I’m a bad Houston Fit member … I’ve missed three Saturday morning runs this month! But while I may not have run with my group, I haven’t totally abandoned ship, either. 

So why didn’t I make my training appointments? Because I chose to listen to my body and feed its needs versus pushing myself and possible injury (or making the one I’m already recovering from worse!).

The first time I didn’t make a run, it was a game time decision. I still set my alarm to wake up in time, but two things felt off: 1) my leg was a little sore and achy from a training session earlier in the week and 2) I just felt tired. So I decided I would get at least another hour or two of sleep, and would run the 8 miles closer to home. What I actually did was sleep 3 more hours and only run about 4 miles, but I felt more prepared for it. Plus, I had a work event that day which had me on my feet for about 3 hours, so it worked out for the best.

The following weekend, I made the group, and my 7 miles went great! A little slower than the last time I did 7, but not too far off.

Then there was last weekend. I had been dealing with car troubles all week, on top of a packed work schedule, which all exhausted me. Plus, I needed to free up my Saturday morning to do some car shopping … having a working vehicle is such a priority in Houston! So I decided to do my 8 miles on Sunday. This didn’t work out as swimmingly as the first time, as I slept later on Sunday, and it was a bit warm … plus Terry Hershey Park is a bit hillier than the routes our group runs near Memorial. So I did 7 miles, of which I walked most of it. But still a win for getting activity and maintaining most of the distance.

And now we are up to this week. Again, I’m exhausted from week 2 of the car drama, which means the weekend will again be devoted to visiting dealerships (this time hoping for some good offers on my current ride). After the week I’ve had, I just couldn’t stomach a 5 a.m. start time … start time meaning the moment we set foot to ground to start our route! I lucked out in that my trainer is off this Sunday, so that opened up time in my schedule to move my 9 mile route to then. I’m hopeful that I’ll get up earlier so I can enjoy some cool weather.

I’m glad that while I’m adjusting my schedule to allow for care of my physical and emotional health, that I’m not giving up on my fitness goals entirely. It’s a good reminder that life happens to us all, and it’s up to us to maintain our priorities, even if they have to shift slightly for a period of time.

Fortunately, we have a good 12 weeks until the half marathon for me to recover from these dips!