Back on the job

I took a vacation from running this week, only running about 3 miles in six days. It was actually kinda nice, just staying at home after work with no pressure to get in a workout, or going out with friends into the night without worrying about the next 8 miler.

In our working lives, we look forward to the weekend for that need to recharge. Or a week off in the summer so we can unplug. Because running is our side passion, we often fill those weekends and weeks off with a hell of a lot of running. Sometimes, running actually feels like work -- not in a bad, 'I hate work' way, but in a 'I gotta put on the running shoes five or six days a week' to get the job done. (The job, in the case of marathoners, is the training.)

I've typically run the least amont of monthly mileage in December, it's usually my rest month of the year. Actually, I don't think I've topped 100 miles in each of the last four Decembers. It's a great chance to end of the year. This year, it's different because tomorrow, my 18 week marathon program begins for an April marathon.

So this year, I probably will top 100 miles for this month. I'm kinda glad I have training through the 'eating season' that Christmas tends to be. I'll eat, but have the daily runs haunting my schedule.

Running vacations are great, but we all know that fitness gains are hard to make if you take too long a break, so today, I did 8.5 miles around the city. Hit some hills, ran in the rain, and ended of the last day of my vacation from running with a nice strong run.