Here We Go Again

So ever since signing up for the half, I haven't been great about running. First there was the weekend, which was so busy I didn't have time to run. Then the weather in Chicago the last few days has been anything but encouraging. Yesterday the high was 65 degrees and it rained all day long. I thought hey, I could run in the rain, no problem, I won't melt. Then after walking home in the rain (I have a mile long walk to work and back every day) there was nothing I wanted to do less than put on different (dry) clothes and turn around to go back out into the rain to get all wet again. So instead I went to the gym where I plodded along listlessly on the elliptical and stared at the wall while I listened to podcasts. I couldn't even bring myself to hit up the treadmill, which makes a loud and high pitched whine and is absolute torture to run on. But I did pick up Jeff Galloway's Book on Running from the library and I plan to crack that open soon. It's supposed to be a great resource for runners and if the 80's-style cover is any indication, it should be pretty amusing as well. I also found a training schedule that I really like and am going to start that the week of June 20. I'm headed to Texas on Friday for a friend's wedding and may or may not run while I'm home. I'll try to get out there at least once or twice but I know it will be much much MUCH hotter and hillier than I'm used to, which is really going to damper my enthusiasm. Five miles is so much harder when it's up and down monumental hills, especially since I'm used to flatter-than-a-pancake Illinois. The only hills we have here are called overpasses. I'm going to try to make myself get out to the lakefront trail today, which should be much easier since the weather forecast calls for sunny, almost-80 degree weather. Perfect for running...I just hope Chicago keeps this up all summer.