Just wanna have fun.

I had been waiting until we finished our 50K to set goals for the rest of the year. That didn’t really stop new races from being added though 😅

Fort Ebey was a challenging day, and in less than 3 weeks, we’re running Badger Mountain (almost 34 miles). The 20-miler on Saturday morphed into a 10. It just… wasn’t a 20-mile day. So I was surprised by how we both felt when we went out for some flat miles around Green Lake on Sunday.

Saturday wasn’t terrible exactly. I just felt a little spent, more mentally than physically. G was having a tougher day. I think we’re struggling a little with expectations and maybe a dash of the edge of burnout. Our 50K was meant to be done 2 weeks ago, and instead we did a full marathon, recovered for a week, and are trying to squeeze in a training block for a flatter course.

Sunday was totally different. We maintained a sub-10:30 average for 8 miles—a solid pace for that distance for us. More importantly/surprisingly, the pace felt easy & the distance comfortable. G & I talked a lot, more like our long road running days of the past.

During that time, I realized what I want out of the rest of this year. I want to just have fun. I don’t want to be tied to a training schedule. I want the freedom to decide to go out for 20 or for 8 on long run day. Or to go for an epic hike instead. I want to do some speed work. I might try a switch to training by time rather than distance. Maybe I’ll even leave my watch at home some days (ok probably not, but it’s an idea). I want to get a little more time in the gym, maybe with a trainer.

That doesn’t mean ignoring races the rest of the year. We’re going to do TigerClaw, the first race organized by the Ginger Runner, 22 miles with 8500′ elevation gain. I’m undecided about doing the original 50K that’s been rescheduled for June. I may defer it until next year, because what I really want to do is run some shorter trail events, bagging the NW Trail Runs Trail half & summer series. I’m even thinking about testing trail legs out on a road course or two.

The key is to enjoy the process & the events. I ordered a copy of the Roches’ Happy Runner a while back and now is the perfect time to dive into it. The core of the training philosophy is SWAP: Some Work, All Play.

This summer will be time get outside & have some fun. What are your plans?