So the September/October stress turned into not getting started back up until after my
Disneyland Paris trip in November (which was amazing, btw), and then that turned into not dealing with it until after Christmas, and by then it had turned into a general habit of Not Running....
And then yesterday I realized I was fed up with it, decided to change my approach, and got out and ran this morning. I only did two miles and I think I set my intervals too challenging for how much conditioning I've lost, but I covered the distance and kept a good pace compared to what I'd been doing in the fall. It felt like a real workout, though, even at two miles and what should be an easy pace, which tells me I'm basically starting over in terms of building my base. But that's okay! I did the thing, and I have a plan!
Up until now I've been insisting to myself that I need to get a gym membership before I can start running again, since the weather is fickle and I can't count on being able to run outside. The problem is, I think that's been making me put it off longer because my reasons for disliking going to the gym have remained--it still takes more time than just going for a run, I still dislike using public showers, I still just generally want to be alone when I work out....
So right now the plan is to go back to the idea of home workouts on days when it's too cold to run. The basement ceiling is too low for a treadmill, but I've always liked rowing--and while it's not the same as running, it's the kind of crosstraining I should probably be doing anyway to build other muscle groups. I'm also shifting my sleep schedule to stay up later at night so I have time to run after work, when it's warmer; I think I'm just going to have to change my sleep schedule twice per year to be awake at the best time for running. The big thing is to get back into a routine, and having a rower in the basement will mean that there's no excuse not to do
something on my scheduled running days. At the moment it's just a matter of deciding what machine to buy. I've narrowed it down to the Concept2 Model D (an air-resistance model that's highly recommended) or the Velocity Magnetic Rower (which costs a third as much but doesn't give the same kind of increasing resistance at higher speeds).