Disclaimer: I received a free entry into the Virtual Grandma’s Marathon to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Where has the time actually gone?!

While 2020 seemed to drag on at a snails pace, it is already June 2021…and I don’t know how it has gone by so fast!

Time waits for no one…especially when it comes to training (or not) for a running event… Let’s chat!

Lately…or semi-lately

Work

So, I started off the year with a new job. After a roller coaster 10 years with the same company, I was furloughed in April 2020 and subsequently “released from the company” 6 months later. I started looking for work, but it is truly hard to rewrite your future that you didn’t know you needed to rewrite…

I was hired with the local school district in November but due to slow progress, I didn’t get started in the school until the last day before winter break… After a few weeks of work, I was called back by another company I interviewed with in late 2020. Frankly, if I was making enough money to pay the bills, I would have liked to stay at the school for a while…but that was not the case.

I graciously accepted a Closing Agent position with Tallgrass Title and haven’t looked back! I have learned quite a bit and feel like I am getting my feet under me in a good way… And the work is keeping me busy for sure!

Health

Back in 2020, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Overall, I have been able to keep the pain, soreness, and stiffness away with MTX — which has been great!

In April, I was given the opportunity to get my first Covid-19 Vaccine. For my RA treatment, this meant taking a little break from the meds to let my immune system build up. I didn’t have much of a reaction with the first injection…but had a little more of a reaction with the second. I ended up being off my meds for 2 weeks after my second dose since I wasn’t feeling well…all while not running very much to give my body the rest it needed.

I am back on all meds now and fully vaccinated!

You will still find me wearing a mask in public and in close quarters…but here’s to hoping science keeps me feeling good.

Running

The first thing to slip up when it comes to taking care of myself is my running…it always is. There are many days/nights I would rather get that extra hour of sleep, relax with the family, or just am not feeling up to the solo slog…

While running has been my go-to exercise of choice in recent years, it isn’t always my favorite.

Running is hard.

Especially if you are not keeping up with it as you should…

Training plan?

Yeah, that started earlier this year. Then there was that reset after a “bad week”. Then the plan was put on hold due to some suuuuuper cold and crappy weather… Then excuses piled on more than the miles… Then my Covid-19 vaccinations put a hold on my efforts and life just got busy…and now here we are!

I am still fully committed to completing the Grandma’s Weekend I signed up for months and months ago…but with all that being said, I have completely modified my plan and expectations…

Grandma’s Marathon Weekend

• Previous plan : train well, run all the miles in one go on “race day” in the Recreational Division and aim for a 2:40 or better finish

• Current plan : play it smart and safe, running the Incremental Division throughout the week and finishing strong over a few days time

Don’t get me wrong, there is a certain level of defeat welling up inside me thinking that I am going to complete the miles over a series of days rather than hours in one day…but I would rather be able to walk for the week after the effort and not beat my body up too bad in the process.

I am sure glad Grandma’s has several levels of competition built into their virtual experience :

• Competitive Division: proof of performance required (GPS, Strava, RunKeeper, etc.), included in Competitive virtual results & eligible for virtual age division awards

• Recreational Division: completing their race all at once but not interested in being in Competitive virtual results. No awards. Rec results listed separately

• Incremental Division: completing their race in segments and submitting cumulative time. No awards. Incremental results listed separately

Now. I would have loved to be in Duluth this coming weekend with my fellow BibRave Pros…but that kind of travelling is hardly ever in the cards for me. Maybe that prospect would have given me more drive to get up and get outside to run… Hindsight being 20/20 of course.

For now, I am planning my miles over the week after the in-person event, June 21st-25th

During this week, I can run whenever my heart desires and I will rack up those miles gradually — finishing the week with finishing the distance for the Great Grandma’s Half Marathon Challenge — including the William A Irvin 5K and Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon!

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Follow along on my Instagram feed for daily updates next week as I pile on the miles and complete these events!

Are you running the Grandma’s Marathon weekend?

What running event are you looking forward to the most in 2021?

Let me know in the comments below!