladly let my hubby take over with the details of travel and I, too, would have been a mess figuring all those logistics out, but I would have done it, so I hear exactly where you're coming from. ;-)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your taper time. I hope all the stars align for perfect weather, good rest, and a body that's ready to rock it on race day!
I'm glad I had the daughter with me to help navigate LOL
DeleteHopefully with all the traveling you're doing sans hubby this year, your anxiety will lessen.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have traveled alone before, but never have had to do so much driving in a strange car in numerous lanes of traffic. I think I was the only one using my turn signals and no one would let me over. Not my gig LOL
DeleteGirl you need to get out more. Travel is a confidence builder just like running. The more you do it, the more confident you are. The world is your oyster!
ReplyDeleteha ha...I love traveling, it's the driving in a rental car at rush hour (in 10 lanes of traffic) that was stressful ;-)
DeleteOH man, I didn't know that you had to do all that driving..in two major cities no less! The traffic can be so crazy so kudos to you for driving in it. Despite the travel craziness, I'm glad I got to see you in Philly!
ReplyDeleteI runfess that although I like the cooler temps, it's starting to get darker here earlier in the evenings and that's a bummer.
Despite the crazy travel stuff, I am so glad I got to Philly!! I'd do it all over again LOL
DeleteI am with you on the summer heat. I love a good sweat! And the hydration pack. I sometimes do loops from the rec center for a long run just so I don't have to carry hydration with me. I hate being weighed down with a belt or pack. Good luck on the Cannonball! You are gonna do great!
ReplyDeleteThe hydration pack is there for water purposes only LOL, and only for runs longer than 13.1 miles ;-) Like you, I hate being weighed down by it and all that sloshing water in the bottles is annoying LOL
DeleteWay to go on the Uber!:) Yes it can be hard to navigate airports you are not familiar with! Yay for your taper you have had a really great training cycle
ReplyDeleteI knew you'd be proud of me doing the Uber all on my own ;-)
DeleteI love the summer heat as well, the feeling of sweat pouring down my face is oddly enjoyable for me. The dark 5am mornings are not something I am loving thought
ReplyDeleteI love the summer heat....I will never complain about it. Never.
DeleteI don't mind planning the logistics when it's just me. I can pick the rental car I like and just drive out. If I'm traveling to a big city, I take public transit and don't worry about the car. The last time I rented was Vegas, and it was easy to find and I only got turned around once leaving the airport to head up the strip.
ReplyDeleteThis particular trip had a lot of driving due to where our flight landed and then meeting up at the older daughter's place and THEN driving on to Philly. I"m glad I had the younger daughter along as my chief navigator!
DeleteI do NOT drive in big cities - public transportation ONLY.
ReplyDeleteYes, I miss the warm temps. I hate the shorter days...it's depressing.
Congrats on the taper. You will ROCK this marathon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm used to driving in my small town...at least when the people don't use their turn signals, they are driving slowly LOL
DeleteI do travel by myself. The logistics always cause me the most stress when race-cationing. It's never the race. Especially when you're at the mercy of so many things out of your control: flight delays, cancelled rental car reservations, overbooking, etc. Enjoy the taper!
ReplyDeleteAgreed!!!!! The race itself was nothing in comparison to all the driving and details of everything else. Oh, I am thoroughly enjoying my taper ;-)
DeleteOh man, I didn't even think about your 5at5 runs in the dark! Yikes! Do you continue those all winter too?
ReplyDeleteYes, the 5at5's are year-round ;-)
DeleteWere you at Dulles or Reagan? Either way they are so confusing and rental cars are so far away! I understand the accomplishment of figuring it all out. ;-) Yes, it's dark at 5 am, but it's also dark at 6 and still dark at 6:30. :-(
ReplyDeleteWe were at Reagan. I'm a detail gal (art geek tendencies LOL) and work for a signage company, so I'm pretty good at navigating on foot, but this airport was very confusing! Thankfully, returning the rental car was easy-peasy...once we got through the late afternoon traffic to get to the airport LOL And, it is SOOO dark now ;-( Total buzzkill!
DeleteI runfess I have never, ever rented a car. Back when I worked, I id travel for work, but just occasionally & I always managed to stay close enough to wherever to just walk or take a taxi/ shuttle.
ReplyDeleteDC traffic is the pits (although Jersey ain't no picnic, lemme tell you). Decades ago, before we were married, I lived in MD & did have to drive through DC a couple of times. I also used to drive from MD to NY on a regular basis, drove from MD to VT when I moved, once in CA .. . definitely not a fan of that sort of driving.
Hate the shorter days -- my trick is usually just stay really busy at this time of year & then you don't notice it as much! But digging fall weather -- when we actually get some.
I love using Uber!! You have had a great training cycle, you are so dedicated! Enjoy your taper, you will crush your race!!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you survived your travel anxiety and had a smooth trip. And you mastered Uber! ;)
ReplyDeleteYay for taper - you've had such a good training cycle I can't wait to see what you do on race day!
I'm totally with you on the travel gig. I gladly let Major Hubs do all the driving in big cities ...I have way to much road rage to deal with it! Lol Good luck with your upcoming marathon. North Carolina will be pretty this time of year!
ReplyDeleteWay to push yourself out of your comfort zone! I travel alone very frequently so it seems second-nature to me, but I can see how it can be intimidating for someone who doesn't do it that often.
ReplyDeleteI love summer, but I am ready for a bit cooler temps and really just less humidity!
ReplyDeleteDC traffic is NO joke! That is one challenging area of the country to navigate!
Way to go getting it all done and getting back home safe and sound!
I am usually the logistics person when we travel, so that doesn't bother me - but I hate driving in big cities, unfamiliar or not. I'd much rather deal with the vagaries of public transportation, even though small crowded spaces stress me out too.
ReplyDeleteI did a lot of traveling on my own during my 4th year of med school, and there are definitely perks to it, but it's also really fun to get to travel with family/friends. I still hate driving in big cities though and try to avoid it whenever possible!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, I love running in the warmer temperatures. I always find it so difficult to breathe while out running in the cold air. :(
ReplyDelete