Back to life, back to reality

And back to the running...tomorrow, I promise.

I think we can all agree that vacation recovery time is about 48 hours, give or take. And since I pulled back into Portland around 3:00 am on Sunday, I figure I'm good to coast through today without the pressure of being in any way functional.

But tomorrow, tomorrow. I have to get back on the wagon. Get back on the schedule. Get back on my Mackworth Island trail. The B2B is four weeks away and I don't feel anywhere near prepared. I wonder how much was lost during my time off - and I think I'm afraid to find out.

In my defense, I did go for a run last week back in Illinois. I found a well-groomed neighborhood park with a short bike path near my brother's house. I laced up the ol' Mizunos, gave each leg an honest stretch, checked my watch and started off.

My goal was to run for 40 minutes.

Instead I ran for 15, decided I was too tired to run, grabbed a blanket and book from my car and passed out under a tree.

I'd say, "At least I tried, right?!?" but you're not that gullible.

Nevertheless, I have no more excuses. At least I should avoid using any, since I'm only damning myself.

But the enthusiasm levels are admittedly low. The key is to do it anyway. I remember reading once that too many people expect to get amped on the idea of starting a running/exercise routine. And when that excitement doesn't come flooding, would-be runners/skinny bitches opt to just forget the idea.

The truth is, said article claimed, you need to start the routine first - fight through those initial painful/boring/difficult sessions. The enthusiasm comes after - once you've got some hard work under your belt.

I know, I was there a month ago. And now it seems I need to fight my way there again. So I'm ready to get back to it - preferably sooner rather than later. I see a "Woohoo, I kicked that trail to death" entry in my future.