Good golly, has it really been 4 months since my last outdoor run?

Yep. Last time I went running outside, it was the day after my grandfather died. I just had to be outside in the fresh air where I could be alone with my thoughts, KWIM?

I didn't mean to take such a long break from running, but between cycling and practicing my swings I was getting plenty of cardiovascular conditioning so I didn't really feel I needed it. With limited time to exercise, strength training was more of a priority.

Frankly I probably would still be on hiatus from running but for the fact that I'm doing a 5k next month to raise money for the local food bank. Tis the season for such events, and if there happens to be one in your area you should think about participating. In a country as prosperous as the US no one should ever go hungry, especially at the holidays. Holiday weight gain sucks, but losing weight over the holidays because you can't afford to buy food sucks a whole lot more!!!!