2025 Training for Bratislava & Budapest

Starting runs has been difficult lately. If the practice didn't have such short term physiological and psychological benefits I sometimes wonder if I'd still manage to do it at all. Thus this morning with a great exertion of will I laced up my shoes and headed out into the freezing morning here in Košice to get in the 4 kilometers I needed to hit 25 this week with the half Sunday.

Yesterday was warm and sunny in the morning, but started to rain at lunch. This was a cold snap and this morning was freezing with a strong wind whipping down the Danube river valley. I had long sleeves and a light jacket, but no gloves, wool or warm hat. Fortunately my hotel was next to the start line, so I waited until 15 minutes before the race started to head out. It was mentally difficult to focre myself to do it. I knew that running a half marathon was going to be no problem, but I did not believe it. There's a real cognitive disconnect these days between what I know I'm capable of and my perceived self-compitence. Nevertheless I went, I ran, and by the end I was not exhausted. My time at the end was lackluster, but that was expected at my current weight (103 kg when I left CH) despite the training. The weight gain plus the handfulls of hair I lose every day are definitely indicators of something wrong with my body that exercise just doesn't fix. Still, completing a race in my 20th European coutry is something to celebrate!

This morning Paula and were up early for a run. I was determined to do 10 kilometers since I missed last night's group run on account of me really feeling in the zone coding, so I spent all evening doing that. My original plan was to run from Glattbrugg along the Glatt river 5K and then back. But then I saw a sign for Dübendorf. It's also along the Glatt and seemed like roughly 10K and we could grab a train from there. There were quite a few gnawed trees evidencing beaver living in the river. When we arrived in Dübendorf I put the leash back on Paula and we headed to the station. It was 15 mins til our train and we had only covered 9 km. Paula, sensing my indecision, grabbed the leash in her mouth and tugged on it in the direction out of the station. So we headed back to the Glatt to get in that last kilometer before the train. Back on the trail I started thinking about the Glatt and were it starts from the Greifensee. My legs were warm, the air was cool, and Paula was eager, so our changed again to run to the Greifensee. So we did!

13 kilometers in the forest is not a lot ot show for two hours of running, but that I was able to go up and down those hills for two hours made me feel pretty good.

Sunny, warm afternoon and a good run with the dogs.

Two weeks in a row with 25 km, and I'm feeling really good about how my training is going. On track for April!

Finally managed to get 25 km in a week! First time since November...

The past couple days I've had my energy completely sapped by a stomach bug. Not to mention that I can't safely venture far from a toilet. I'm super disappointed in myself for not reaching my running goal of 25km any weeks so far this year and I was really hoping to change that this week. Now I'm just hoping to be better by Sunday so I can do the Mikeller run.

Sunny weather and a bit of warmth today so I headed out with the dogs to the Meierwiesen for some training. And they both found shit to roll in.

Mikeller has a running club in Zürich now too...

Still sick, a run in the Tobel wiped me out. There was also a lot more ice than I was expecting. The dogs and I still had fun though.

Jetlagged and still sick, the year's training is not off to much of a start so far, but I have at least been keeping up with yoga.

Today Ken, Brenton and I did the Freakin' Freezin' 5K for our semi-annual family race. Unfortunately Packie & his kids weren't able to come.

Today I finally managed to signup for the Budapest after some weeks of back and forth with their tech guy. Also been sick since Christmas, so there hasn't been much energy for running. I think I should be good for Saturday's run, but Ken probably won't be.