Sometimes when you are super busy worrying about other things and you’re not necessarily focused on your running something strange can happen — you get better at running.

Since my mother entered the hospital my running has become erratic at best. I would normally go running every evening and have a nice little dinner when I got home. Now my evenings are spent sitting by my mother’s bed in her physical therapy rehab facility. That has left me with running only on weekends and trying to win the battle with early morning running. I have tried eight times and by trying that means where I actually set the alarm clock. Not setting the alarm clock means I’m not evening thinking about it. So far it’s Scoops – 2 and Bed – 6. The first time I was successful was right before we moved our clocks back and the second time was when it was warmer. Now it’s just cold and dark at 5:00 am and I am just not going to win that battle.

Maybe this lack of running is something that my body needed for a bit. With a 15k race coming up on Sunday I had realized that maybe I should go out and run six or seven miles instead of the usual four that I run. I chose a very hill route in Connecticut and ran seven miles with a decent pace. The only real struggles happening at two incredibly steep hills. I felt good and ready for this weekend.

But, I am going to have to make a better effort at this early morning running thing and soon. Registration for the Brooklyn Half Marathon finally opened and I was able to register. Not sure if I want to attach any really goal to this other than making a good showing but I still have to do some work. While I have proven to myself that I can run a half marathon with little to no training I don’t like that feeling when I’m in the starting corral. I want to know that I put in the work.

Most of this training will still be while trying to balance taking care of my mother and taking care of myself. I have to realize that some mornings these runs are just not going to happen depending on how things went with my mother the night before. And that’s ok, I’ve learned and am constantly reminded that being emotionally tired is just as draining, if not more, than physically tired. It’s that forced rest that gives your body and soul that extra kick when you get back out on the road.

P.S. I promise a less philosophical Scoops the next time around.