Where I'm Going From Here

   Last week, I completed my 5K training goal by doing the Brita Resolution Run here in London. Once again this left me with the desire to run but no real goal to train toward.
   Now, I'm not sure that I even really need a "goal" in order to run and enjoy it, but the fact of the matter is that having a goal provides me more motivation and possible new directions for my running efforts. When I was doing the Learn-to-Run clinic the goal was a 3K race. My goal after that was the 5K Resolution Run. These goals gave me reason to get out there every other day and run. So, once more, I needed a goal. Maybe.
   I hopped on the Running Room race page and began looking for races in our general area. At this point on my running life I am still quite interested in the shorter distances and was still keeping my eyes open for another 5K race somewhere.
   Suddenly I came across the Uxbridge Half Marathon Run for the Diamond near the end of April. Normally I would not be that interested in a race that was a three-hour drive (if you followed the speed limit...) away. The fact of the matter, though, was that Doralyn's brother, James, lives in Uxbridge and that would simply give us a reason to visit. Not only that, we were headed there the next day!
   To clarify, there are several different kinds of races being run in Uxbridge and I am running in the 5K version, not the half marathon. To make things even better, Doralyn has entered herself in the 5K walk.
   Also, what is different about this race, and why I found it so appealing, was that there is actually a cross-country element to it. It is run on Crooked Sticks Golf Course and there is quite a challenging elevation change, judging from the on-line testimonials. This is what I wanted, something slightly different.
   So now I am in training for a 5K race over hilly terrain. To date, I have been running on flat pavement and the odd little incline I've been running into hits pretty hard. I need to find a different route, obviously.
   Living in Byron, there are hills all around and I set out today to run some of them. I plotted a 5K run and headed out.
   In the course of the 5K, I stopped and walked five times. Normally, this would have pissed me off. Today's run was more a voyage of discovery than anything and the fact that I stopped and walked so often seemed to make little difference.
   The hills were hard. Running in the snow was hard. Not having run for five days made it hard and the few extra holiday pounds (I ate a lot in Uxbridge) made it hard. All that I really wanted to do, though, was familiarize myself with new streets. I wanted to be able to visualize them beforehand. Walking five times today has given me the goal of only walking four or maybe three the next time. My goal for today was therefore accomplished.
   I'm looking forward to the next run...