Starting Over (Almost)

Nothing like the feeling of starting over. It's tough to kick start the road back. A few days ago, I did back to back runs, 2.5 miles both days down at the marina. The start was rough, but once I got into the groove, it went well. It took me about a half mile into the run before I got my breathing right. Mentally, I feel like a rookie. But my body rembers running, so it's not like I am completely starting over. 

I want to get back into running shape but running is so different than hiking (though with trail running, there's plenty of hiking too). Instead of running just here and there on the trails, I'd like to get back to running most of the time on the trails. That seems REALLY far away fitness-wise. And truthfully, I'm not confident that I can get there. But the lure is strong. There's nothing like putting in 20, 30 miles on dirt trails. Sure, it's just as fun hiking, but gosh, it makes a long trip already longer, and it's really hard to find that much time. I have gone on 30 mile runs, but I have not hiked 30 miles. Sure, 30 mile runs take some time, perhaps 9 hours for me, give or take. But hiking those 30 miles could take 12 to 15 hours.

The first of my back to backs (July 14), I ran the pavement in the first map below, totalling 2.5 miles during the evening. Once I got my breathing down, everything was fine. Overall though, it was uncomfortable. But since I'm basically starting over (but not for the first time in my life!) I know that I just have to force it a certain number of times, and then I will be hooked. Just like when I started smoking cigarettes when I was a teen. The first few smokes were horrible. Really. Just horrible. Probably the first dozen were horrible. It was so long ago I don't exactly remember. But I do remember that running was just the same. I had to force it for a long time the first time I started running (when I was 15 or so) and then again the second time I started running (when I was 37 or so) and then the third time (after the birth of my youngest son when I was 40 or so). I know it can be done. And so, knowing that it will be miserable for a while, I hit the pavement in the second map below on the next day (July 15). I put if off until the very last thing of the day (about 7 pm) because I really didn't want to do it. But I forced myself. My thighs were slightly sore but it was good.