Back after 3+ years

Well, it's been 3 and a half years since my last post. (which was ironically titled "Back on Track" - which turns out to have been too optimistic). Since then much has transpired, both in my running universe, and otherwise. A quick recap of the past 4 years:

2006:

My bum ankle, which had gotten injured soon after my first (and last)marathon in 2005, continued to stay that way, and prevented me from getting back into any kind of serious running. Later figured out it was probably achilles tendonitis - one of those chronic injuries that never fully goes away. I stayed away from speedwork at track - which had been my bread and butter up until that point. I did do a bit of running - I went "strength training" on Mondays for a few months, which involved a million push-ups and what-not. And some irregular weekend running. But a far, far cry from 2005.

Oh and by the way - 2006 was also the year I met N, my "significant other".

2007:

Early 2007 brought marriage; then a few months of shuttling between Philly and S.Cruz. Then in the summer, we did two moves - N moved first from the City of Brotherly Love to Santa Cruz. And then it was time to wave goodbye to Santa Cruz after 7 awesome years, and head to the practical world of San Jose.

The rest of 2007 was spent adjusting to a new life. Time suddenly became precious. Gone were the days where I would go out running at 7.30 am on a weekday and grin in glee at all those hustling and bustling to work; I was one of them now - a (forced) early riser with a long commute. Exercise didn't even figure in the mix.

2008:

Finally started feeling the need to start moving my sorry ass again. Discovered soon enough that running outside in downtown San Jose was nowhere near as fun as Santa Cruz. In S.Cruz, I could escape into miles of trails within a few minutes of stepping out of the house. I could choose between running in the open spaces of Pogonip; under the redwoods of Nisene Marks; or by the waterfront along West Cliff - to name just 3 options. In San Jose however, I was stuck running from stop light to stop light. Plus, it was ultra-flat. I never thought I'd say this, but I really missed the hilly streets and trails in S.Cruz! San Jose downtown is right at the bottom of the valley and is flat as a pancake. Running up and down a hill gives you a satisfying workout in 15 min or less; but on flat terrain, it takes much longer to derive any level of satisfaction. Reluctantly, I joined a gym; and slowly got over my hatred for running on the treadmill. One benefit of the treadmill was that N and I could workout together while maintaining different paces.

2009:

One winter morning in 2009, while out on a long run on the streets near our home, I took a detour and ran by the grounds of San Jose High Academy - on 21th and Santa Clara Sts. And I made an amazing discovery - there in front of me was an Olympic-sized 400 m rubberized asphalt track! I had grown to love running on track during my time with the Santa Cruz Track Club, and I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to do so again - at a place so close to home (~2 mi). It was perfect - I could measure and time myself again; could run for long stretches at a time without having to stop at stop lights; N and I could workout together, outside while running at different paces. I kicked the gym goodbye; and a track workout soon became part of our weekend routine. I was truly, back on track. What made it even more fun was that on saturdays and sundays there'd be a soccer game on in the field enclosed by the track. Kept me entertained. Nothing beats watching live (in-person!) sport while working out. Staring into a TV at the gym makes for a poor, poor substitute.

Over these past couple years, and especially in the months since we discovered the high school track, N has really come into her own as a true runner, and I was ready to start dreaming about racing again. (racing - not as in running fast - but as in participating in a race event) - and I even managed to convince N that it would be a good idea. We signed up for a half marathon (13.1 mi) - the San Jose Rock and Roll Half, coming up on October 4. It would be N's first event > 10 Km, and it would be my first half marathon in 4 years. Needless to say, I am excited.