She’s back.
My 5 weeks of coughing is finally over, and I went for a slow but AMAZING three mile run yesterday. Then I celebrated with an evening cocktail I’ve been looking forward to. One of my best friends from college posted an article on Facebook about Proof cocktail syrups, hand-made in Decatur, GA not too far from my beloved Emory University. I ordered one online immediately, not even realizing my friend knows the bartender who helped create the Proof line of syrups. The Pecan syrup smells sweetly of orange and takes the labor out of making an Old Fashioned. Paired with Basil Hayden’s, it was a fast road to aromatic deliciousness.
My legs can tell I went for a run yesterday, and it’s the best feeling in the world.
I’m so excited to be back to exercising, nothing makes me feel better… I’m just in such a great mood after I run!
In other exciting news, I have big plans for my sixth half marathon this fall. I’m signed up for the Chilly Half Marathon in Newton again, and I’m targeting an aggressive pace improvement because I got an inspirational e-mail from Tony saying he’s training this summer with 9:30s as his race goal for November. Running the race the past two years with him earned me half marathon PRs both times, and I’m willing to bet this year will be no different. I lost him at mile 10 last year, hoping to keep up with him until the finish line this time.
9:30s would knock 30 seconds per mile off my time last year. It’s an aggressive, but exciting, goal. What I realized is that I need to work smart if I’m going to make it… so I’ve hired a coach. Yup. You read that right. So far I’m just signed up for an initial consultation of 60 minutes to go over strategies, ask all my questions, and get a tailored plan for the next eight weeks until I get back to MA from our time in Maine. Then I’m going to consider meeting with him again, and possibly seeing him on a weekly or biweekly basis, or doing e-mail consultations.
I’m excited about the prospect of having someone who can answer all the questions that come up during training, like “this run was awful, do I just keep going or repeat the workout?” “Should I run longer first, or faster first?” “I can only run three days this week, my schedule is crazy, which workout do I drop?” etc. Answering these questions with help could make the difference between meeting and missing this challenging goal. I also like buying services rather than buying material things with my personal spending money. I’m less likely to splurge on a pair of shoes or a bag I don’t need, because I just spent money hiring a local fitness expert. Less waste, less manufacturing of things in China, more support for a local business, and a great source of information and encouragement for me.
Here’s to the good life 🙂
How exciting! I signed up for coaching via a website/forum this year and am loving it so far! While it’s probably not quite as tailored as a one-on-one coach, it has definitely helped me hit some goals and keep me accountable. Happy running!
That’s awesome – it’s so nice to have the extra support and answers to specific questions, isn’t it? I learn a ton from reading books and magazines about running, but there are times when I could use a hand applying the advice to my specific fitness level and goals.