People ask me all the time...."so what are you doing to train for this race or that race?" I blankly stare at them and say "Run????" I am horrible at following any kind of racing plan. I never have, don't know if I ever will. I don't like people or some mysterious someone telling me what to do. I'm a rebel. If you say something, anything "has" to be done this way or that way, I will question it. I will challenge it. Especially when I know that the way I do it is just fine. Maybe my way isn't perfect or masterminded, but why do what "they" say I should do when I get along just fine on my own.
So someone wants me to follow a piece of paper training schedule that "they" (WHO IS this they?) say will get me on track to running the perfect 5k, 10k, marathon, whatever. I don't need the motivation. I don't need someone to tell me to go run, I do that perfectly well on my own. This plan will often include speed workouts, hills, long runs, rest days, etc etc. I tend to do most of this on my own. I'm actually not a fan of speed work or track workouts. Sure it may help me in some areas, but then again, I can still crank out a 7/7:30 pace in a 5k. When I did my 1st half marathon, I kept to an 8 minute pace with no problem. Tempo runs, intervals, etc. I do ok without it.
Maybe if I was really pressing for Olympic times or some elite status I'd need such a plan. I'd also need a personal trainer. A nanny for my kids. A housekeeper for my house. A chef would be nice too. But I'm me. Carmen Peterson. Wife of Jim for 16 some years, mom to 6 children. I don't need a plan. I just need to run. And run I do and it fills me & completes me just the way I am.
This was not what I meant to talk about. I got off on a tangent. I'm suppose to be stressing my rest plan. The last 3 nights I have gotten a solid 8 hours of sleep each night. Of course, prior to that I had stayed up til 5 a.m. and had to be back up at 8:45 then went all day with no rest & inadvertently stayed up til 2 a.m. the next day. It's fair to say I desperately needed those 8 hour nights, just to get caught up from my mini series of all nighters. I think the late nights were an attempt to keep myself so busy and so tired that I wouldn't think about how much I am missing my husband & daughter in Mexico. That can only get me so far though and my body begins to crash & burn. This icky cold & sinus gunk began to really flare up again. I knew I had to get back to my full nights of rest or everything would go down the tube before I got to my big race on Saturday.
For now, to keep myself busy I am off visiting family & friends. I had the lovely Weas family reunion to attend to over the weekend. The kids & I then hit the road to visit friends in far off places of the mysterious unknown. Ok, ok, it's "only" Iowa. But I love this place. It's home. Always has been, always will be.
I am getting that blah state of feeling where I am feeling fat &incredibly out of shape. I have to urge to throw on my shoes & want to hit the road for some good runs. But I won't. Or can't. I purposely didn't pack any running gear. So I'll continue to rest, rest, rest.
Just thought I'd throw in a picture of me. I know it's not a good picture, the big shadow across my face. I really miss the photo/video element of my blog. Anyway, this was taken along the mighty Mississippi while at the family reunion. Just proof that I am alive & (looking?) well.
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