Hello again!!

Life has kept me pretty busy on the weekends lately – 2 weeks ago, I was traveling for a wedding and this past weekend I spent away working at a race in Pennsylvania. I pretty much rely on weekends for writing my blog posts, which is why I have been a little MIA lately. I think that I had some crazy idea that with my new apartment and shorter commute, I would have more time on my hands for blogging, but if anything, I just seem to have gotten busier (why does life always do that?).

But since I am back, let’s talk about running since that is what I like to do around here! The Bay State Half Marathon  (and marathon in the case of my mom!) is THIS WEEKEND! Ahhh! I’m so excited for it – I think I’ve been experiencing a little race withdrawal since the end of the summer 5k series. But with traveling these past two weekends, I was a little concerned about not being able to squeeze in a final long run before the big day. My training for this half has been very loosey goosey to say in the least, but after running 11 other half marathons, I kind of know the drill. Given that my previous long run of 14 miles was at least 4 weeks ago, I figured it would be on the smarter side if I could squeak in at least a 9-miler. Unfortunately, the days are getting shorter around here, so that left me with only a few options: 1) Try to run 9 miles after work, where I would be able to start in daylight but would end in the dark OR (2) Get up early to run 9 miles before work, where I would be starting in the dark and finishing just after sunrise. I opted for #2, but I did the first 6 miles on the treadmill at the gym so that I wouldn’t have to worry about not being able to see in the dark.

My verdict on treadmill running now that I’ve done it several times in a short span?

I honestly kind of hate it. The miles drag by SO SLOWLY and I just get so sweaty without any breeze and on top of that, I’m bored. But enough of the pity party. I guess if anything, treadmill running makes me appreciate outdoor running more, because check out this sunrise (or runrise as I am terming it) I got to see when I went out to the park to do the last 3 miles of my 9-miler:

That view right there kind of made the whole waking up at the crack of dawn thing worth it. The last of my miles flew by, and now I feel ready and confident for Bay State. I’m also psyched to get a weekend at home – my first since I moved out! This week, I’ll just be focusing on a few shorter runs and doing a little carbo-loading (obviously, this is the best part about race week).

Stay tuned this week for a final post from my mom on her thoughts on her training for marathon #2! Hope you have a great week!!

Do you also hate the treadmill? Any strategies for getting through runs you HAVE to do on a treadmill?