I had to travel 550 miles to find my running mojo again — 2,755 if you’re driving instead of flying — in Mexico of all places.

Following the Publix Women’s Savannah Half Marathon last month, I found myself in a funk. My training was strong, my confidence was high and my results didn’t mirror the preparation. There were a variety of reasons I had a less than stellar day, most all within my control. Certainly one race doesn’t define us, but it made me sink into a two-week pattern of sleeping in, skipping workouts and stepping away.

That brings us back to Mexico.

A four-day vacation to celebrate some friends’ milestone birthday led me to a hotel gym adjacent to a picturesque setting with no work, no breastfeeding, no 5 a.m. wake-up calls, no stress. And so I stepped on the treadmill and found my way back. It hasn’t felt effortless or easy, but I’m back in the saddle headed toward the next mile marker.

In four weeks, I’ll toe the starting line at my next half marathon in Deadwood, South Dakota. This time, for fun. This race is simply about joy. I’ll be celebrating a dear friend achieving her goal to run a marathon or half marathon in every state, and my mom is joining me to see Mt. Rushmore that has always been on her bucket list. The weather should be crisp and cool. No expectations. No pressure. Just running for the joy of running.

Here’s what the past two weeks of training looked like as I got back in the saddle, including a good bit of cross-training and strength training as I ease back in:

Week of April 23

• Monday: 4-mile easy progression run on the hotel treadmill in Mexico
• Tuesday: REST and travel home from Mexico all day
• Wednesday: 45-minute tabata strength training class at 5:45 a.m.
• Thursday: 5-mile “easy” run pushing Baby rUnladylike in the stroller at 8 a.m.
• Friday: 50-minute spin class at 6 a.m.
• Saturday: 8-mile easy sunrise run at 6 a.m. with friends at an 8:42 average pace
• Sunday: 1-hour barre class

Week of April 30

• Monday: 5-mile easy run at 5:45 a.m.
• Tuesday: REST
• Wednesday: 4-mile stroller run pushing Baby rUnladylike at 8 a.m.
• Thursday: 5.5-mile run at 5:30 a.m. with friends with 8 x 30-second sprints with 1-minute recovery between each
• Friday: 3-mile recovery run on the treadmill at 4:30 p.m. followed by 30 minutes of runner-specific strength training
• Saturday: 10-mile easy run at 5:30 a.m. with friends at a 9:00 average pace
• Sunday: 1-hour restorative yoga

Thank you Mexico for helping me rediscover my running spark.