Moon Jogger for Life
By Tina Bond
Is it considered cheating if I use the Millennium Falcon to help me get to Venus?
Hi Moon Joggers! I’ve been writing for Moon Joggers since Angie started having guest authors back in October. I’ve had an awesome time writing and I hope you’ve all enjoyed my articles, but unfortunately this will be my last article. Don’t worry though… I’m still on the mission to Venus and you’ll still be able to find me on the Moon Jogger Facebook pages. Does this mean that I need to share some kind of words of wisdom now? Let’s see what I’ve got in my race bag!
I think I am finally coming out of my running rut. This has been the most difficult rut I have ever been in. Fortunately, I’ve started running more than once a week again and I’ve been running at least 5 miles on those runs (except when Jim tells me we’re going out for an east 5 or 6 and we end up doing 7!!!). I’ve even signed up for 2 races (Space Coast and Celebration) but they’re not till the end of the year. Carol Lee has been trying to get me to sign up for the Echo Half on June 8, but I just don’t feel like I am ready for that just yet.
I want to be strong for my next race. I don’t want to get to the start line and wish it was over before the race even starts. I did not enjoy the last half I ran. I was more focused on everything else except the run if that makes any sense. I was focused on my time, getting up hills, where the next port o potty was, and how tired I was from not properly training.
I’ve been to the Moon and back! Really, that’s a piece of the moon!
My goal was to run the race in 2:45. I even caught up with the 2:45 pace group and kept up with them for a good amount of time. We kept jockeying back and forth. They’d get ahead, but I always ended up catching them. That was until I hit the bridge. I think I tried to push it too hard going up the bridge. They got ahead of me and I wasn’t worried because I knew I’d catch them, but ever so slowly the 2:45 pacer sign kept getting farther and farther ahead of me and just got disappointed. I wasn’t in a good place. I did finish the race but I wasn’t pleased with my performance.
Now when I go out to run I just try to enjoy the run for what it is. I enjoy my early morning runs because I get to hear and see all kinds of birds. I look at the trees, plants and bugs. I look for gators in the tiny ditch that runs next to the trail. I wave or throw up a hand to the other runners as they go by. Luckily since we moved we have a fantastic trail to run on! I believe running in a new place has helped as well. I’ve been doing intervals just to keep myself from relapsing into another rut. I tell myself that it’s ok to walk and enjoy that 30 seconds where I can just take it all in.
In my attempts to just ease back into it, I do find that I am still competitive with myself. I’m not as fast as I was back in January, but I find myself trying to keep all of my runs at or below 12 mm. I hate that I have lost the speed that I worked so hard for last year, but I know that I will get it back over time. I’m just hoping it doesn’t take too long. The good thing is I’ve done it before and I know what I need to do to get it back.
One of the things that I have learned from this is that if you’re in a rut, take your time getting back and don’t force it. You have to do it at your own pace (just like running), even if that means taking a walk break just to enjoy the run. It’s ok to take a week, a month or however long you need to get out of your rut. Just be easy on yourself when you do get back into it. You’re not going to be where you were when you stopped running, but you can get back what you’ve lost. You’ve done it before, you can do it again and you know what it is going to take.
Let the shenanigans continue….!
Tina lives in Winter Garden with her husband and fellow Moon Jogger, Jim. When she’s not jet setting across the country with her job or running, or training for a race, or recovering from a race, she enjoys reading, photography, movies, music and going to Disney!!
