Half Right

The winter drags on here in New England. There's still tons of snow and ice out there, but signs of spring are on the way. We're supposed to get some warmer temps by the end of the week, possibly hitting the 50s. It's not the easiest weather to get in those long runs, which is why I'm glad I decided not to do a marathon this spring.

Yesterday I ventured out for my first long run in five weeks, getting in 10 miles. Even when the sidewalks were clear of snow, they were pretty icy, so I did most of the run on the road. There's not as much room for cars, especially on smaller side roads, but I managed to get through it without getting hit or falling. But it wasn't too cold (30-35 degrees) and it sure as hell beat running on the treadmill.

I had a good week of running, increasing my speed on my three treadmill runs during the week and feeling strong and then doing the 10-miler yesterday. I felt so good that I went and signed up for three races today: The Black Cat 10-mile race in Salem on March 6, the Great Bay Half Marathon in Newmarket, NH on April 3 and the Run to Remember Half Marathon on May 29. I'll also be running the Poco Loco on April 30, a 13.1-mile fun run organized entirely via social media. I expect to do a few smaller races as well.

It's nice to feel invigorated and psyched for stuff, instead of worn down like I could be at this point in marathon training. I still plan to do a full marathon as well as the Reach the Beach relay in the fall, so I'm not totally swearing off marathons. But it's good to have fun with running, too. I'm fired up.

Happy 50th to Henry Rollins: