Which half to choose??

I am toying with the idea of running my first half marathon sometime. Some of my fellow Asha runners are doing the Disney's Princess Half Marathon on January 8th '12. They have some really cute medals and I think I want one for myself. The other option I have is the Gainesville half in February '12. 

The dilemma - I might be in India during the first one and second might be too close to Gate River Run. There is no way I am giving up on GRR! I will have to decide sometime soon. Meanwhile I am back to running regularly. This past week was a good one - 3 3milers and a fast 2 mile in the middle of the week - I am feeling good about my stamina which seems to be improving. 

Earlier this week was the Melon Run, 3 miler conducted by Florida Track Club on 4th of July every year. I did my PR 28.01 and still had the energy to run strong through the week. The cool and sweet melons were a treat after the run. I really wanted to get a long run over the weekend and also bump up my mileage, but laziness consumed me. This was one free weekend I had after ages. Though I have promised myself I am not doing this again and from next week I am doing my long runs on the weekends!

Hope next week is just as great!! 

Back at Kirkwood

Its been a while since I ran with the group. I have been running all this time, just not had the motivation to join the group at Kirkwood. I finally made it to the trail on Tuesday evening. The neighborhood looks really lovely, especially with light to see the gardens and pretty houses. During winters lights are out by the time we start running, so its a good change for the eyes.

As if the killer Gainesville heat isn't enough to trouble me, (and of course all my fellow runners) my knee pain reappeared. It was hurting a lot yesterday, but is gone today. I hope it goes fine today evening... fingers crossed.

Its bright even at 8!

A bad work week followed by a good evening run. I have been working crazy hours for the past one month. With the last deadline tomorrow, I am finally done with the craziness at least for a while now. As I stepped out for the run, I realized how much I had missed it! Also, since I am tired and drained of energy from the insane sleeping hours and many sleepless nights, I went out for an easy 3. By the end I was a little dehydrated because of the heat and sweat - I have to remember to carry a water bottle next time.

And yes, it was still bright at 8pm, when I stepped out of my house. The purple - pink - orange  skies are a good incentive to run :)

Beat the Heat

I finally gathered enough courage to step out for a run in the Gainesville summer! I went out at 7:45pm, which might be a bit late, but the cool breeze made it suitable for a good run. It had been a while since I last ran, so I decided to do easy 3 miles around my apartment complex.

During this break from running, which was inspired by the increasing temperatures in Gainesville, I spent time working on my core. And I think I felt the positive effect of it today, I ran faster and felt better after the run. Now I am ready for regular runs, increasing my aerobic tolerance and mileage.