There used to be a time that April was one of the worst running months of the year for me. Whether it was injury, low mileage, lack of motivation or just a change in the season, I was cursed by April.
In the past three Aprils, though, I’ve been able to shake those demons and kick the month around.
Two years ago it was the streak that pushed me through the month, as well as the inaugural Blue Ridge Half; last year it was about my first real normal month following injury; and this year has been a wide-ranging combination of things.
Here are the highlights:
- 95 running miles
- Learning lots of lessons at the Blue Ridge Half Marathon
- Riding my bike a few times (still no blog posts on that …)
- Racing in an orchard
- Hiking Sharp Top
- Getting training plans from a coach
Take each of those things and together I have one of my best Aprils ever.
As I look ahead, I am eager to continue building onto the foundation I’ve set in the past year. My March-April miles are the highest ever in a 12-month span – about 30 miles shy of 1,200 – and I’ve been injury free for a long time as well.
May is a big month when it comes to setting the stage for this summer. I have a 10k this weekend with the goal likely to be a PR, and the
Cleveland Half Marathon two weeks later in which I am hoping for a PR.
With a little bit of downtime after that, it’s all eyes on the Richmond Marathon and perhaps readjusting my goal for that. Getting faster and stronger have been a high priority for me for a long time and I’m seeing bits and pieces of potential coming together with every run.
I know this all sounds a bit philosophical, but it’s been a couple of years since I’ve had something really good to build on.
Real David H. 
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