Monday Mindset

My 12 week training plan for the BMO Vancouver Marathon starts today!  Though I try to start each week with a general idea of when I want to run and for how far, I'm excited to be back on a more long term plan with a goal at the end.  This is the same race I was training for when I first started my blog two years ago, and I took some time out this morning to look back at my calendar from 2010.

I remember sitting down to write these monthly goals and putting them into my agenda:

In some ways, I feel like I'm back at square one with my new training plan.  When I set these goals in February 2010, I was coming back after an extended break from running.  In fact, I had not run at all since running my first half marathon in October 2009.  I truly felt that I was starting from scratch and though it was my second half, it was my first time following a real plan.  I also had my eye on a fall marathon.  And here I am again.  With this current training plan, I am again starting back at training after a rather erratic schedule with a heavy emphasis on easy, 5K runs.  Remember when I called my most recent 5 mile run, "long"?  Still, I know I've come a long way since then.  I've run two marathons since 2010 and 3 more half marathons.  I know I could build to longer runs faster if I wanted to, but will build slowly because I've learned a lot about injuries from reading your blogs and personal experience.  I've also built up my wardrobe of running clothes and no longer use a day below 0*C as an excuse not to run.  Reading my posts from February 2010, I have to laugh at myself, but in a good way. 

I also have to laugh at myself for today's running ensemble:

One running jacket was badly in need of a wash, the other got left behind on my work travels last week.  All other long sleeves were in the laundry, and so I ventured out in red and pink!  Happy Valentine's Day!