December, and On to a New Year

[This is a cross-post from Snowshoe Magazine's Blog.]

I'm not sure if it's the getting used to the darkness and cold again, or the hustle and bustle frenzy of holiday hubaloo, but December and I don't get along very well. I tend to feel down, negative, and easily overwhelmed. Pull over, I want off the Busy Train and just sit and watch the stars. Like my garden, I need a bit of time to sit fallow.

I love the New Year though, and this year I'm particularly looking forward to it. I found 2010 a bit of a struggle, but the good news is that it is ending on a much better note than it started. Today is my last day of work until Jan 3, and I'm lucky to have some downtime to relax and spend time with family. And run a million miles.

I haven't made resolutions in a few years, but this year I jotted down about ten without particularly giving it a lot of thought. That tells me something. I'm trying to keep them framed in a positive way, for example instead of saying "I'm going to stop doing X", I think it's healthier to say "I will do Y." I want to simplify and streamline, but in doing so I don't want to define my life by what I don't do.

Last night we ran later than usual, and the woods were snow-covered and intensely peaceful. It was just what I needed, I was off that train and everything felt just Right. After moving a computer mouse all day, it felt so good to move my body, be in nature, breathe the air.... just be.

A very happy holiday to you.
Sara

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Stars or snowflakes?

Training: Week of Dec 6

M - 30'
T - 52'
W - 50'
T - 70' [incl 10' tempo, 3 x long hills, 7 x short at little cat; felt ham tendon on loose snow, so shortened to packed upper hill and was fine]
F - 32' fun strength w/o in snow after
S - am 31', pm 43'
S - 40'

Total 5.8 hours

No long run killed the total compared to the last two weeks, but that's okay. It was uninspiring here weather-wise today, to say the least. Felt kind of tired, so happy to keep it short.

Put up a post on La Sportiva's mountain running blog.

Reading Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire, and it's surprising how much I'm not liking it. It's not that he isn't interesting, and I agree with him about some things, but despite really wanting to like him, I'm really just not.
EDIT: It's getting better. Figured it would so stuck with it.

Training: Week of Nov 29

M - 43'
T - 52' Waterfront in town, windy
W - 40' Cat W first snow on ground
T - 68' [with 10' tempo, 6 x Yarker hills (86 to 76 sec)]
F - 41'
S - 30'
S - 3:20 Front Pk, Arkon W, Bufflehead - Moulton, Little Clear, BSL. Great until bonkage last hour. Light snow, beautiful day on the trails. Park empty... everyone at the mall. (We stopped at Chapters on Saturday and even the overflow to the overflow parking lot was overflowing.)

Total 7.9 hours

Graduated to monthly physio appts. Felt solid on long run structurally. It's like a miracle to be training again. Big pot of chili waiting when we got home.

Training: Week of Nov 22

M - 40'
T - 51'
W - 46'
T - 62' [wu, 10' tempo + 5 x Curl Rd Hills (~1:45 up), cd]
F - 45'
S - 40'
S - 145'

Total 7.2 hours; In general I'm also doing post-run stretching and strength/rehab 5-6 days

Just over a nasty November cold, but I usually get it in December, so it's nice to have it out of the way. Thursday workout felt amazing, no twinges of pain at all and able to maintain good form easily. Officially now "uninjured", and a great week to start training with. VERY happy to be back! Would like to race before Feb...don't want to let my 30s pass me by without doing that as a goodbye to my "youth", ha ha ha ha ha.