Real David H.

I’m quickly approaching 14 years since I first started blogging about running. Over the past few years, though, my posts have been few and far between. This is an attempt to stop that. In the final half of last year I wrote four posts … this will be my second one this month.

That said, I don’t have a concrete topic on my mind, so that’s why this is titled with a number (my one thousand, three hundred, eleventh post). Without delay, here are my unscripted thoughts:

• I started this month with a run streak. It wasn’t really intentional. It just kind of started with some really low, no pressure miles. A week into it, it just felt right to continue it. Two weeks into it, I was really enjoying it as it gave me something to look forward to. Then, after a couple of weekends of pretty intense yard work, I had some swelling in my ankle, so the streak stopped.

• I hope that this week will be a return to normalcy with my running and get out there a few times in the morning. I’m ready to move beyond this first quarter of the year, which just hasn’t been that great. I want a three-month span that feels like the first couple of weeks of March did.

• The Blue Ridge Marathon is in person, but I won’t be there. I had already downgraded to the half marathon, but after the little ankle issue, I dropped out completely. I have converted to the virtual half marathon, but I won’t be near that kind of mileage for a while.

• I’ve had one COVID-19 vaccine. No. 2 is April 9. It was a relatively smooth process. For those waiting to sign up to get on a waiting list until you’re “eligible,” please just sign up now. Somehow my name was called early, as have many of my other friends.

• Now that it looks like races will be back in action, I’m trying to figure out what I want to do. Do I really want to increase my mileage this summer for a fall marathon? Stick to a half marathon? Or just keep things in a moderate area? I have missed long runs and how I was feeling a little more than a year ago, but I’m so far off that physically now. Even mentally it seems daunting.

• I’ve made plans for this summer for a small vacation. It’ll be the first time away from home since February 2020. It feels awesome to plan something.

And that’s it for now … I hope to blog again before June!