A Very, Very, Very Busy Month

Where to begin?

How about with a standard “Wow, I just looked at my last entry on here and realized that it was in September and now it’s the first day of November (Happy belated Halloween, Goobers!) which means I was quiet all of October and haven’t written anything in over a month and that makes me the worst blogger ever” apology? At the same time, I’m pretty sure my mom (Hi, Mama!) is my only regular reader and I assure you, I have at least called her since September. She knows what’s going on.

But seriously, sorry about that. As the title of this post suggests, it’s been a really, really, really busy month, leaving little time to switch writing gears (more on that below) over to here and share what’s been new on the run. I often wonder how some of my favorite running bloggers can find the time to craft well-written, hilarious posts almost daily. What’s the secret? Do you not sleep? Or go to happy hour? Or watch Nashville?

So anyway, that’s my attempt at an apology — for the umpteenth time. And this is my attempt at an update of what went down and a preview of what’s coming up when it comes to running around and around and around like I so often like to do:

The BEST NEWS EVER deserves to go first (and get ALL CAPS apparently). I am officially, 100% off the Coumadin blood thinners, the awful six-month result of my blood clot back in the spring. I also (fingers crossed) shouldn’t ever have to go to my hematologist again, which was actually bittersweet because he was a pretty cool dude. (If anyone ever has blood issues, give me a shout.) The news I’m not so psyched about? Dealing with the mess of medical bills I still have left from my less-than-24-hour stay in the hospital.

While I haven’t been writing specifically on here, I must tell you, I have kept writing. I started doing some freelance with Life by DailyBurn in the summer, writing some fun, running-specific articles. (!!!) I’m really enjoying it, but working a full-time job and then trying to find time to continue working at home is definitely tough. Sometimes it feels that the amount of time I spend writing about running has a direct negative correlation to the time I spend actually running. But I am starting to find ways to work it all into my schedule. Hello, early mornings!? You can check out some of my most recent clips here! I’m especially proud of this article — “Hate Running? 25 Ways to Learn to Love It” — in which I got to pick the brain of some of the bloggers I regularly stalk follow.

I’ve also made good on my first half of my title’s promise to keep running, too. Kinda. After the blood clot setback, I became really discouraged about losing the marathon level of fitness I worked so hard to build. Well, it’s long gone now as I’ve only been running really short these past six months. Interestingly enough though, I think I may have actually gotten faster by focusing on those shorter distances. Is that possible? A few new 5K PRs certainly seem to agree, but I’m almost positive that by saying/writing it out loud, I totally just jinxed myself. Time will tell. Pun intended. #dadjoke.

I didn’t race a PR, but I did have a ton of fun running down in Baltimore a few weeks ago with my Maryland sister Claire — and playing with Baby Nora and challenging my brother-in-law James to a competitive apple picking contest. But back to running! Claire and I signed up to run the 5K of the Baltimore Running Festival and had a blast. Expect the long-awaited race recap here next week. But you can also punch me in the face if that ends up being a lie too.

This weekend, however, is all about the ING New York City Marathon! This race holds a very special place in the hearts of many runners, but it’s how I fell in love with the sport so I feel like it’s a freakin’ holiday around here. I’ve been having major race envy all week whenever I see friends, bloggers, or tourists on the streets talking about NYCM. I’ll still be a part of it though, cheering my head off as a spectator for all the awesome people I know racing their way from Staten Island to the finish at Central Park. I just can’t wait. I better start working on my signs. :)

And finally, once the thrill of NYCM dies down, I’ve got all eyes on Trenton next weekend. Not just because I get to go home to my parents’ house and have my mom cook me dinner. I’ll be racing the Trenton Half Marathon next Sunday, in what I’ve been referring to as my “comeback race.” Which means I probably should have attempted some long runs while training so I don’t embarrass myself. Confession: I didn’t. But I’m hoping to get out for 10 miles this weekend and well, we’ll play the rest of it by ear. I will beat my dreaded half marathon curse though, that’s for sure.

Stay tuned for more soon! I promise I’m back for real.