My weirdness, let me tell you about it...

I have been totally off my running schedule for two, three weeks, and it is driving me crazy.

But let me explain:

Typically, I run Monday through Saturday, and take Sunday off. But Thursday at 4 a.m. was getting difficult for me to deal with, so I switched to a Sunday afternoon run, and Thursday was my off day.

And then Mondays got to be a problem (why, I don't know; I go to bed at my usual 9 p.m.). And then the rain started.

And now, any semblance of a routine has been thrown out the window.

I am still running, though. I'm still out there, six days a week, in some form or fashion, running.

Not always at 4 a.m. Not always in my neighborhood. But I'm still running. Saturday, I ran at the Lamar Rec Center on the dreadmill. Sunday, I ran in the rain in my neighborhood. Today, I ran five miles during my lunch hour, outside in the beautiful sunshine!

Then why does it feel weird and insufficient? Even though I'm running as much as I was in October or November, it feels like less because I'm jumping around so much.

I thrive on routine. Always have, always will. A shake-up of my routine bothers me, but it hits even harder when it comes to my running because I don't want to stop. I cannot stop.

It feels like I'm not as dedicated as I once was. That's an odd feeling because if anything, I'm more dedicated because I'm finding a way to run anyway.

Too tired on Monday? Run at work, or after work! Too tired on Thursday? Switch the off day! Rain just totally killing you? Run on the treadmill!

Once the weather gets reliably better, I can get back to my routine. I keep telling myself that. Until then, I'm just hanging on.