finding my stride

I’ve been trying to find my stride in my life and I’m not doing it so well.

I don’t like change. I am not a fan. I have a hard time riding the wave and seeing where it all goes.

Not a lot has changed. Which is the problem, not so much a problem as an issue.

My training for some serious distance running has been slack. It’s been hot, super rainy, or I’ve been too tired. I’m lucky if I get out for a couple of runs a week for some easy 4 mile runs. I will not be able to run any marathons at this rate.

It isn’t that I don’t like running. I do. But I’m really, really good at excuses. And so mornings and free nights are spent in bed or on the couch. Spending time snuggling with Cuddler or hiding under the covers sounds so much better than doing something requiring effort. So, what needs to happen? I need to stop making excuses and suck it up as I’ve espoused in the past.

Excuses and idiopathic hypersomnia. AKA I’m tired and there isn’t really a reason. My doctors believe it might be to do with my Behcets. Tired really doesn’t describe it accurately. Exhaustion. Falling asleep while typing away at work. Closing my eyes and waking up many many hours later. The doctors also believe running will help regulate my sleeping cycle.

Aerial yoga, hammock and lyra are my form of exercise for the time being. We have lots of fun in class. I’ve a core group that come and most new students are fun too. Working with kids helps my creativity. Low aerial allows us to let go of the week and any stress and anxiety we’ve gathered. Foundations is fun, watching the spark get lit in new students. And Saturdays are mornings with dear people. We explore and try new things. Sometimes we do well and sometimes new things don’t work out quite as well. Every week we push the boundaries and rejoice at new frontiers.

And Little Bear is doing well. She is still anxious but there is trust. She has stopped running from me. Sometimes I get kisses. I always get a happy dance performance when I return home. When the leash comes out, she tries so hard to sit down like a good girl but she is so excited her butt doesn’t stop wiggling. We work on being carried, sitting together, coming when called and more.

Cuddler has accepted the new dog pretty well. I was told that an older female collie would not do well with another female. We’ve had our moments but they are buds. She has a friend to keep her company during the day and she teaches Little Bear how to deal with new things like the mailwoman.

Physically, I don’t feel well but, less tangibly, I am content and winding up to change. Change now.

The past has taught me that I change when I feel so uncomfortable my skin feels the wrong size like Eustace in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The time will come when I will pull off the scales and be born anew. Maybe the new person is a marathon runner. Or maybe I’ll become an interior designer. Maybe I’ll finally figure out which masters program I want to apply to. Whoever that person is she will be wonderful.

Tuesday Report

Happy Tuesday

Friday and Saturday I covered for a couple of the teachers who were off in Chicago doing circus stuff.

Friday, we covered basics. The studio had teacher training. I focused on describing why I do what I do. The trainees had some experience with aerial yoga which made life easier. They did well. I think they’ll make good teachers. The second class was fun. Girl Scouts and their moms. This gave the trainees a chance to work with kids, which is a whole different world. The class did wonderful. They all had fun as we went thru a similar group of asanas as the previous class, but made it more fun. Yoga poses were completed with fun little stories. Kids bring a whole different energy to a yoga class. I also discovered Lularoe leggings. I went home with blue and silver tiger striped leggings and one with clouds and suns.

Saturday, the class was a little bit more challenging. We had a new student but she was game for whatever. So were the trainees. Two regulars showed up too. I asked the class what they wanted to do and we ended up with some strength work. I also included a vinyasa side locust series to show how to link static poses together. The studio owner requested I do a few poses so she didn’t have to demonstrate them later. We did those. We also worked on some trouble areas for new students. Everyone seemed onboard and excited with class. We opened the door and let some fresh air and the sounds of weekend life into the studio. It was a very refreshing class.

Sunday, I did not do a long run. I had intentions but then life got a little busy. The dog got to run. She went with us to a friend’s house and she got to run around the backyard with her little buddy. By the end of the visit, she was pooped and lay panting in the shade, while the little one continued to bounce on her.

Then, of course, there was Game of Thrones. A Buzzfeed quiz put me in House Stark. The dog and I watched the show. The dragon did not want to watch the show. My Sunday evenings will now consist of cider and a visit to Westeros. Frequently, the dog watches with me but the fiancé is not as enthralled as we are.

I ran this morning. I wore my Brooks and my new cloud leggings. I felt rather perky and awake. The run went great. Well, the first few minutes were rough as they usually are. But then Daredevil got really good and I didn’t notice how tired I was getting. One of the students from yoga is doing the 5k in Door County but she wanted to see what the half marathon course was like. On Saturday, she told me that it’s one big hill. My new strategy is work on hills and continuous running. Speed is nice but if the hill takes me out, nothing else matters.

It felt like I could have easily kept going. Mostly, I left the treadmill on 5.2mph with one break. This should give me a 2:50:00 time for my half. At level three, it seemed easy enough. Maybe the next run, I’ll try level four. Next week, I’ll need to take it a little easy to keep my legs fresh.

So that’s it. I wonder what the rest of this week will hold. 

To Gym or Not To Gym

Happy Monday! We made it thru the weekend.

Friday I went to Level 1 Aerial yoga. Went with my stepdaughter-to-be (SDTB). She really enjoys it too. One of the actresses from Pretty Little Liars does aerial stuffs. We enjoyed the scene from Pitch Perfect 2. And of course, there is the fun and freedom of doing yoga in the hammock.

