New Year, Fun Training, let the good times roll!

So how 'bout that blog?

Truth time:  I took some time off from blogging.  Honestly, my training has been pretty chill and my schedule has been pretty anti-chill (ie the usual crazy).  As much as I've enjoyed the 'run and exercise as you feel' philosophy I'm really excited to start up training (and blogging!) regularly again.  I'm still working to finalize my races for this spring, but despite my crazy indecisiveness and inability to make a decision, I have decided to embark on a training plan this Monday.  I just really feel like I need some guidance and structure to my training in order to feel like I am making some serious gains in fitness.  Plus, I have alot of new ideas and a new outlook on my training and I honestly can't wait to get started.

Ok, now is the time when I get all philosophical.  The thing is, I've done alot of thinking and reflecting on my Chicago experience and my racing in the last year or two in general.  And for a time, I considered 'giving up.'  Not in the sense of stopping running or exercising or anything, but in the sense of being in my mind a 'legit' runner.  Chasing PRs.  Structuring training to work toward something that means so much to me.  I felt like it has been so long since my running has been good that maybe I'm too late or too old or too whatever to hit my goals.  But the thing is, I'm not.  Plain and simple.  I'm not ready to stop working toward my 1/2 and marathon PRs.  I'm not ready to stop training like crazy as my 'third job'.  If anything, I am more positive and more hungry for the good things to come.  I have to work harder and smarter and with more focus.  I have to retrain my mind to overcome the mental barriers that have previously sabatoged my training and racing.  Although my recent racing history reads like a bunch of 'failures' it really is just a bunch of learning experiences that will take me into being a stronger and smarter runner.  I am so physched to see where I can go from here!

It is New Years and all.  And I do have goals for 2011 in running and life.  But for now, I will just leave it at what I said.  I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season and are ready to tackle the new year head on!  Check back as blogging will now resume and I hope to have more specific training and racing plans laid out tomorrow!