Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Runnin' the roads...on empty (still)

This is a functional post to explain my blogging absence...

Where have I been? What have I been doing?

For those of you who have feared the worst and imagined me drunk on an island, imprisoned by the tempestuous effects of my former love, Alexander Keith, lift your heads and rest your hearts. I have not returned to that destructive relationship. I am as sober as when we last met.
and
No, the cause of my absence has not been a torrid and impassioned affair with the nectar of the Gods. While I continue to mourn the absence of a good stiff drink, it's not in the same desperate way that it once was. The deep sense of loss I felt over giving up the hooch continues to be replaced by the sense of accomplishment and pride I get from running. It has actually been the running that has kept me from putting pen to paper.

The days, weeks and months have passed, as they always do, the difference is the time has been used for good and not evil. I have made good use of the time that has lapsed since my last post. In May I shared a post  that highlighted the new coaching relationship I was involved in, which at the time had me running around my neighborhood slower than my Grandma as we made use of heart rate training. That approach served me well.

In June I began the marathon training schedule that my coach took great care to create. The plan focused on making Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon my 'A' race and getting me there injury free. As the spring turned to summer the weekly kilometers built and with that came a bigger time commitment. Between running, cross training, strength training, foam rolling and stretching I put in between 8-12 hours on top of my full time job and family responsibilities.

These 8-12 hours have been well spent and still fall short of the weekly drinking time card I used to punch. Spending this time in my running shoes has kept me from sitting at a computer. There you have it! This is where I have been all summer...out running the roads, for real.


Stronger

Stronger