spring fever…

After my brief hiatus from training (mentally and physically recovering from my first marathon), I’ve swung full force back into Team in Training over the past few weeks.  It was a good running weekend, a tease of springtime that we know won’t last, but that I am enjoying to the fullest while it lasts.  It all goes hand in hand… I’m a wimp about running in the cold, I get cabin fever when I’m stuck inside not being active all winter, not running makes me even more lazy… it’s a vicious circle. It’s nice to have a reason to get back up to the park, instead of being stuck inside the gym constantly.

Half of our team ended up going to the same diner for brunch yesterday after practice.  As I chatted with some of our newbies I caught a glimpse of myself last season – they were starting to get excited about the people they have been meeting, but are still seriously doubting whether they will be able to complete the training or the fundraising goals.  The other mentors and I assured them that they would – we had, after all - but I know that they will need to discover that for themselves over the next several months, as they go through all the emotional ups and downs that made it such an incredible experience for all of us last year.  I’m looking forward to watching each of my mentees grow and achieve their goal of running their first full or half marathon.  I’m so happy to be back again.  

Yesterday was unseasonably warm, today was even more so.  With the forecast in the mid-50′s, the first thing on my mind this morning was going out for a nice, long, easy run.  It’s rare to get away with shorts in February.  Our TNT workouts are still pretty short, 3-5 mile runs, considering that most of our participants are brand-new to running, and I am definitely not running the milage that I was last summer and fall as I led up to my marathon.  I know that the muscle memory is still there, albeit dormant, and I have a good feeling about the season ahead of me.  As much as I love Central Park, my favorite course in the city is probably the stretch from my apartment to the West Side highway, down the Hudson, around Battery Park and up the East River Path.  It’s about a 9 mile loop and the view of both the Lower Manhattan and Jersey skylines along the water, with the Statue of Liberty directly between the two, is gorgeous.  Turning back up the Eastside passes under the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.  There were so many people out today, especially on the Westside, runner and bikers and families going for a walk.  These are the days that make me fall in love with the city and with running all over again….