February Gone Already... I'm ok In the Back or Am I?

Man I just really can't believe how fast this year is going already. It seems like just yesterday was January 1, does any one else think the same?

January started out pretty good for me- I was getting miles in slowly but getting them, I was slowly losing some of the "extra Holiday pounds" I put on and was doing a good job of going to aerobics! Well then along came February......... (at least I'm recapping Feb before the end of March:)

* My hubs has now become a distance runner! He has been a runner with me but the most I could ever get him to do was 6mi and that was only once, he never ever really wanted to above 4mi. Now that is a different story. Now he is signed up for 3 Half Marathons (so far) this year!!! The first one and the hardest in my opinion, is coming up March 30

So we have been doing weekly long runs in February. There is a group of us that meets every Sunday for long runs, there is always 3 people and sometimes 6 or more. I LOVE it, I think its awesome we can all get together for this and I feel like its something we can and WILL always keep doing even if we aren't "in training" for anything.

* As everyone knows I am in a constant complaint of how slow I am, how I stink as a runner right now...Well in my opinion I'm still not any better! I really thought by now I would be and I think at this point I am just putting too much thought into my abilities as a runner?!?! Every Sunday when we take off I tell everyone "I already know I will be in the back of the pack, don't worry about me I'll be fine!" I'm starting to not be "fine" with it any more and I think its playing into me thinking too much about my running abilities :( I think part of my problem is taking off too fast which is something I have always done. In the second half of the runs I am dead, worn out and start walking way too much! UGGHH!!!! I need some advice, help or something to get me back on track to where I was!! (I was able to easily do 4 - 6 miles at a 8:50 to 9:00 pace, right now I'm lucky to run 4mi without walking and at a 9:45 to 10:00 pace!!)

* I only ran one race in February and wouldn't have done it if it wasn't part of a series (those dang series I'm always a sucker for them). It was a cross country race on a golf course. The course itself sucked as much as I did!

That's me in the white shirt and pink gloves, I should have been able to stay with the man in the black shirt beside me but sadly I was about 4mins behind him at the finish.

There was a huge hill at the beginning that you went right back down after climbing up, I'm not sure what was worst going up or down. Going down was on the cart path that was narrow with tree roots sticking up all through it and 3 speed bumps! I walked so much I didn't even care I just didn't want to hurt myself!

* I was doing so good in January. I was going to aerobics twice a week, started doing morning runs again and had lost 4lbs. February came along I gained all 4lbs back in the first two weeks and only made it to aerobics once! I really wanted to get in 75mi for the month but ended up with 68.

* BUT now its March and official Spring is one week away!! New month, new goals & I can feel a come back coming my way:)