I'm Back (Maybe), Baby!

Perhaps I am back in the saddle.  With running, that is.  (Haven't been on a horse in about 8 years)  I don't want to get overly excited about what may have been a fluke, or two...but I kind of can't help myself!  I ran 9.5 miles on Monday, and in just under 1 hour 30 minutes.  And then I ran 10 MILES today!  In 1 hour 42 minutes.  Both of those are HUGE for me.  Since my knee has been causing me trouble for the past 2 months, I think the farthest I've run at once is about 2 miles.  And then I've had to switch to walking because of an unbearable pain in my right knee.

Also, that is the first time in my whole life that I have run 10 miles at once.

I felt fantastic at the conclusion of that run on Monday, and actually could have kept going if I hadn't been out of time and needed to get back to work.  Today, I'm feeling a little less amazing after the 10 miles.  I felt a little like I was going to throw up at the end.  Possibly because I hadn't eaten enough today, and didn't even bring water or anything with me on the run.  Probably not smart.

I am also feeling it in my legs a little bit now.  So while I want nothing more than to get up and do a happy dance, I'm waiting for the Aleve to kick in...and then maybe I'll do a sitting version of it.  (Go ahead and laugh at that image in your head...it would be pretty ridiculous, I'm aware)

My first half marathon is just 24 days away now.  If my knee doesn't change its mind again before then, I'm definitely running it.  I figure the absolute worst case scenario is that I'll have to bail at some point during the race for my knee and I won't finish.  It would be sad, but not the end of the world.  More likely?  That I'll run as much as I'm able but might need to do some walking somewhere in there.  I could live with that.  I just really want to cross that finish line.

So I'll take a little break now, and let my body recover a bit.  And I'll keep running/training for St. Patty's Day.  And we'll see what happens...

Side note - seriously, where is winter?!  I ended up stripped down to my tshirt on my run today.  It's February 22.  In Chicago.  That s*#! ain't right!

This is what the lakeshore path looks like here:

A little wet from some rain, but that's it.  Dear winter...where are you?!  I don't really miss you at all, but I also don't want you to hold out and then appear with a vengeance in May or June.  So please don't do that.  Thanks.