My favorite race distance is 10 miles, although there aren’t too many of those kind of races. After that, I prefer half marathons, because let’s face it, it’s all about the bling! I don’t do many 10ks or 5ks as a rule, because there generally isn’t a medal of any kind.  Recently I have been doing more races of a shorter distance just to make sure I’m out and about doing races for my various sponsors (shoutout to SunRype USA, island boost, x-1 audio, and Superhero Events!)

While I felt like there isn’t a whole lot to brag about after doing such a short race, I really enjoyed being out in nature, especially this past weekend at the Arizona Road Racers Summer Series #1 5K.  So cheers to the 5k for it giving many people a “starting point” in running.  It gives you a chance to work on your speed and has a very short (if any) recovery time.

My finish time – 25:58. I’ve only had one faster 5k before. I ended up 4th in my age group. So close to some bling!!Oh well, there’s always next time!

I consider myself to be a pretty dedicated runner. I aim to log 30-35 miles per week, and feel like I am always in training for something.  I was clipping along at a good pace this spring, when out of nowhere – BOOM! A trifecta of things happened that completely derailed my training.

Not to jinx myself, but I have been lucky enough not to suffer serious running injuries over the 16 years I’ve been doing distance running. Recently I started having hip pain after doing a weight workout, and then aggravated it by doing a long run the next day.  I don’t sit on the sidelines well.  I eat a lot, so I feel like I have to run a a lot, too, in order to stay in shape.  When I realized I couldn’t run for a few days without pain, I was crushed.  I have a half marathon coming up next month, and can’t afford to miss out on mileage. So I cut back on running and attempted to be patient. 

Then I started having cold symptoms, which didn’t help matters. I felt like I had lost all of my mojo between the hip problems and the cold. I just didn’t feel like myself.  Feeling a bit crummy, I started a 10 day business trip with only a weekend at home in between. My cold managed to turn into bronchitis, and even though the hip had improved and I was getting some small runs in, I just felt behind.

Now the dust has settled, the trips are over, injury has healed, and my health is back.  I’m 5 weeks from my next half marathon and feel like I have lost months of fitness.   I’m trying to be patient and slowly get the miles back in.  I participated in my first triathlon relay with friends, and it sparked my competitive spirit. I may have taken a detour, but I’m on my way back!