running and plans for 2016

I can't believe I ran a marathon in April. It feels like it was ages ago. But I also wasn't as obsessed with it as I had been two years before, so it didn't leave as much of a mental marker. Anyway, after the Blue Ridge Marathon in April I took a break from training, and was just running short distances a couple times a week, maybe with another visit to the gym thrown in. I felt pretty lazy. Then I decided to train for an October olympic-distance triathlon, so I spent a few months swimming twice a week, biking twice a week (usually on the trainer), and running three times. But when my grandmother died and I went to New Mexico for the funeral, I decided to stay there as long as I could to hang out with family, and thus didn't fly back to Virginia in time for the triathlon. (I felt better about this decision when I learned the swim portion of the tri was cancelled due to lots of rain. The swim is definitely my weakest portion, but I wouldn't have wanted to skip it.)

So I found myself in mid-October with no more than seven miles of running or thirty miles of biking at a time on my legs, and no triathlon accomplishment. I couldn't ramp up safely for a fall half or full marathon, and I'd never make it on a fall century ride (or even a metric century). The season for everything was going to be over, I had nothing to show for my summer or fall, and all I could see was a long bleak winter of floundering ahead. This made me anxious to start a training program and go big as soon as possible. So I searched for a winter marathon in driving distance that wouldn't have a good chance of being canceled due to inclement weather. I found the Charleston Marathon, which at the time was fourteen weeks away. Ding ding ding, I found my plan.

I'm going to hold off on actually registering, in case my body (namely my IT-band) doesn't make it. But I'm five weeks into my marathon training. I like having a plan to follow to keep me running regularly, and I like how running makes the winter more bearable. I also like the thought of getting a marathon done early in the year, leaving plenty of time for other events.

So here is my tentative plan for 2016:

• January marathon in Charleston, SC

• May or June olympic triathlon somewhere in Virginia

• September half marathon in Hawaii (!)

• October century ride

I'm excited.

a New Mexican fall break

Sorry to be a month late, but I'm finally getting around to telling you about my trip to New Mexico for my Grandmother's funeral. I was there for nine days, and though the reason for being out there was sad, I did end up having a fun vacation.

I arrived on Saturday, September 26. My parents picked me up from the airport and then we went out for Mexican. After the drive home to Santa Fe we hung out and watched a movie.

Sunday I went for a run, then to church with my parents, then out to lunch, and then with Dad to visit Granddad.

Monday I went to Albuquerque to pick up Ryan and Lauren from the airport. Then the three of us went to the Hinkle Family Fun Center to play two rounds of mini golf and some arcade games. That night back in Santa Fe we went out for Mexican with our parents and my cousin, then us kids went out for drinks after that.

Mini golf!

Tuesday was Grandmother's funeral. After a service in Santa Fe we all drove to Albuquerque for the burial, and then went to my aunt and uncle's for a meal. It was nice to hang out with relatives we don't see often.

Wednesday Ryan and Lauren and I played frisbee golf. Lauren and I jogged to the park and met Ryan for 18 holes. I haven't wandered around in an arroyo like that in a very long time, but it was fun.

Frisbee golf!

Thursday (I think?) we visited Canyon Road and looked at a bunch of art galleries. Then that night we stopped by Encantado with Dad for drinks and snacks and a great view of the sunset before we met up with lots of family to celebrate my aunt's birthday.

Watching art in the making.

The view just north of Santa Fe. Every time I visit I love how much sky there is!

Enjoying popcorn (not pictured) and beer with a view.

Friday Ryan and Lauren and I went for a hike. Ryan made us take the steeper but more direct way to the little stream at the end, but we all agreed the windier ridge trail on the way back was better. After the hike we drove the rest of the way up to the ski basin to check out the changing aspen.

Hiking!

Pulled over at a lookout.

Fall hitting the aspen.

I don't remember which days these happened (the problem with waiting a month to blog), but one night Mom made pizza for dinner and we played games (Sushi Go! and Charades). Another night she made pita tuna sandwiches. And since Lauren was visiting (nevermind the rest of us...) she made chocolate cake. Also, somewhere in there Ryan and Lauren and I watched Hotel Transylvania and Pitch Perfect 2.

Saturday the three of us got up at 4am and drove to Albuquerque for the International Balloon Fiesta. I hadn't been since I was a kid. We spent almost an hour in traffic trying to get into the park, but we arrived in time for the mass ascension. We started the morning off with breakfast burritos. (Apparently that's the thing to do. A billion vendors were all selling breakfast burritos. And hot chocolate, which we got later.) Then we wandered among the balloons as they inflated and launched.

I think we were done by about 9am. So we drove back to Santa Fe. That afternoon mom joined us and we went to the fall festival at El Rancho de las Golondrinas. It's a living history museum of a colonial village. We got to make tortillas, which was exciting. That night we went out for my last Mexican meal, and visited Granddad one more time.

Grilling tortillas.

Sunday mom made a good breakfast to see me off to the airport, then Ryan and Lauren drove me to Albuquerque. It was fun seeing the balloon fiesta again as we passed by on the interstate.

For a trip that wasn't planned and was based around the death of my dear Grandmother, I'm grateful it turned out to be a nice time hanging out with family and enjoying New Mexico in the fall.