Wait....what?

That's what I said yesterday when it fully dawned on me that my next half-marathon is next Saturday!  I knew in the back of my mind that it was, but, now it's just kind of THERE...in a week...7 days.  I haven't been too worried about it.  I have a loose goal of 2:15 or less, but it won't be the end of the world if I don't get it.  For the most part, I've been getting all my training runs in, and they've felt pretty good.  I've gotten away, though, from my 5 runs per week, and have consistently been running 4 times per week.  My body seems to like this frequency much better.  I don't feel quite so exhausted by the time my Saturday long runs roll around, and my runs feel like they're better quality.  I seem to be able to keep the hip pain away, also, with the decrease.

I continue to work on speed, but not as much as I was hoping to.  I get a little sidetracked while I'm running because I just enjoy the thinking time....the alone time.  From what I've been reading, track work is probably the best way to improve speed, and I'm just not motivated to do that right now. 

What I'm really working on is (don't laugh) a form of potty training.  I was really frustrated last year with all the pit stops I had to take both in training and in my races.  In reviewing my recaps from my October 1/2 marathon and my December marathon, it's pretty obvious where I lost A LOT of time.  I was trying to follow the advice to hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate some more in the days prior to those long runs, and I think I may have overdone it.  I've been experimenting with getting the water I need, but not so much where I'm constantly having to stop at those porta potties.  In doing so, I've run over-hydrated, a little dehydrated, and a lot dehydrated.  But, I think now I've found a system that works for me.  My only concern is that I've been used to running in cooler weather in the early morning, and it's supposed to be in the 70's at the 1/2 marathon next week.  That may throw me off a little. 

I've been looking for some more races to sign up for in the future.  These two are definitely on my radar:

Milwaukee Brewers Mini Marathon to benefit Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC)

and

the 2013 Cellcom Green Bay Marathon

I wanted to run this year's Cellcom Marathon, but Lambeau Field is being renovated, so their tradition of finishing up at the stadium was omitted.  That would be the biggest pull for me to run this, so I definitely want to run it next year. 

While most of my family lives in Wisconsin, I don't, so I'll have to think about travel expenses and see if I can swing one or both of these races. 

In other news, spring has definitely SPRUNG here in northern Nevada.  It is a GLORIOUS time of year when the valley is coming back to life against the backdrop of mountains still dusted or covered with snow (depending on their heights).  Some pictures from this beautiful season:

One end of  a HUGE rainbow I saw while running one day

The other end

The middle

If you look very closely, you can see a faint double rainbow

Easter sunrise

Yay!  The beginning of 4-wheeling season!!

A different form of new life...our new grandnephew Noah.  Welcome to the world, little one.  Kind of fitting to have a picture of Noah along with pictures of a rainbow, right?

Now, off to catch up on all of your blogs!  I've been a very bad follower lately...sorry!!  :)