I know.  It is already September 12th, but the end of August was nuts, so this August run update is coming late!

So.  August. It was a good month. A great month.  I am literally feeling so blessed that I feel like I am walking on clouds.  THANK YOU G-D!!!  OK, moving on to more running.  Regarding the “do I actually like to run?!”  I truly get this question daily.  From everyone to random strangers, to my best friends and family.  And here is the answer: it is complicated.  I see running and I as being in a long term relationship.  We are SUPER tight and I am in love…but some days/months/years…it sucks lol.  So, long story short, I don’t like running…I LOVE it.  And…I am a RUNNER!  But day-to-day, I don’t always WANT to run.  Guys, it is hard!  And there are for SURE times when I do NOT like running as much as my norm.  Here are some of those times:

1. Getting back to training-  I feel like getting back to training after a time off, be it from an injury, pregnancy or any other break is SUCH a tough challenge.  I can’t decide if it is worse mentally or physically but I know that this is my LEAST favorite time period for running.  I try to remember that it won’t always feel so shitty…and it won’t. I promise!
2. Typical poop runs- Look, it happens.  And the worst part is spending said shitty run trying to figure out why your run feels so yuck.  You know you’ve been there!  Some reasons that I have been able to pin down:  getting a cold, menstrual issues, mental/physical exhaustion, etc.
3. When I have other stuff I need to be doing- Guys, I struggle SO much with this.  It is SO challenging to carve time out of my day to run.  I stay at home with the boys and there is not a ton of down time.  When I do finally get the time to run, I often spend a LOT of said run thinking of what i SHOULD be doing instead (i.e.:  laundry, prepping something for the boys or my new job, etc.).  Anyone else have that issue?!

Anyway, so the answer is YES  I do actually like running.  Especially when I am in “good running shape.”  I always qualify this as meaning that I feel consistently good at a 8:35 outside pace (I run slower on the treadmill for fear of permanent joint damage) and a tempo pace of a little less than 8s.

A tempo run is a faster-paced workout also known as a lactate-threshold, LT, or threshold run. Tempo pace is often described as “comfortably hard.” Tempo running improves a crucial physiological variable for running success: our metabolic fitness. (source)

I LOVE when my body just feels like it is working so well together and I can think about things other than how painful it is 🙂  THAT is my “good running shape.”  What do you qualify as being “in good running shape?”  What indicators do you use?  As an aside, I actually do NOT use races to necessary qualify my current running condition. I feel like they are too small a snapshot to aggregate a “current running shape” picture. Oooook, enough running ramblings for now!  I will be back soon with a non-running post soon. Promise 🙂  Maybe.

Wait! One more thing:  the RnR Philly half is this coming Sunday and guess who is SUPER undertrained!?  I know.  170 miles in a month does not SEEM undertrained, however my longest run was only about 9.  I have done some two-a-days that have equalled 11 but no more than 8-9 at a time! Argh! How did this happen?!  13.1 should be interesting!  XO!