I don't know if it's the cold weather, or maybe just the novelty wearing off, but it's been a little harder to get motivated lately. For the last two 15-18 mile weeks, I've run less than 15 miles. This week, however, on Tuesday, Tom had us doing a hill workout, and that small break in the routine may have been just enough to rekindle the romance.
Also, this Saturday the Reds got up to a 6-mile long run, and that really gives you enough time to get into and enjoy a groove. Being out for an hour is very different from being out for 30 minutes—in a good way—and it actually makes the cold seem a little less less cold.
I know there are a lot of snobs out there who consider running with an iPod, or a Walkman(!), anathema to the sport, but I personally like it, maybe even more than talking to my fellow runners. I'll admit, the chatting makes the miles go by a little faster, but 1-2 hours is a long conversation with anyone, so at a certain point it has the opposite effect, and even the quarter-miles start to drag. So I have mixed feelings about the long group runs, but I do know that it's getting me out of the house when I wouldn't be, and I'm grateful for that.
Aside from the socializing, the Capital Crescent Trail is amazing, and you can really appreciate it on the longer runs—free from navigation, distance tracking, traffic. It actually feels, relatively speaking, like nature. Now if only I had some electirc guitar to go with those big ol' beautiful trees.
I don't have enough breath to talk and run, but I love my IPOD.
Posted by: Spin Doc | February 28, 2006 at 03:43 PM
Must be a big bootie thing, I have the same problem.
Posted by: Bethesda Rookie | February 28, 2006 at 05:44 PM