A Running Update!

As some of you may remember, I fractured my foot two times last year! First, while training for the Nashville Rock & Roll Marathon back in April 2018 and again (the same foot) while training for the Stanky Creek 50K back in August 2018. I don't why the original injury happened (possibly related me trying to tape my foot so I could still run with plantar fasciitis), but I'm certain the re-fracture was due to me jumping straight into 50K training after healing from the first fracture.

It was dumb, but like so many other runners, I do lots of dumb things in the name of running. I took a full four months off running after the second fracture, and I finally got back into my sport in time for the St Jude 5K last December. Now that my foot is feeling good, I've decided to make 2019 a do-over year. I've signed up for (or are signing up for) all of the same races as last year, many of which I didn't get to run.

I'm currently training for the Little Rock Half-Marathon (check out this inspirational sidewalk chalk I spotted on last Saturday's 9-miler!).

I declared 2018 the "Year of Trail Running" when I launched the year with the Memphis Runners Track Club Winter Off-Road Series. This set of four trail races — a 3K, 5K, 8K, and 10K — acted as my intro to trail running. I'd long been a road runner, but after spending some time in the woods, I'd found my true love. So I re-registered again this year. We did the Overton Park 3K in early January! My friend Megan and partner Paul also signed up for the WORS series this time, so it's been great to have friends to run with! Last year, I did most of the series by myself.

Btw, I was super-sick during that 3K (two days into a bad cold), but I did it anyway. Not my best race, but it felt good to get outside.

Two weekends ago, we all ran the second race in the series — WC Johnson 5K. It was COLD day (in the 30s!), but we survived.

The next two WORS races — Stanky Creek 8K and the Shelby Farms 10K — are coming up in February, and I can't wait! And this weekend, I'll run the Crosstown 10K in my neighborhood (starting and ending at Crosstown Concourse, where I work). I ran that last year (the first year for that race) as well.

Next up is the Little Rock Half (I ran that last year) in March. And then Paul and I have signed up to run the Nashville Rock & Roll together in April. That's the one I didn't get to run last year because I broke my foot on my last long run before the race. This will be Paul's first marathon, so maybe it's best that I was forced to wait and run it with him.

I also plan to run the Great American River Run Half in downtown Memphis this May (signed up last year but had to downgrade to the 5K as my first injury had just barely healed). And finally, my end goal is the Stanky Creek 50K — a trail race on the Stanky Creek bike trails!! I volunteered at the race last year since I couldn't run it, and I was inspired by all the people out there pushing themselves beyond their limits. Can't wait to make it happen this year!