#runnershigh

I'm now firmly into week 2 of a more structured training regime again. Following a plan that Kelly has laid out for me, and actually introducing some speed work into my life ~ and let me tell you, that first fartlek hurt! < --- and this sentence totally just made me giggle.

Week one = pure awesome. I was pretty stoked to do every workout and was generally just really excited to be back in a routine. Hitting my paces during my Sunday long run was just icing on the cake.

Week two however, well, it started off a little rockier. On Tuesday I was scheduled for a 55-70' aerobic run. Nothing crazy and really, it should have been totally manageable. But man, I could not drag myself out of bed on Tuesday morning! I was so tired.

I packed my run gear and brought it with me to work with the vague notion that I would run when the workday was done, but by lunchtime I had tossed that plan clear out the window. Even the idea of changing into my run clothes made me feel exhausted. My desire to run that day went from almost none to completely below zero. Nada. Nothing. Wasn't going to do it.

So, I didn't.

Wednesday things started to turn around. While it hurt, I managed to put in a pretty solid effort on my morning speed workout and then spent the day anxiously awaiting my Wednesday night plans.

So, what were these plans and why so anxious?

Well, I've decided to do some cyclocross this year. I tried it a few years ago, and even though I actually really loved it and had a tonne of fun, I always seemed to find a reason (aka. excuse) not to do it again in the following years.

So yeah, Wednesday. There is a Cross Club in Victoria that meets at various locations around town and does fun little "races" on Wednesday evenings. I realized the only thing holding me back from going out to Cross Club and doing something I actually enjoy was the fact that I didn't know anyone (I'm fairly shy around new people, so while it may seem like nothing to most, this is a big thing for me).

Anyway, I decided to suck it up and join – and I'm so glad I did. It really is SO.MUCH.FUN!

It's funny, because I was probably one of the slowest people out there, but I didn't really care. I enjoyed the challenge of the course and just how different it is from my everyday activities. And you know, even though I didn't really know anyone and was probably one of the last people to finish, it was all good and I was so happy with myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and doing something that scared me.

So, my goal for next week is to be a little more fearless and push a little harder. I can tell I have good enough fitness and endurance to easily handle the courses, but I'm definitely a bit timid about crashing or getting in someone's way, and so I found myself holding back a bit. Give me a few more weeks and I'm sure I can overcome that.

Moving on...

Thursday's workout was good (but nothing really to write home about). 

Then today happened!

Today (Friday) was supposed to be a day off, but I ended up having to come into town with Shane this morning so figured I might as well do my Tuesday run that I had skipped, today. I hadn't really intended to swap my Tuesday and Friday on the calendar, but I felt like running this morning and had the time, so I went with it… and HOT DAMN – best run I've had in ages!

It was one of those runs where absolutely everything felt great and was totally clicking. I was floating. Endorphins were flowing and everything was absolutely right in my world.

As I was running I even found myself thinking about my goals for the half marathon and saying "Ya, I fuckin' got this!" (complete with bad grammar and swears, haha).

Total.Runners.High.

I guess sometimes it pays to listen to your body and just go with the flow.

My post-run, high-on-life, Facebook gush.