32 Miles and The Itch

After not doing any cycling last week (my bike was in the shop getting tuned up for most of the week), I finally got out for a ride yesterday. I rode 32 miles on the Centennial Trail, mostly next to the Spokane River. That ride is becoming a staple in my training. It can get a bit boring, but it seems like a good distance for me at this point. Long enough to be considered a long-ish ride, but not long enough to take over my entire day (and wipe me out in the process).

Yesterday's ride, however, didn't feel all that great. I had no reserves at all.  When I'd push a little on an uphill, I could tell there wasn't much oomph in my legs. In hindsight (after waking up with a sore throat and runny nose this morning), I'm apparently coming down with a cold. Either that, or my allergies are really intense right now. Since colds have been going around, I'm assuming that's it.

I had a long ride planned for Friday, but my riding partner can't make it, so I'll either hold off (if I still feel lousy), or do a shorter, easier ride. Looks like it's going to be pretty windy the rest of the week, so that'll probably dictate my plans, too.

Now, there's that itch I alluded to. I hope you're sitting down. It has to do with running. Even though my left knee is 100% against the idea, I'm really getting the urge to become a runner again. I can only do what my body will let me do, but I really do miss regular runs and racing. I miss the long runs, tempo runs, hill training, ice baths (yes, it's true) and the camaraderie of a running club and the racing scene. I'm also, five years later, thinking about marathon v2.0, since I wasn't happy with how the first one played out. That, though, seems like a pipe dream at this point. My body has been so rebellious when it comes to even running a couple of miles pain-free that a full marathon isn't even in the realm of possibility currently. I don't want to get my hopes up. If/when I get this knee taken care of, perhaps I can do a very slow build and see what happens.

It has now been six years since I started this blog. A lot of things have happened over the course of that time, both good and bad. The key is to just keep moving forward, in one way or another, and deal with each setback as it happens.

And, head cold, bad knee and all, I think I might go for a little run today...