Two pretty good days

I have been working on getting my running ramped back up to half marathon mileage, as well as getting my mind and body back to a place where running is something I enjoy, and feels good, not just something I need to get through. Granted, as long as we have dark, cold, wet, early mornings there will always be some element of "getting through it," but even on rough mornings I would like to feel good about my run after I get through the very difficult barrier of getting out of bed and out of the house.

Sunday's eight miles in the afternoon left me feeling rather achy, so on Monday morning I chose not to force myself out to run. In fact I chose to let myself stay in bed and not even go to the Y! I did go to the Y after work instead. I was going to just hit the elliptical for as long as I could endure it, but I happened to notice when I came in at 6:20 that the 6:30 yoga class had a substitute instructor. This interested me because I am not too impressed with the Monday/Wednesday instructor and was not planning on going to yoga that night, but with the substitute I decided to give it a shot. Plus all the ellipticals were in use.

I headed up to yoga and I was so impressed with this yoga instructor (I think her name is Erin). She is clearly very well versed in yoga positions and practice, and led us through a routine that was exactly what I would want in a yoga class. She also names all the positions, which is one complaint I have about the regular guy, that he doesn't identify the poses by name. She teaches flow and power yoga in Monroe, and I am seriously considering making the trip over there once or twice a week for her class. The time of the classes is good for me, but I am not sure how I would like the 20-30 minute drive on a dark and rather dangerous highway, considering that my local Y is just five minutes from my house. I followed up the yoga class with an hour on the elliptical.

Tuesday morning I got myself up and out for 6.5 miles. Happily, the rain held off for most of my run and only sprinkled in the last mile or two.

This morning, Wednesday, I had the best run I have experienced for a while. I was not fast. I was just as slow as I was on Tuesday. But for a change, the miles slipped by smoothly and I felt like the runner I am. I went 7 miles and felt good.

I felt a little less good, though, when I got home with my grande Americano and knocked the whole thing on the kitchen floor. Not only did I have to waste precious morning minutes on clean-up, I was deprived of my coffee! I substituted tea but I was so frustrated.

I have been thinking about races for 2011. I need to decide whether to sign up for the Portland Marathon soon, before it fills up. And if I do not do the marathon I have been thinking about in late June, I wonder if I should (or if I want to) do the Seattle Rock 'n' Roll Half again. I hadn't planned to, but that was partly because I thought I'd be doing something else. (Though also because I think it is a cluster and I don't know if I want to go through that again!) It fills up fast, though, so if I want it, I need to decide sort of soon.

I guess it is encouraging that despite my slump, I still want to sign up for races!