Waiting for the Dark and Stormy Run

And we’re back! Holidays are over and it’s time to get you all an update.

Wednesday was nice. Aerial yoga is great to get centered when you feel stretched in too many directions. I imagine this is true for any yoga. The regulars were there and we had a visitor from the Thursday class as it was cancelled due to the holidays. We worked on heart openers. We also aired grievances getting things off our chest. Heart openers are great for those of us who are at desks and are hunched over for the better part of the day. The chest gets stretched, as well as the shoulders and quads. I felt much more prepared for the holidays after class.

Thursday I went for a run. I had the day off and planned on doing ALL my Christmas shopping afterwards. The winds were rotten. It didn’t seem to matter which way I ran, I just got buffeted by the winds. The Hank Aaron Trail is a nice place to run. It’s never been very busy on days I run it. South Eastern Wisconsin has some very nice trails and eventually I need to explore them. Some of them even have beer gardens nearby for the beer drinkers. The dog stayed home for this run as I didn't want to leave her in the car while I poked around for the perfect Christmas gifts. Maybe I need her for motivation. It was just a suck run. I tried to be positive by reminding myself that I’ve come far and how great I was doing despite the wind. I did feel pretty awesome and accomplished afterward but it was a hard one 5.67 miles.

Christmas was a great win for me. Yes, Christmas is more than presents and food but I had some wonderful food and received some much needed and wanted running stuffs. I got a slightly heavier running jacket and a nice puffer vest, a runner world cookbook, glowing shoelaces, buff, running tank, a new running belt, some nice tall running socks, earbuds that hook on my ears so they won’t slide out and are waterproof, reflective vest, and a hat with lights on the brim. I think there was more but they are escaping me at the moment. I also received a harry potter cookbook which I’m excited about. I feel ready for some good runs.

Saturday I ran 13.17 miles. I felt good. With all the stress of the holidays, running soothes me. My anxiety is always high this time of year and that leads to flares from the autoimmune. There were some hard parts as there usually is, but the running itself felt right. 

And I should have known better. Whenever it feels easy, I’m going slow. And I was. I was 15 min slower than my last thirteen miles. I also had a couple of phone calls which put me off my pace. Despite this, I enjoyed the run. There were a few hills that were a pain but I went back to the route I did last week only added a run on the Hank Aaron. The scenery is nice. And when you are running long distances, I find good music and good scenery makes it all so much more gratifying. The dog was less than thrilled about the run, but she got in her groove around mile 6. I took my blueberry pomegranate Gu with me and that sat easy. Two packs seem about right for a recreational run. I got to take my new headphones and running belt with me. I appreciated the water I could now carry hands free a lot, though I did need to pee by the time I got back home. The headphones stayed put and let enough ambient sound come thru that I could have both in.

A storm is rolling in today. People came into work early today in hopes of getting home early. The snow is starting to stick to the ground. We have a storm warning for snow and ice. The roads are supposed to be treacherous. Then there is me. I am watching the snow come down and praying for more snow than ice. I’m hoping that the snow continues to fall into the morning. I’m hoping to be able to use some of my new clothes and gear. I’m hoping for good traction tomorrow. I can’t wait for the morning!