The Runner Returns ... Sort of...

Like my running, this blog has been neglect for several months. Quite a bit has happened these past several months. In September, there was a two-and-half week trip to China (no running there) and school started. Add to this, cooler, darker mornings and the motivation to run has fallen completely by the wayside.

Sure, I've had the occasional run, anywhere from 3-6 miles, but nothing done consistently. On Thanksgiving, I ran 4.0 mile race in Akron, OH (though my watch said it was only 3.8 miles), but that has been the one bright spot so far.

It is time to get back at it! The waistline is trending in the wrong direction. I have already started to plant my 2017 carrots.

A few weeks ago, I signed up for the Door County Half Marathon. This will be the third year in a row  I run this race. It is a great atmosphere and wonderful course.

I have my work cut out for me this year. Last year, my goal was to run a sub-2 hour race. I did that, finishing in 1:57:24. Ideally, I would like to run this next race as close to 1:50:00 as possible.

What this means is that I need to get off my butt in the mornings and start logging miles. I'm not talking 9 or 12 miles here and there, but regular runs of 4, 5, or 6 miles would do the body good. I need to establish a base that way, when the calendar turns to 2017, I can pick up a solid training routine and not have my body hate me for harder workouts.

Like last year, after Door County, I will also intend to run the Green Bay Marathon. I am absolutely determined to run the race under 5 hours. I was very close last year (5:03:01) but was not happy with the run -- too much walking. I have come to the conclusion that I need a more complete workout regiment that involves extra exercises -- strength training, plyometrics, and yoga -- along with all the running.

Planting the carrots are the first step. The next step is digging deep and running on those dark, cold, and windy mornings. The time to start reaching for those 2017 goals is now!