Sunday, August 2, 2015

I Apologize

I would like to apologize to everyone who came here expecting to read another of Renee's awesome blogs. This month, you are stuck with me.

My name is Shelley Gosse and I don't like to run. I wouldn't say I hate it, but lets just say if me and running were married, we'd be in therapy.

I do however love my running group. These people are the reason I keep going. I envy their drive and ability to love running. "I had an awesome run!" is something I hear a lot. A LOT. I can't relate. But I sit and listen to their stories in a childlike-magic-of-Christmas kind of awe. These people are machines. They are amazing creatures. It seems as if they are always planning and training for that next big race with the same anticipation that I feel just before I book my next cruise vacation or eat a bag of Cheetos.

Now that the Tely 10 is over (I passed out Mr. Freezes and took pictures) and the more than 90 PRCers who raced (some with stress fractures) have posted and shared their PB's and race photos on Facebook, all eyes are turned towards the Huffin Puffin and Cape to Cabot races. Registration opened for the C2C yesterday morning and sold out in a matter of hours. My news feed is full of people posting just one word. "In!" This means one thing for me - hot chocolate on Signal Hill while wearing a survival suit.

The Huffin Puffin is a different story. My running buddy Renee (again I apologize) asked me to join her on a relay team for the race. I've done the relay twice before and agreed to do it again because there is always an amazing barbecue post race and it gives me a chance to spend time with my running peeps outside of running gear.

I do have to confess something at this point. Back in March I decided that I might possibly to the Huffin Puffin Half. I had decided to do my version of training which included running the Tely and continuing on to the half. All was going according to plan until I hit the 13k training run. I finished that run feeling like a gigantic cow patty. It all went down hill from there.

I spent the next couple of weeks giving running the finger anytime I saw it. If I did go out I was more likely to walk/dance/skip along the trail with Renee and Gina than run. I was secretly loving the crappy weather we were having because 9 times out of 10, if it was raining, the husband (a.k.a Sugar) wouldn't venture out for a run which meant I didn't have to go either.

My funk lasted until the Tely was over. And it was then that I realized that I was disappointed that I wasn't able to reach my goal. Most of the PRCers have a goal during the running season - first Tely, first half, first marathon, first C2C. My ultimate goal is more in the line of being able to sit on the couch and eat coconut macaroons and still lose 10 pounds.

With this new epiphany of mine and some encouragement from Sugar to try to look at running in a more positive light, I said yes when he suggested a run yesterday afternoon. I missed the group run that morning due to work and he missed it due to C2C registration. He planned on 10k and said I should do 8k. For some reason I agreed.

I ran around Neil's and Octagon Ponds eating the May flies and trying to look for the positive things about this run. It took a while but then something great happened. Coming along the trail towards me were my good friends the Ralphs, also out for an afternoon run. I stopped for a few minutes, had a chat and the next thing I knew, I was having beer can chicken in their kitchen while listening to the greatest hits of the 80's on Spotify.

In case you are wondering, I did finish my run. 8.4 k in 1:01:21. Not breaking any records, but I did it and more importantly, I made the first step in rekindling (or rather, igniting) a luke-warm feeling towards an estranged partner who seemingly only wants the best for me.



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