When long runs are now short runs...

As I went out last night and plowed through 7 miles on a Monday night, I realized there was a time not too long ago when 7 miles was my long run, leaving me worn out and sore afterwards. This weekend, Erin and I are scheduled to do a 13 mile training run, the length of a half marathon. Last year at this time, 13 miles was the ultimate goal I was striving towards. My next official half marathon race is Thanksgiving Day, and I'll have run 13 mile, 14 mile, and 15 mile training runs beforehand.

But given the Hotlanta hills, I can't really call it a walk in the park. It's just amazing to think how far beyond my original goals I've reached.

I'm really glad I have this marathon as a major goal in my life right now. The business is not going as well as I'd hoped, unfortunately. I still have 15 people on my roster, but only about half of them are attending regularly, and I've only brought in a couple of new people in the past month. I'm also having a hard time getting the ladies to come out and attend the social events, which really surprises me the most because I thought they'd be all over the opportunity to get out of the house and get to know each other outside of class. I feel like I'm going nowhere fast, and I can feel my own motivation waning, which I think I'm masking very well in class, providing the same enthusiasm about getting in shape that I feel in my own life. I must admit I did not think it would be so difficult to keep new people coming in and keep the group happy and motivated. I really enjoy teaching the classes, but I'm not enjoying the business aspect of it, having to constantly worry about marketing and bringing in new people. I guess there's a reason why most people who try a venture of their own end up on someone else's payroll with time. It is dang hard to run your own business!

I have learned a lot from this experience though, and I'm proud of myself for trying it and having the guts to quit my dead end job and do something completely different. I've especially enjoyed the extra time with Anthony, which has brought us a lot closer. I don't know how long I'm going to try to keep this going myself. I'm thinking it maybe better off in someone else's hands, so I may end up trying to sell it before the year is out. I just don't know right now, I'm doing a lot of soul searching to find the best answer.

My training is a god-send throughout this up-and-down year as I try to figure out what it is exactly that I'm supposed to be doing. I know I don't want to sacrifice my time with Anthony as he grows, so I hope whatever options I pursue, they will be part-time for awhile. In the meantime, just keep running, just keep running...