I’ve been a casual jogger on and off since college, running no more than a couple of miles at one time whenever I found time. It wasn’t until about a year and a half ago that I started getting a little more serious. I started to time myself, to check my pace and my distance. I started setting goals for myself and keeping a regular running schedule. It was also my first time experiencing physical injuries from running. Towards the end of last summer, the pain from my plantar fasciitis got to a point where I felt I needed to stop, at least for a while. Fall rolled in and then winter, and my excuses for not running seemed to grow by the day. To my surprise, my desire to run didn’t fade completely and I got back on track as soon as the mild temperatures made their way into spring.

My hubby and I decided to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K race this past May. Running for a cause that is near and dear to my heart definitely gave me that extra motivation to keep running. The event was altogether inspirational, motivational and surprisingly fun. My next goal was to run a 10K in the summer but unfortunately that didn’t pan out due to conflicting schedules. Although I didn’t officially run a 10K, I am happy to say that my last recorded run on my watch was 7.25 miles.

Once again, the chilly temperatures seem to be here to stay and my motivation to run is slowly inching its way out the door. I ran for the first time in about 6 weeks this past Monday. Let me tell you, it wasn’t fun but I was determined to run at least a 5K, which I did. Friends of mine have told me that running in biting cold temperatures feels exhilarating. I don’t buy it. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am extremely sensitive to cold temperatures. If I could, I would go into hibernation with the bears. I think it’s time to hang up the running shoes once again. We won’t be hitting the pavement together for a while. In the meantime, my elliptical and I will be seeing a lot of each other. I may even dust off my treadmill. So long for now, running shoes, see you again in the spring.