Yoga Pants Life

So, it’s official – I’m signed up for the Rock n’ Roll San Diego Marathon. Hard to believe that I’m willingly doing this to myself again after I swore up and down during Chicago that I was not cut out for running marathons and that I would never run more than 5 miles at a time ever again. No halfs, no 10k races – seriously – nothing over 5 easy miles. EVER AGAIN.

I’m not usually one of those people who is driven by mistakes and failures to propel them to success. Nope. I’m the person who is all “I was burned by the fire and I’ll be damned if I stick my hand in it again” (please excuse my crappy metaphors.)  I’m not the “it’s better to have loved and lost than never loved at all.” I’m more the “well, it didn’t work out with so-and-so, so I’ll go on another date around the 15th of never.” (this may neatly explain why I’m still single.)  2015 was a shit-tastic year for me career-wise and I didn’t apply for a single job in 2016 as a result. I’m just not up for dealing with more rejection and disappointment right now.  I’m not suggesting that this is a good way to go through life, but it’s just the way I am at the moment and I accept that.

However, I refuse to accept that my second shitty marathon will be my last. While some of the factors were beyond my control (thanks, stomach!) I made some mistakes I made during the training cycle that I know I can fix. I feel a bit more relaxed about things this time around and I don’t feel like I have so much riding on my performance (also, it’s the 20th anniversary of this marathon and to celebrate, the entry fees are dirt cheap!)

The best part is that I will hopefully cross my next marathon finish line with support from family and friends, as I think I’ve recruited my cousin and BFF to run it with me (well, maybe not with me, since they are both faster and more athletic but knowing we will be out on the same course and going through the same things makes me feel better.)  I am also running the race in a city that I’ve considered to be my second home for my entire life. I have a lot of extended family in the area and it feels like instant support and comfort, even though they may not go to the race itself.

I’m 32.5 weeks out from my next marathon. If I learned anything from Chicago, it’s that time flies by really freaking fast. It feels like I was just building my base last April/May and suddenly I was on a plane to Chicago. Official training is still a few months out, but I plan to spend the next few months doing a lot of speed work and weight training. I know, I know. I always say that’s what I’m working on…but this time I’m serious about it, because I’m still reeling for the consequences of what happens when you ignore these things during training.

So, here’s to many more posts about the ups and downs of running and life.

Gratuitous repeat kitty pic – they make me so darn happy!