3 years later

It is hard to believe March is already here! I think many of us are looking forward to the mild weather we have been praying for over the past few months. A lot has happened in February for me, and this may be the most exciting blog aside from the 2011 Akron Marathon recap I have written in a few YEARS!
I know, it is hard to believe it has been that long. While I may have a generally upbeat outlook, that doesn't mean things are always going my way! I mean if I had it my way I would have a shoe contract, be an Olympian, rarely if ever loose a race (only to make me tougher and fight harder), and oh yea, be a MILER not a MARATHONER! haha! But, we can't all have everything! So I will take what I have as a blessing (or like a million blessings since I may be one of the luckiest people ever).

February FINALLY saw a big turnaround. In January I raced 5k in 17:31. I felt I had raced to my fitness level and was on the right path back to fitness, primarily because I raced free of the nagging pain I had been experiencing for nearly 3 years. So on February 16th as I laced up my spikes I felt nervous and reminded myself that baby steps were all I needed. The goal today race hard and give it all I have. So the gun went off and I was quickly in 4th. I stayed on the back of my teammate Nicole, along with Paige for nearly a mile. We were 5:23 and I was still feeling pretty good. Paige soon fell off and I made the gap up to race Nicole. Shortly after 10:47 though 2 miles I began to fade a bit, but remembered my goal. I tried to stay relaxed and focus on not allowing the gap to grow. I felt strong! I continued to push and did all I could, but came up a few seconds short of catching Nicole. 17:04, 27 seconds faster than a month ago and I felt significantly stronger. It was my fastest 5k in almost 3 years! I was thrilled. I know 17:04 isn't anything to write home about, but it was a huge step in becoming the athlete I want to be!

Since the race our training has progressed nicely and I am eager to see what we can do on the roads and outdoor track in the upcoming months. The entire CED women's group ran a mile time trial and while I thought I could break 5 minutes I was happy with running 5:01, knowing I did all I could. Like I said, while I wish I was, I am not a miler! I am finally consistent with my tempo runs and really feeling very comfortable around 6:00 pace again. Like most things with running, I haven't felt like that in nearly 3 years.

I know I have made the right decision to join the CED group and I am excited for the upcoming years to see what I am capable of. I believe Glenn Andrews (our coach) knows what it takes to get us to the next level and I am excited to be a part of something bigger than me!

So I welcome Spring with open arms! 2013 will be an incredible year no matter what. I am getting married in May and with the incredible group I have surrounding me, there is always something to be excited about!