Perspective, a Dog, and What's NEXT for Running (Boston and a 50K?)

I woke up this morning with a definite sense of renewal and perspective shift.  Maybe it was allowing myself to type out my feelings in my post yesterday.  Maybe it was the blazing sunshine and promise of a fresh start with school starting tomorrow.  Or maybe it was just that it was time to take my head out of my rear end and realize just how good life is and how pathetic it is for me to be walking around with my head hanging down. I still miss Asheville and I'll be sad about that for awhile but I'm done with my whiney pity party I was having for most the day yesterday.  Really, pity parties (if that's what I decide to call it) don't last long for me.  All it takes is gaining a little perspective.  Lots of things will do this for me.  One of these things is just popping in to read the news.  This alone will change my perspective and outlook FAST!  It isn't always for the better though.  Most of the time, I avoid too much news (global, local, national) because of how much it can leave me feeling heavy and helpless.  But in small doses, it really makes me count my blessing in a bigger ways than I already do! Another thing that will give us all a perspective shift is this link:

25 Of The Most Dangerous And Unusual Journeys To School In The World
 Gee, I'm glad I have a car to drive my kids to school!  Can you imagine going to school like this?:

source

A Dog
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your feedback on my Facebook post about getting a dog.  Yes, we are very close to getting our first family dog.  I can't put my kids off any longer.  We've been promising them a dog for some time now, and...well, now's the time.  I've been dragging my feet on this because I love to travel and having a dog makes this just a little more complicated.  Dogs are also a lot of work and can be expensive. I grew up with dogs and I know how much work they are.  I also know how much I'll grow to love our dog and how it will become part of our family.  I loved reading your thoughts on what kinds of dogs are good for running and kids!  And yes, we will be getting a rescue dog.  Now it is a matter of finding the right one.  Today we went to two different shelters.  Before getting out of the car I repeated my words of : "We are NOT getting a dog today!"  I had to have them all repeat this back to me before I'd even agree to go in to see dogs.  We didn't find the dog for us today but I'm sure it will come soon.  Ultimately, I want a dog we all love.  A small dog would be nice for many reasons. However, I'd also love a dog that would be able to join me on the trails for runs.  I'm hearing good things about labs, retrievers, border collies, etc.  I know the perfect dog is out there for us.

What's Next With Running
I'm ready to run more again.  This sounds about right for me considering we are going into fall.  I usually spend the summer running very low mileage and recovering (mentally and physically) from my spring marathons.  Then I get to September and realize that I'm floundering a bit and my endorphins are at an all-time low. And then I usually register for some spring race and begin the process of training all over again.  I like this cycle and it works for me (minus the drop in endorphins at the end of the summer...).  I love having something to work towards but I don't always find myself hungry for a personal record or pushing myself to my limits these days.  In fact, right now, I'm thinking I just want something on the horizon to look forward to but just enough training to stay focused, fit, and in decent enough shape to ENJOY my spring race and embrace the simple fact that I LOVE RUNNING. I want to run for years to come so training smart and on the lighter side has become more valuable to me than pushing myself super hard and ending up injured and overtrained.   So, here are my thoughts for my next training cycle:

• I'm probably going to register for the 2015 Boston Marathon.  I qualified with a 3:28 at Boston so this gives me plenty of cushion to get in.  I've really gone back and forth with this decision.  I've run Boston 4 times now (2004, 2012, 2013, 2014) and honestly, there are many reasons why running it again doesn't make the most sense (travel, cost, um, maybe it's time to give this race a break, etc.).  However, I do LOVE Boston (the city and the marathon).  I love the whole weekend...Patriot's Day, the energy of the marathon, seeing people I enjoy, and so much more.  In addition to all these reasons, two of my closest friends will be in Boston again this year (well, one of them lives there). What a great way to wrap this weekend into a girl weekend where I get to see my friends, be in one of my favorite cities, and run a race I love.  I do know that if I go to Boston this year, I'd really like to run it just to run it.  I know, I've said this before and then ended up going for a harder effort.  I very well might change my intentions again but for now, I like the idea of running low mileage, staying fit without overdoing it, and going to Boston for a girl weekend!  Now, let's see if I stick to this plan.  

• If I run Boston for fun, there is a possibility for another spring race.  My husband is trying to convince me to do a 50k trail race with him in May.  50k?!  Not so sure.  This would put an end to my low mileage goal.  However, I do like the idea of a longer trail race for many reasons.  I think I could still keep my training pressure free...I'd just need some longer longer runs in there.  Boston could make a great training long run if I ran it right.  The 50k he mentioned today is the McDonald Forest 50k  on May 9th in Corvallis, Oregon.  A few things I love about this being the one we do together:  1.  This is the city we met and fell in love in.  2.  My dear soul sister friend Jenny lives here so we'd have a place to stay! Sounds promising.  

Have you done a 50k trail race?  Do you have recommendations for good ones in Oregon??

What kind of dog would you recommend for an active family with kids?  Your biggest tips for getting a dog?  

Amanda

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