My plans to train for and then register last-minute and run the Stowe 8-Miler fell through spectacularly, as I sort of suspected they would. I was busy, I didn’t make running a priority, and I blew my budget yet again, making registration downright irresponsible, even if I had been properly trained.
Still, though, the itch to race remains. I’ve once again tentatively identified a race: the Charlotte Covered Bridges Half Marathon on September 9. Admittedly, 9 weeks to train for my first half since Wine and Dine may not be enough. But I’m much stronger these days, both mentally and physically, thanks to CrossFit. I think if I can just tough out a compressed 9 week bastardization of a Hal Higdon plan, it’s doable. It may not be pretty, and likely won’t be the PR race I’m hungry for, but it’s something.
One of the main reasons I’ve so got my sights set on this fall is because we are also aiming for fall as our target “get pregnant” time. I wrote a longer post about it but never actually hit “publish.” Long story short, we had to push back our timeline because of our Bahamas trip this spring, and that pesky little Zika virus. Our doctors recommended that we wait six whole months from our time of potential exposure, which puts our safe window right around the second week of September. When/if I get pregnant, I doubt I will have the time, energy, or desire to run long. So it’s now or never (at least for the next year or so).
It would feel pretty great to actually follow through on training and run this race, but here’s the reality check: my show opens in a week, and runs for three weeks. That’s another month of driving to and from Stowe 4-5 times a week, which only leaves my lunch breaks and weekends for getting in workouts, including both CrossFit and running. As I’ve said before, CF is my priority right now because I’m paying for it, and running on my lunch break can only happen on good weather days. So will I actually train? Only time will tell.
What’s the shortest training cycle you’ve ever used for a half?
Darlin' Rae 
Training? What’s training? I haven’t “trained” for a half this year. It was stressing me out so I stopped. Now I just run and run races. 🙂 But I am backing out of my 10K plans this weekend because… well, life.
I hear you. I keep hoping that finding races to train for will motivate me to be more consistent, but so far, it hasn’t worked out that well. I’m just so damn busy all the time!
Girl you training for a BEHBEH 😀 😀 😀
Lol, that is actually also happening. Hence all the vegetable eating and drinking water and such. 😉
Yeah, sign me up for the ‘training, what training?’ bus 🙂 For my last couple of half and full marathons I have even pretty much stopped tapering because that stressed me out. 🙂
And to be fair, you’re pretty much half marathon ready at all times, right? I admire your consistency!