Pivot, Pivot, Pivot
It’s been a crazy few weeks around here. Life, running, dog stuff. And I’m tired. And I need to pivot (and please tell me someone other than me got the Friends reference in the title here).
Running update
I’m still running. My training derailed, thanks to a minor foot issue that knocked my peak training completely off schedule, including a missed week and a cutback week that cutback way further than intended. And I haven’t done any speedwork at all this training cycle.
Summary from the past few weeks:
Training Week 8: 12 miles/4 runs (including 2 run/walk/limp)
Training Week 9: 21 miles/4 runs
Training Week 10: 28 miles/4 runs
I’m still doing the Wilmington Historic Half, but not as a hardcore goal race. It’s more of a dipping my toe back into racing and testing the waters race. I haven’t done any of my planned races this fall and this will be my first “real” race in a long, long time. Attempting a PR seems like a stretch right now, so that’s exactly what it is - a stretch goal. Otherwise, I’m out there to have fun and hopefully, run well.
I did have a confidence boosting run on Sunday when I ran 13 miles at an easy 9:00/mile pace, so that gives me hope that with even cooler weather, race adrenalin and just pushing myself, even a little, I’ll come in with a solid race time.
We’ve also had a change of plans with Kiawah. My friend who I was planning on pacing for that race broke her toe and can’t run for 4 weeks. When the injury happened, she was 4.5 weeks out and not sure if Kiawah would even be possible. So, she and her husband are still coming to visit, but we’re doing the Reindeer Run 5K instead, and making it a group affair, including our husbands and B.
Outside of running, I’m expecting to be hitting up some Orange Theory and Pure Barre classes very soon, too. I’ve definitely been feeling a little…squishy lately and still need to drop a few of the pounds I’ve gained over the past few years when I couldn’t run or workout as hard as I’d like to (but continued to eat like a marathoner).
Life stuff
Two weeks ago, we found out one of our beagles, Lucy Belle, has a heart tumor. I spent some unexpected time with the cardiologist for her this week, plus my work schedule was filled to the brim with meetings, which left no wiggle room for proper training.
The good news is Lucy’s heart tumor is the “best” kind to get. It’s a chemodectoma and its main symptom/issue is fluid build-up around the pericardium and in the abdomen, which is how we discovered it in the first place. Releasing the fluid often relieves symptoms for years with no issues returning. We still have to meet with an oncologist just to see if there are other possible treatments that the cardiologist didn’t recommend, but in general, Lucy is doing well and we are hoping for the best. As mentioned, dogs can live years with this (unlike when we got Meadow’s nasal cancer diagnosis where, even with treatment, time is extremely short).
Our little beagles (front to back - Lucy Belle, Ruby Skye, Autumn)
When I first heard Lucy had a heart tumor, we didn’t know exactly what it was and there is a specific kind that progresses fast and the dog is gone within weeks. So, I broke out my watercolors and did a paw print painting with her, fur and all!
Life in general has been stressful lately (that’s nothing new, of course). There are circumstances that continue to create stressors, and have created stressors for several years. I don’t foresee these changing any time soon. And as far as I can tell from others in my situation (i.e., moms with husbands who travel weekly for work), as B gets older and starts having his own life and activities, those stressors and situations will actually become more difficult for me to juggle. The mom juggle/struggle is real, you guys.
There is absolutely nothing I can do on my end to change that situation. I can only change how I deal with it. And that means I just have to pare things down (again) and pivot (again). Somehow. My schedule, work, job, hobbies, and life is deeply constrained by someone else’s work and travel schedule. As frustrating as that is for me, it’s reality. It also makes me wonder what the heck I did with all my time before I had B. Seriously. (Well, I did manage to go to grad school while working full-time, so that consumed a huge chunk for several years, I suppose.)
On a brighter note, the weather in Charleston has been absolutely perfect lately. If it could be like this all year, I’d be a happy camper. Cool enough in the mornings for good running, warm enough during the day to still be in flip flops.
So where to now?
I’m still running. I’m still training (for a marathon, probably). I’m still blogging.
But the likelihood of seeing things other than running on this blog is very high. I never intended this blog to be just about running, although that’s what it morphed into and then I just stayed in that zone for years. But I’m tired of writing about my frustrating training (or lack of training). I’d rather just run and have fun, and not feel the ridiculous pressure to report my training every week. I’ll likely still post a weekly recap, but with less nitty gritty detail about paces and all that.
And quite frankly, I’ve got other interests that are just as important to me as running - like art, photography, travel, and things around Charleston - and I’d like to start blogging about those, too. Blogging about things also helps keep me on track actually doing the things. All the things I’ve wanted to do for a while but didn’t get around to it regularly. So expect to see some content change ups around here, even if it’s slow (because time, priorities, schedules).
If you follow me on Instagram (@intotheglimmer), you’ve probably caught glimpses of this content expansion project. It’s small, but I’ve been working on it. If you just want to follow my running, you can follow my #saltwashedrunner hashtag. I may eventually send it into its own Tumblr blog as well. We’ll see.
B and I made some glittery dinosaur ornaments for his Christmas tree - they’re not quite done and we have some more dinos to glitter, but this was fun!
As for this week - it’s Thanksgiving and we have a ton of family in town (and they’re all staying at our house). I’m looking forward to a week of fun and festivities, including the Charleston Turkey Day Run. I coerced half our guests to participate and I’ll be running it with my niece.
How was your week? Are you training for something? Do you have any fun Thanksgiving plans?
