Several weeks ago I began this post and got stuck. Now, my house is quieter, the days are cooler and we are bracing for all that fall has to bring. I can't believe we are nearing the end of August and back to school time has arrived. The days feel just a little bit different now with the kids gone all day and Ryan's bed empty.
I stuck to my July plan and ran as often as possible. I didn't allow the heat to deter me and then I thought, "How stupid is this? You are running in 90+ degree weather 4 days a week and this just can't be safe." I have nothing to prove. I know I can run but being stupid about running could cost me so much more. I truly believe I have come full circle. I ran on the treadmill in February and March due to really cold temperatures and lots of snow on the ground and I ran on the treadmill the last week of July and early August due to the extreme heat. I have to admit that it still bores me a bit but I challenged myself by running sprint intervals and got back to lifting weights which I love! I realize now that I started off each leg of Ragnar too fast and I tired really easily by the end. I've watched Jillian Michaels increase the speed of that treadmill so many times on The Biggest Loser and thought, "I could never do that." Well, I can! I've been practicing sprints of 8 minute miles. It is not a speed I could sustain for an entire run but it is a speed I could train with to improve my overall time.
With gym time behind me each day I realized how quickly the summer was passing so I sat back and enjoyed the sounds of summer before they came to an abrupt halt last week. I became used to the constant hum of my air conditioner that I don't think ever stops. (Unfortunately it did stop on it's own one day while we were on a college visit and we came home to a warm house! Grrr...thankfully the part was under a partial warranty and it was back on the next day!) I miss Ryan's laugh as he watches Scooby Doo and I smile to think that after all of these years he still finds it funny. I miss his rants about anything and everything (Trader Joe's, horses, roosters and all that random stuff) and his ending everything with..."you mad". I miss the sounds of Austin's guitar as he plays OAR and the sound of the refrigerator opening all the time because he's hungry. I'm going to miss the sounds of Ashley's heels as she leaves for work in the morning but for now, she's still living at home and working her big girl job. It's taking us a bit of getting used to because she's technically an adult and she spends very little time here but I guess we shouldn't expect her to. I miss talking with Abby and going to the gym. One day we got up early to go work out and came out of our rooms dressed alike. Oops! She was a good sport about it and did't seem embarrassed at all.
So hopefully today was our last blast of 100 degree weather. I am reluctantly ready for fall and all that it brings...football, soccer, homecoming and the Monumental 1/2 Marathon. Yes, I am training for my next adventure. I began my official training this week and while my time has suffered a little these past few weeks my motivation is back and I can't wait to check each training day off of my checklist. With 9 weeks left to go I should be ready. Fall starts now...
