Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve posted out here. I guess I’ve been living beyond the blog in a space called “real life” that runs me from one task to the next without stopping for hobby breaks. By the time I finish dinner and clean the kitchen, I’m moments from the crash. Once I stop, I’m out. The only reason I have this particular moment is because ice skating was cancelled today and I’m resting my dog tired legs for a few minutes (speed intervals this morning).

I haven’t been 100% raw for a while now, but I’m still vegan and high raw. I’ve tried to figure out how to eat while training for this marathon (timing and volume). It’s a tricky thing to be sure. It doesn’t take much to overeat (because I often feel ravenous after a run), or even to under eat (because I get busy and forget to eat). I’m focusing primarily on whole food – plant based options, and most days that goes pretty well. I’m still overweight, which annoys me because I can’t run as fast as I could if I were lighter. The slower you go, the longer the runs take. So, clearly I’d prefer to be faster.

Yesterday, the Husband and I started week six of our 18 week training plan. Week six is a pivotal shift in the Hanson’s Marathon Method because you begin speed and tempo workouts. Today was our first speed workout and it came on the sixth consecutive running day. What does that mean? It means you are starting speed intervals on tired legs. Well, I thought they were tired when I began today’s workout, but that was mild fatigue compared to how they feel now. Tomorrow is our one day off from running this week. Oh how I’m looking forward to it.

I’ve been running off and on for years, but this plan is unlike anything I’ve done before. I’ve done the typical half-marathon training plans…well, until they were interrupted by injuries that is. Yes, normally I would be injured by this point in a training schedule. I can’t even tell you how many I started but was unable to finish. I’d still do the race, but not up to par and under-trained. I didn’t like the long runs being a large percentage of the overall weekly mileage. Hanson’s is very different. Yes, they have a long run, but you run a lot of miles during the week too. Here I am, almost a third of the way through Hanson’s plan and I’m actually enjoying it (for the most part). Yesterday, after running four miles and doing a one hour TKD class, I was driving home and thought, “A nice easy run sounds good right now.” Say what? Clearly the Hanson mentality that “easy” runs are active “recovery” is sinking in. I wanted to run to “recover” from my hectic day. I didn’t go for that run, because I didn’t have time for it and I had an hour on the ice coming up, but I was shocked that I even had the desire to run MORE mileage than was required.

One downside to all the training is the fatigue. Along with fatigue comes plenty of opportunity to rely on God for the strength to hold back the crabbiness. Victory only happens about half the time right now (I pitched a mini fit last night that I could tell spent the last of the Husband’s energy too), but I’m getting lots of practice turning to God and offering apologies to the darling ones who must live with this crazy busy… tired… runner girl.