I’m feeling good.

I ran 10 miles yesterday with Nike Run Club. I’m training for the Brooklyn Half in May. It’s where my PR is from from two years ago, but I won’t be coming anywhere close to beating that this year. And that’s more than ok with me.

I didn’t finish this race last year. I felt like crap. So my goal this year is just to finish and so long as I don’t get all stuck up in my head again, I should be a-ok there.

But I do/want need to “train.” I used to always want to be in half-marathon shape. I haven’t been there in about a year or so, but I’m trying real hard to get back to the place where I can run a half on a whim — maybe it won’t always feel awesome, but it will be doable. After “accidentally” running 10 miles (I had wanted to run ~8, and the NRC run was advertised as 90 minutes, so I figured about 9 miles, but it ended up being way closer to 10), my strategy will probably be: 1-2 easy runs per week, one day of tempo/track/Mile High (ONE of those, not all 3!), plus a long run, with some swimming and biking thrown in as XC. (I may also be doing two tris in June?!)

Yesterday’s run didn’t come easy. I was tired, I hadn’t eaten before, it was gusty AF. Our route took us from Nike Town, up Fifth Ave, across 102 (including one big-ass hill at 102/Lex) and over to Randall’s Island (early morning island hopping for the win) and back across 102, into the park and down back to the store.

One of my BFFs makes fun of me because I point out so many places as “one of my favorite running places.” Well, I realized another one yesterday.

That southwest corner of the park, when you’re exiting the park at 59th and 5th. It’s so many things: it’s near the end of the marathon or other group runs I may be doing. It’s downhill. It brings back so many solid memories of runs I didn’t think I could push through and I did…and yesterday was no different. 

There is way too much unknown in my life right now, but I know this: running makes me feel good and proud of myself, and I’m glad to be back at it.