Time sprints on!

Here we are at the end of March and it has been almost 2 months since I last updated this blog.  I swear I lose whole weeks sometimes in the course of working, training and enjoying life.  As much as I would like to keep my daily life at a nice, steady marathon pace, it appears there are other forces at work and it is mostly a full out sprint!

February was a bit of a challenge, to put it mildly.  I was asked to complete two new modules for the software application I am working on, both within the space of 5 weeks.  The problem?  Each application was predicted to take 4-5 weeks all by itself.  The solution?  "We'll pay you for the overtime"  The result?  One very tired software engineer and some very happy end-users.  While it is a wonderful feeling to be able to deliver tools that make people's lives easier, I am still recovering from the exhaustion.  Luckily my boss is great and isn't letting this become a habit.

March has brought with it rain and lots more training.  As I spent most of February behind a keyboard, my training was lacking a lot.  I am almost up to full speed again, however there were some painful and tired days in the past few weeks.  I am staring down 10 weeks until the big race and only 1 week until my tune-up 1/2 marathon.  The "tune-up" is going to be more like a slog however I am doing it with a good friend here, so it should be fun no matter what my time is.

I have also come to the realization that splits aren't everything in my training/racing arsenal.  While I am continuing to push myself to better times and longer outings, I am also taking the time to enjoy the process.  I often get caught up in the mental talk of "how can I possibly still be at this pace" and "wow - I used to be able to crank out these miles with no problem".  Those statements are true, however I am a couple years older and a few pounds stouter than I was then.  I have to remember that I will get back to that point, it is just going to take a little bit long and some more effort.

So, tomorrow I will do a 10K to just myself a boost before the 1/2 next weekend.  In 10 weeks, I am going to kick the "Turtle" course and have a great time doing it!

Happy outdoor activities all! :)