Three half marathons notwithstanding, 2009 is ending with a pitiful running record and hope for a better new year. I waved the white flag this month by ending my efforts to run outside in Amarillo. I have not acclimated the way I hoped to, and getting to the gym on those single-mom weeks has become an impossibility. We finally bought a treadmill, so my excuses are now all invalid.
It’s difficult for me to believe, as I sit here after a pathetic three-mile run on the treadmill, that I ran 13.1 miles each in Oklahoma City, Albuquerque and Chicago this year. I do remember, however, suffering through horrible training runs in 30 mph winds, scorching heat, and some of the driest air I’ve ever breathed. Well, no more of that! I much prefer an air conditioned room, a bathroom down the hall and water at my fingertips. This may not be the ideal way to train for races, but running outside in this city is something I just cannot do. I give up.
The races I hope to run in 2010 will be in the spring and fall, in more humid, flatter cities. I can train morning or night, no matter the weather, no matter the wind. And while treadmill training isn’t normally my first preference, it is a must for now. We opted for the warranty, as I plan on logging plenty of miles.
Here’s to a medal-heavy 2010!
Is this where an ever-pithy *wise-beyond-his-years* young son chimes in, “Mom, your hands are sweaty, but I still love you” comes in? (seems obvious!)