Running Into Joy

So you want to run a 10K but you've been sick and/or injured off and on for most of the year... Earlier this year, my boyfriend and I signed up for Pittsburgh's Great Race 10K, one of the largest standalone 10Ks in the nation. It would be my 3rd 10K and Andy's first race. I was excited to take on this distance again, and hopeful that 2020 would become my Half Marathon year. Admittedly, I was previous nervous to race with Andy, since he is faster than me and has more endurance, and I have a history of getting in fights with men who refuse to leave me behind when I'm struggling in a race. And then, 2019 hit me like a ton of bricks. First, shoulder and back injuries and issues. Then, some knee stuff. And finally, the onset of a mysterious and chronic condition known as occipital neuralgia. Do I sound like a broken record? Well, I feel like one. Needless to say, this put one hell of a damper on my training plans. I tested a few short runs to see if they brought on any ...

A week of training for my fall 10K is already in the books! I've already started Week 2 off strong with my scheduled 25 minute run early this Monday morning, so I'm feeling pretty good. Week 1 saw the first real, hot, muggy days of a Pittsburgh summer come in strong. Consequently, my non-air-conditioned post run life has been sweaty.  I got in a total of 5.5 miles between my two runs, and did some Runner's Yoga with Adriene on the off days to keep myself stretched out. Saturday's long run was planned for 2 miles, but I pushed on for a 5K because it's Fandom Running Club Racery Season! (more on that later). On average, my pace was around 11:29/mile. This may seem slow to some, but to me, it's right on target for my goal 10K pace of 11:30/mile. This is a conservative goal, looking at what I had hoped would be my Half Marathon pace in the Race that Wasn't earlier this year. In theory, I should be able to manage a bit faster for a shorter race--but I want...