Back to square (13 point) one

4 months after my last 26.2, I am back up to half-marathon distance. I tackled 13.1 this morning on a muddy trail, but in my favorite running weather - 60 degrees, cloudy and intermittently misty. It was a good run, not too much effort, with a decent time of 2:08. With 3 weeks until the Charlottesville half, I am so ready to start tapering. This will be my fourth half and I like the feeling of having fallen into a consistent routine with training and racing. Even the not so fun parts, like ever-present blisters, are comforting in that knowing-what-to-expect way. So, 3 weeks to taper, avoid injury, keep up the routine ....and 3 weeks to do the really hard part - figure out what kind of crazy outfits and signs to bring, and how to best position ourselves on the sidelines, to cheer on our friends who are tackling the full Charlottesville marathon. I'm looking forward to celebrating the Easter as both a finisher and a fan.