Time to Start Again

It's been a whole four weeks since my marathon and I've been cajoled into contemplating a fall marathon.   So the nod is for the Erie Marathon at Presque Isle.  Technically, I guess it's still a summer marathon because it's on September 15th, which means that it could be just as warm as the last marathon I just ran.  At least I'll be training through the summer heat this time and won't have to worry about varying temperatures.  Go ahead and get cold if only for that one day.

It's touted as "quite possibly the flattest course in the country."  The country being USA, not Canada.  It's probably the least expensive marathon I've ever registered for at a whopping $50 and it's only a three-hour drive from home.   So at the very least it's another fun road trip with my best running buddies and shopping in Grove City.

To be completely honest, I'm not quite ready to be mentally in the game for this training.  I feel physically and emotionally spent from this past winter/spring training.  As much as I enjoyed it, it was tough.  

I'm hoping that this running funk is just a temporary one.  I shouldn't say it's a running funk.  It's a training funk.  And more of a training "alone" funk.   Most of my runs had been solo through the winter, but I'm going to have a couple of training partners this time around and someone (maybe two people) to pace me at the marathon.

Me and my pacer, Lynn :)

She qualified for Boston (again) in May at the same race I did.  She's awesome and wicked fast.   Janine has also been coerced into agreed to pace me to my qualifier.  She's run Boston countless times and has run over 20 marathons.

Lynn and Janine, aka "my pacers"

I am surrounded by greatness and truly incredible people.  I am thankful for wonderful friends.

So, here's to getting my groove back -- hopefully sooner rather than later.