This Is What a Slacker Looks Like...

Well, on account of some mysterious illness, which wasn't *exactly* the flu because I could still actually *move* but also most definitely wasn't a cold, I never did get my nine-miler in. But, you know, shit happens. It certainly wasn't for lack of desire or motivation--especially now that the weather is exactly what I prefer for long runs (yes, I know that I'm crazy).

Last week's runs looked like this:
Monday: 3+
Wednesday: 3+
Thursday: 8K (or 5.25 miles, depending on the source)
Total: 11 miles

I looked back over my training log for November, and it tells a pathetic tale:
Week 1: 12.23 miles
Week 2: 21.22 miles
Week 3: 9 miles
Week 4 (see above): 11 miles

In all fairness, November was a "sick" month. But the other part of this equation is darkness. I don't feel comfortable running alone at night. And I used to be able to count on at least two evening runs a week: one 4+ miles and the other a brisk 3+ with K. Plus, well, my long runs haven't happened the past two weeks (week 2 actually had two long runs in it b/c one was done on a Sunday and one was done on a Saturday).

I'm starting to doubt my ability to get in the kind of mileage I'd need to *finish* a marathon, let alone do *well*. Not that anyone around here is even *considering* the marathon. I mean, that would be a very foolish undertaking for the mother of two young children who also happens to work 60 hours a week. But hypothetically speaking....

Looking over my data from last week's Turkey Trot, I'm a bit mystified. This is only the second race I've run with any kind of "gadget." The course for the hot chocolate 5K was apparently short by at least a tenth of a mile. And according to the Nike+, this Turkey Trot course was LONG by THREE tenths of a mile. I find it hard to believe that a race course would be off by that much. But the Nike+ is fairly accurate for these shorter distances and has been on the money lately when I map out my courses after the fact. This course actually did feel long to me, and I honestly don't remember the course going out as far last year. Of course, last year, 8K was a long distance for me, and I may have started hallucinating toward the end.... Curious. Given the availability of GPS devices, I would think race courses would be pretty damn accurate. Not sure what to think.

Anyhow, back to the mileage issue.... I've considered joining the local running store's weekly evening fun runs. At least then I'd have a group to run with. In the past, I'd have been worried about being too slow, but I think by this point, I'd at least be able to keep up with the slowest of the pack?? Or maybe it would just push me to run faster. Looking at my standings in recent races, I'm definitely solid middle of the pack at this point. But I'd still be a bit nervous about joining a fun run with "real" runners who are probably logging 7-minute miles. The other thing I've considered is finding a running club to train with. Previous searches didn't yield anything decent nearby, but I think I might be approaching the search wrong.

In any case, this week should (hopefully) look like this:
Monday: 3 miles
Tuesday: 3 miles (or 4 if I can force myself to the gym in the evening after bedtime)
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: 3 miles
Friday: 4 miles
Saturday/Sunday: 8/9 miles
Total: 22 miles