Running Giant: My Journey

3/24/25 This portion of the post will constitute the majority of it, with the 11th - 14th at the end. I have been active since the 14th, but not getting in the runs I've planned to. This week will a good week to start building up again to the miles I need to be at for running a half marathon in June. The title of this post is really reflects this portion of the post. I've been struggling with depression, and with that comes the overwhelming feeling of wanting to hide away from everything. I've not had it in me to make it out multiple days over the last 2 weeks. But I made it out to some degree, so I have that victory at least. There has been a part of me that just wants to give in and not push myself to get out anymore. To give up my grand ideas of finishing a half marathon based on my own piece meal training plan. The speed work has been especially hard to approach. They are super intimidating to me, and I get self conscious when I am out doing them. That's when the de...

3-6-25 When I posted about setting up my own training plan, I did more research on training plans. It turns out mine was lacking in time on the feet, and wouldn't have set me up for success. It didn't have enough miles, or time on the road during the week to help build the endurance needed for the race. Since I am a slower runner right now, I need to build up my endurance for the long run. So, my weekday runs will consist of an easy run, an easy mid-distance run, speed work, and a long run. It will be a steady 10% increase in distance each week, specifically for the long run. The other runs will increase slower, so I don't pass that 10%.  3-9-25 Well, I increased a lot more than 10% yesterday (3/8). I've had the Run From Yeti race on my schedule for a while. I changed it from the half marathon to the 10k, I'm glad I did that change, but I didn't want to miss out on this race. So, even with basically no running base, I went out and did it. My plan was simple in...

Balancing life and running seems simple enough, so plan to run during times that won't impact your time with the family, school, work, or hobbies. Running is a hobby, but it does a lot for me mentally and physically than other hobbies. This balance is hard to maintain, life gets busy. I wish I could say that's what's been preventing me from getting out the door, but it's not the entire reason over the past 3.5 months. I lost momentum and motivation and got depressed. I'm still struggling with the depression, but have taken steps to hopefully decrease it. The running has helped. Gradually, motivation has started to come into the picture again, which should help build momentum. So, what am I doing to balance life and running this time? I am doing this my way. It sounds a little arrogant when I write it out, but it's where I have found success. Doing it my way means I will research to plan my training. The next thing I am doing to balance life and running is to do ...