Off-Season

It's that time of year again, where the water fountains on the lake path are turned off and that favorite sleeveless running jersey is replaced with long-sleeve underarmer. I found myself out on a run the other day, around 4:30pm, and I was racing the sunset, trying to get home before it got dark. All of my races have come to an end and I am officially in the "off-season". My last two races, the Monster Dash Half Marathon and the Hot Chocolate, were slightly disappointing I will say. Call me something of a RunNerd but I have become quite particular to CARA sponsored races. Neither of these were sponsored by them and maybe I'm being prissy but I felt like they could have been run better (pun intended). I was so turned off by the Hot Chocolate 15k that I don't think I will sign up for it next year--there were just too many people and not enough staff/organization/planning that went into carrying it out. The best part was probably that I was re-united with my lovely running partner again for the first time in a year! We ran together and caught up on all of life's happenings. And so ended my racing season.

With less structure and no training plan I have been doing my best to still run but indulge in some more weight training/core exercises. It gets tedious, going to the gym every morning or sometimes twice a day. I'm starting to feel like the definition of a gym rat and I have become a part of the "gym family". You know, the regulars who if you miss one day hound on you the next morning. I see them more than my actual family, so that has to count for something.

But I've also taken some time out to do some more "laid back" runs. Exploring new areas, some old favorite spots that will soon be covered with snow, and capturing some photos. I'm hoping having these will be something of a motivation for when I'm stuck inside or trying to take on the treadmill again....oh dear gaaawwwd the treadmill!

 Ending on an exciting note: I met with the coach lady the other day and we decided on a January 1st start date for training :D