Cruising into the Solstice

...and just like that, the solstice arrived.

I gotta admit, I have mixed feelings about the summer solstice. I'm all about the heat of summer, the extended daylight, and all things green, flowering, and beautiful. But once the solstice hits, we start that downhill jaunt to winter. Even though the days will stay long and bright for awhile, they will be (ever-so-slightly) getting shorter. UGH.

All the more reason to get outside, everyday, and enjoy these summer days to the fullest. And I did just that this week, taking all of my workouts to the great outdoors.

12 Weeks of 5K’s Virtually UN-Canceled

I guess you could say my training took an interesting twist this Spring. 

With all of my races either getting canceled, or assuming virtual status, nothing was looking normal. COVID-19 may have wreaked havoc on my races, but I wasn’t going to let it dictate my (running) livelihood. 

Thanks to the UN-Canceled Project, (promoted by Run The Edge), I fostered a new game plan. 

6 Weeks of 5K Time Trials...a Few Reflections

Well, this has been an interesting ride!

The 5K distance has always been a challenge to me. 

Early on, it was tough to find the endurance to run non-stop for 3.1 miles. Once I had the distance mastered, next came the task of running those 3.1 miles a little faster. Then, it was only a natural progression to run that distance even faster - but not too fast - to ensure a true "racing" experience. Fifteen years later, I still don't have it mastered.

Truthfully, it's a distance I've never really trained for. Well, I did have to train my body to run the distance, but any 5K-specific speed work  has never taken place. I have gotten somewhat faster over the course of my 15 years as a runner, but my finish times have never been consistent.

In the wake of all the COVID-19 race cancellations, a slew of virtual races and racing series emerged. I quickly jumped on the band wagon and signed up for the UN-Canceled Project  series. Affiliated with Run the Edge, the UN-Canceled races offered various race distances with different themes each week. There was a Facebook group and a user-friendly site to submit your "finish times" for each of your races.

Since all of my Spring 2020 races were either canceled or postponed (from mid-March and on), these virtual races gave me a new focus for my training. And, since the 5K has been such a nemesis for my running self, I thought this was the perfect time to face it head-on.