Halloween 5k

I figure if I’m going to run a 5k, it should be a fun one. Like with costumes.

Enter the Halloween 5k, which, it should be noted, I have not yet committed myself to. I’m toying with the idea.

I don’t consider myself a “runner.” I’ve always done running as a means to an end, running with a purpose. Like for playing soccer, or fleeing crime scenes. (Kidding, kidding.) I’ve never loved running for running’s sake, though I could see myself enjoying it more if I were better at it.

I am not in 5k running shape. I am doubtful that I would be by October 29th.

But I love month-or-less goals. They seem to be the only kind I manage the self-discipline to stick to. (See: half off unlimited monthly pass to yoga and subsequent attending of 17 classes in 30 days.)

I *am* coming off a summer of soccer. I do a fair bit of bicycling. It’s not like I’m not an active person.

I’ve been telling myself that THIS year, I will keep up with the shape I start getting into in the summer. Every year, for the last few years, I’ll play soccer a few times a week in the spring and summer. I’ll get in better shape, and lose a few pounds. Winter rolls around, and even though I replace soccer with racquetball and some gyming, it doesn’t even out. I probably gain the few pounds back, and I definitely do less running. Racquetball is usually once a week at most, whereas soccer was 2-3 times. And 2-3 times longer, since racquetball is only an hour.

It’s dark. It’s cold. There is a sense of impending doom. Winter is a battle of wills, and there isn’t a lot of room for more than cursory attempts at maintaining fitness.

But this year, it will be different.

No. Not even this “winter.” We’re not going to make it that large of a chunk. It’s going to be broken down to smaller chunks. October will have more running… maybe as training for a 5k.

I realize I need to decide kind of soon if I’m actually committing to it or not, but I want a few more days of running to tell. Yes, I’ve been playing soccer, but I don’t know what my level of fitness there really translates to in terms of straight running. So I’m still figuring that out first. It took about 15 minutes to do a mile run/walk combo the other day. We’ll see how the running plan goes tonight. If I can get to a point where I’m comfortable running 2 miles within the next week and a half/two weeks, I’ll probably do the 5k.

But. We’ll see how it goes. I *want* to commit to the 5k, but I also know that particularly with running, which I don’t love just yet, I’m more likely to get burned out by it if I do too much of it too soon.

I can bike for 40+ miles, and be fine. Why can’t I run 3?

We’ll work on that.