In typical DC fashion, we've skipped right over spring and jumped straight summer. With the temperatures forecasted to set record highs yesterday and possibly again today, I figured it was time to get back in the habit of morning runs.

Luckily when I set out for my three miler yesterday, the sun was still sleeping. It was warm out, but it wasn't horribly uncomfortable. (Mainly because the DC humidity hadn't set in yet.)

I was still glad I had opted for shorts and a tank top though. My first time not in capris and a running jacket in a long time.



There was nothing super special about the run. It felt really hard for a three-miler. I blame that less on the heat and more on all the time I took off because I was sick.

Still my pace was definitely slower than I would have liked it to be.



Oh well, once my classes end and I have more free time to dedicate to running later this spring and through the summer, I'm sure my speed will eventually come back to me.

Speaking of summer running, my coworker Emily and I are eyeing a half marathon in mid-September. It's the first time the race will be coming to the DC-area, and we both think it will be fun.


Emily and I at the LivingSocial Glow in the Dark 5K

However, neither of us think training through the summer heat and humidity will be fun. Jury's still out on what we'll decide. Prices go up in a few days, so we'll see what happens.

I've said it time and again on this blog. When it comes to smart training, I'm not always the brightest crayon in the box.

I get impatient with setbacks. I sometimes push too hard too fast. And I really don't like skipping or cutting back long runs even if I probably should.

Saturday's run is the most perfect example of this. I had eight miles on the schedule and I was pig-headedly determined to run all of them.



Now you may remember, last week I had a wicked sinus infection. I was down and out, not able to do much more other than struggle through work and then curl up in bed when I got home. It was miserable, and as a result, I hadn't run in at least 10 days.


I'm still taking these massive horse pills to knock it out

So it might not have been the smartest move to make an eight-mile run my first run back.

But I did it anyway.

With the Nike Women's Half only a few weeks away, I was getting nervous the skipping another long run would set me back even farther. I'm worried enough as it is that I'm going to struggle to finish the race because I'm horribly under trained.

So I wanted Saturday's run to prove that I could manage.



So yes, I did all eight miles -- even though my chest burned from the effort and my nose ran like a faucet the entire time. Even though my legs were so tired that I could have stopped after four miles.

And what was the result of my running idiocy?

Such bad shin splints that walking was painful for the rest of the day Saturday, and I had to slather Icy Hot all over them before bed.

I actually think the shin splints may have been a result of doing the run in a pair of shoes that needs to be retired, but either way they were extremely painful.

The sad part is I was still really glad I did the run and got the mileage in. It might not have been pleasant, but it was a reminder that I still have a good base of fitness and I should be able to finish the Nike race.

I love spectating races in DC because it means I have an excuse to bust out everyone's favorite race sign:



It's such a crowd pleaser and Sunday morning was no different. I had a few tourists stop to ask me if they could take a picture with the sign, and even one of the SWAT guys doing security for the race asked me about it.

I showed up to the race plenty early so I could stake out a spot at near the finish line.

I've run Cherry Blossom a few times so I know how crowded it can get toward the end with spectators and I wanted to be make sure I had front row seat. I had several friends running the race and I was hoping to spot them all.


My friend Emily was standing across the street and took this picture of me spectating. She added the nice red arrow so you know which person was me.

I got comfortable in my spot and a few minutes later the elite men and women were flying by.



They make running look so effortless.

Then came the hordes of regular runners, and I knew I was going to have my work cut out for me looking for my friends. I spotted a few people, like my friend Sam's husband and a guy who used to work at the paper with me back in college.

Sarah spotted me and yelled my name. I'm glad she did, otherwise I would have totally missed her.

My main goal was to spot my friend Ryan. It was his first Cherry Blossom and his longest race to date, and I was pretty excited to cheer for him as he finished.

I was looking everywhere, trying to scan all the faces of the runners, especially as his estimated finish time crept closer. I wasn't seeing him anywhere though, and then a few minutes later my phone beeped with a text that he was waiting for me near the Washington Monument.

I had totally missed him. Spectating fail.

Ryan kicked butt in the race, averaging something close to 9:30 per mile. Pretty awesome for his first long distance race!


Don't mind my horribly wind blown hair.

We hung out for a bit and waited for his mom to finish. She also did awesome!


Shamelessly stole this picture from Ryan.

All around it was a really great day of spectating and it made me pretty excited to be running the Nike Women's Half in a few weeks.