Sunday, January 16, 2011

New Attitudes, Better Altitudes

I won't bother commenting on my protracted absence from posting (and therefore running); it is sufficient to note the date, re-focus and move on. I refuse to allow running to become yet another phase I have moved through and truly, it is time to get on with it.

At least I can say I haven't been a total slacker. I did the First Run 5K (midnight on New Year's Eve) and then turned right around and did the Resolution Run 5K only 10 hours later on New Year's morning. Both were very fun events, and my most excellent running bud The Cilley Girl did both races with me, and then my friend Christee from work (whom I've recently managed to suck into The Great Running Vortex) did the morning race with the both of us. It was bitterly cold, but quite sunny and we had a great time. We then headed on over to Mother's Bistro where after about a 45-minute-very-well-worth-it wait, sat down to a delicious hot breakfast - eggs benedict, biscuits and gravy, sausage, Earl Grey with cream, gooey cinnamon rolls. Not very diet-friendly, to be sure, but it was New Year's Day, we were rosy-cheeked and quite proud of ourselves for doing something many people would never even feign to do on a "hung-over holiday" and - best of all, it was the best breakfast I've had in ages!

Now it's time to sit down with a calendar and figure out what I'm doing next! Off the cuff...? Definitely the Shamrock Run, Race for the Roses,the Helvetia Half Marathon, the Timberline Half Marathon, the Fueled by Fine Wine Half Marathon, the Great Columbia Crossing and oh yeah, the Portland Marathon. I imagine I'll do some 10K's and a few 12 and 15K's sprinkled in here and there. One I would really like to do this year is the Pear Blossom Run - mostly because it's in my hometown and I can imagine making a really great weekend out of it.

I might take a stab at this one as well: Forest Park Trail Run (20K). More trail running, absolutely. Silver Trail Falls Half, anyone? How about the Multnomah Falls Trail Run? Give me some dirt, lots of trees and the tranquility of the Pacific Northwest wildnerness, and I'm a seriously happy camper.

Oh, the possibilities......