This week began with finding myself in the North Carolina mountains. This was not a planned trip, as I was there to support a friend who just lost her dad. She is my best friend and I knew I had to be with her to help during this terrible time. On Saturday I was in Raleigh for Tyler and Bud's 5k so the trip out to the mountains was about 4 hours. During my time there we mostly talked and stayed up late and woke up late. On Monday I was feeling particularly lazy and decided that I needed to run in order to feel normal. It was very cold and there was a little mist in the air but once I got going I felt pretty good. I ended up running four beautiful miles. I ran past greenhouses, cows, horses, and various birds and I felt renewed. I thought about my friend's dad and all the funny stories we shared in the last few days. I felt thankful that I still have my dad. Every day is precious...
I returned home on Tuesday and got ready to tackle the rest of the workweek. On Thursday I woke up at 4:45am to run with some friends. I have not woken up at this hour in some time but I was able to get up quickly and I was out the door at 5am. I ran about 3.5 miles and felt good. I always run faster with friends than alone so this was a confidence booster. It's easy to run slow and take breaks when no one is watching. Running with friends keeps you honest! I will continue to run with this group on Thursday mornings in order to get started on the new routine I will have in January. It's hard to believe that base training starts in just a few weeks.
I'm looking forward to this journey and all that comes with the territory. I am sure I will learn new things about myself! Marathon and triathlon training has taught me how to maximize my time both in training and in life. In the past, I have been known to be the first one done with report cards, the first one done with weekly lesson plans, and the first one up early on a Sunday in order to get in a workout before all of my other commitments. Triathlon and marathon training as shaped me into the person I am today. Literally.