Tell Me What You Want. . .

. . . .what you really, really want. An homage to the Spice Girls? Not really and honestly Posh Spice kind of scares me. But it is the question on my mind as Broad Street approaches. Thanks to a great training schedule drawn up by Tom, I've reached the point where I need to be to complete Broad Street in a comfortable time. Sunday I ran my longest run (ever)--1:45. I hope to complete Broad Street in just under 1:40. I think this is certainly doable given the flat, downward course. Running around here is the equivalent of the "rolling hills" course on a treadmill. My legs burn off and on but I keep trudging along.

I did check out Curtis Arboretum for the first time the other day. I've driven past it for years and was always curious what was back there. It's the former estate of publishing magnate Cyrus Curtis. Immediately I knew I didn't like the course because all I did was go down, down, and down. And if you go down, down, down, you must go up, up, up. And on a long run, I'm not too happy about that. At the bottom I spotted a dog park which I had no idea existed and saw tons of dogs off leash on their way into the enclosed park area. I immediately turned around and headed out. I did not want to antagonize another dog.

I like the long runs. It's hard to run for an hour and 45 minutes but it's also not. I listen to some podcasts and my mind just kind of wanders. Sometimes I remind myself to pick up the pace a little but by and large my legs and lungs work rather well together and I enjoy listening and feeling the rhythm of the two working in sync.

So what do I want from all this. I'm not sure. I feel like I've completed my goal of Broad Street even though I haven't run it yet (if that makes sense). I originally started running to lose weight. Which I did, and then some. Then I enjoyed the changes I saw in my body. No more of that jiggly stuff hanging over my pants, pushing on my tummy and not feeling mush, pulling on my jeans without wiggling my legs and ass in. I like what running has done for my body and, by extension, my health.

But do I like running longer distances? Yes I do. I've thought if I like Broad Street I might give the Philly Distance Run a try in the fall (13 miles). I'm running a 5K next weekend and I'm curious to see how I like it. I've run bunches of 5Ks in the past but none approaching the level of running I'm at today. I'm curious to see if I enjoy the burning lungs and legs (I have the feeling not so much). But I want to try.

All of this to say I don't know what I really, really want. I think the Spring into Summer will be telling. In the meantime, I'm keeping an open mind and thinking a bit more about where I want to take this. If that's right here: a mix of shorter runs and a long one--then that's a nice place to be. That's a hell of a lot more than I could do just a few months ago.