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Countdown to Ragnar McDowell Mountain

If I had to sum up how my training went this summer, it would be...  "Hrmph."
Or, insert your own onomatopoeia of disgust.

If you know me in real life, or read any of my other recent posts, you know that my running has gone downhill (pun intended); not only in my actual ability but in my love of doing it.

I don't know if I can use it as my sole excuse, but I did find out I was hypothyroid back in July and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis in September.  I do think these new-to-me medical issues have played a big part in my weight gain, my inability to "run it off", my feelings of lethargy and my discouragement with any type of physical activity.  As of right now I am still working on how to live well with this, but I haven't found a solution that makes me feel great yet.  There are far worse things I could be dealing with, but it's hard to be patient with your own health.

As for that dreaded physical activity I was talking about, I have Ragnar Trail coming up in one week from today, and my first ever charity bike ride the following week.  I am trying to keep my fitness up for Ragnar, but the truth is I will be super slow, maybe the slowest I've ran since I started running.  I'm hoping the adrenaline of the day will be enough to get me out of bed and running, and then the camaraderie of the team will be the piece that keeps me going.  If I can't get my groove back at Ragnar...  It will be tough for me, no doubt about it.  There is always the CF Ride, which I am looking forward to, but as of today it hasn't quite lit the spark like that very first 5k I ran many years ago.  Maybe that is another one that will be great after I finish?

My silly friend Kelli talked me into doing the Phoenix 3TV 10k - the Sunday after Ragnar on Fri/Sat - and the Scottsdale Half Marathon in December.  I did sign up for a duathlon in February, and then we're doing a silly hike in the Grand Canyon in April.  At some level I need to stay in shape for all of these things, but it seems so much harder now than it did before.  So, so ridiculous.   But:

I will embrace it.
I will try not to put too much pressure on myself.
And I will try to run in costume whenever I can think of one.

P.S. - for Ragnar I'm going to be a campfire.

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