The "final" finish line

Don't panic; it's not that final. But it is the end of endurance running for 2015, and maybe longer.

When I first started running, I wasn't sure what I wanted out of it, other than to have what runners have. I would drive my car and see runners out on the roads and sidewalks, and crave what they have. I can't explain it; there was a need, somewhere deep inside, to be one of them.

I believed - I still believe - that I was made to run. Maybe not well. Maybe not fast. But I was made to run.

The first 5K (3.1 miles) also had a 15K (9.3 miles) option. Our tribe ran the 5, but my sister ran the 15, and man was that spectacular. I remember thinking she was otherworldly. Watching her cross the finish line, I cried. Like, literally cried. I wanted that.

So plans were hatched; I would, in a year or so, work my way up to running the 15K distance ... and shortly after that, half marathon (13.1 miles.)

Since that time, I've lost track of the 5Ks and 10Ks, I've run the 15 several times (three, maybe?) and (if I'm counting correctly) seven half marathons and a variety of weird distances in between. And the thing is ... I'm ready for a break.

As of now, I have no plans to run anything longer than a 5K for the rest of this year. I'm focused on triathlons (with three or four coming up this summer) and yoga teacher training (starting in September), and I'm really looking forward to seeing how my body responds. Long runs are hard on everyone; the weak don't make it to the start line, much less the finish. But I'm ready to pull back a little, concentrate my training on improving my shorter distances, and see what 2016 might bring.

Now and then, you just need to switch it up. Try something different. Re-focus training time and see where it leads. By the end of this year, I will be a certified yoga instructor ... a different athlete than the one I am today. I trust my instinct and my dedication to training, and I am so excited to see where this leads.