It was a nice class with familiar faces. I was feeling a little stiff going into class. Stiff and tired. I also got to finally pick up my Christmas presents from the studio. Which reminded me to actually purchase their presents sitting in my etsy cart.

I don’t know that we focused on anything in particular in class. It just felt like a good overall workout. I felt loose by the end of class. My flexibility is suffering due to the running. I need to recover it. I would like to eventually get my splits. I never had them even as a child. Backbends, however, I don’t really have any urge to improve. Anyways, the class reminded my why it’s good to go to other classes than my own. It gives me a chance to relax and enjoy class more. Not to say that teaching low aerial is high stress but you have to be aware of all the students in class and help them with their needs. We talked about running for a minute too, which I never mind talking about.

Not from Friday's class

Saturday, we drove the SDTB to the Madison area in the morning, when I normally do my long run. It felt good to sleep in. It was nice to get up and see the sun already up. At the same time, it did feel strange watching what I ate on Saturday. I think the dog was happy to take a rest even though she is a bundle of energy at this point.

My fiancé has been wanting to start going to the gym. I’ve resisted. I’ve got plenty of body weight and yoga exercises I can do at home and have all the equipment already. Plus, I’ve got running stuff for cold weather. What do I need a gym for? Hold that thought.

The gym he chose is a good gym. Close to the house and lots of equipment including a pool and lots of classes. The staff is all sorts of friendly. They even have a treadmill that is easier on the joints and TRX straps that I can work on aerial conditioning. There is even a nice hot tub, sauna/steam room, and roomy and clean locker rooms.

But still why do should I spend money on a gym when the world itself is my oyster? The answer is this morning. It was -7 degrees and even the roads were shiny with a layer of ice. Because of this, I’m pretty sure I’ll be joining this gym.

While I was there on Saturday, I managed to get in 4.75 miles. Since I wasn’t going to be able to get in my normal 3 hours, I worked on speed. I played around with the pace and incline. I ran my butt off. I tripped a couple of times when I was starting out. It feels weird to run but go nowhere. With such a steady pace, I realized too how much my pace varies. Even though I average 5.2 mph, I definitely go slow in some spots and get a little more speed in others. It was tough to hold a pace. The fiancé checked in on me a couple of times, which made it hard to find my rhythm but I’m glad he did. He knows I can get anxious in new places.

So I’m joining a gym. I’ve got plenty of work I can do in the morning on my rest days. But on days like this morning, I can run safely inside. I wasn’t so worried about the cold, but the sheen on ice on the roads. Sidewalks were nearly a solid sheet of ice. We are also dog sitting a little Jack Russell and I don’t think he is up for runs in the morning. Right now, I’ve got a week pass. I will see about running in the morning and running/walking in the afternoon when I go with the fiancé. When I was using the treadmill, I had to admit that it could be a great tool, especially for me and my need for speed and ice free conditions. Now I’ve got some research to do on how to keep my skin and hair healthy with gym work outs. I might have needed to do it before but now I feel like it’s really important.

Saturday and Sunday, we watched football and I held Karn. The dog is getting disinterested in it as it seems to do very little and doesn’t move very fast. Karn hangs out under my sweatshirt or scarf or even hair where it’s warm and goes to sleep. He also got a new background of Monument Valley which looks rather spiffy.

Here is a shot of Monument Valley that I took this Spring

 

 The dog was also super snuggly. She was cuddled into whoever was on the couch. For a collie mix, she sure can be a couch potato.

That’s it. That’s my report in. Nothing too ground breaking or earth shattering. No epiphanies or wise words. Just staying active and happy. 

A Happy Run

This week you get to read a lot of my thoughts, apparently

Aerial yoga last night was very restorative. On the drive in, my back started seizing so I decided to wring us out in class. My one regular was missed but we survived. An original student came and visited us. We all agreed a nice, extra restorative class would be perfect. We spent time on twists, extensions and inversions. We added a few intensive moves just to keep the blood flowing. I think we all felt very relaxed after class and a little less achy. It seems like the cold weather can lead to stiff joints and muscles. A good restorative class can help regain some of that mobility. I want to also mention that yoga isn’t just about backbends and splits. Those are nice things but I certainly don’t have my splits and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do the wheel or wild thing asanas. It’s about meeting yourself on the mat and looking inward and focusing on your practice of pose, breath and meditation. In many ways, it’s like running where you focus on posture/form, breath, and mental games. Maybe that’s why I love both these things so much.

So, I ran again this morning. I had gotten around to accepting road conditions and figured it was time to get back on track. I was slow to get out of bed and get dressed. I maybe should get back to sleeping in my running clothes. Makes getting up and running much easier when I don’t need to change clothes at 4am.

I had been hoping for some snow. It was in the forecast, but there were only a few stray snowflakes. It was a nice forecast overall with mid 30’s and light wind. In retrospect, I would have left my jacket at home. I was plenty warm with my fleece shirt and leggings. I donned all my reflective gear and my led hat. This hat has been very useful in seeing all the ice in the morning.

When I first started I had a few “I don’t wanna” thoughts, but then I told myself we are going to have some fun. And I did. I sprinted, I walked, I pushed my pace, I ran at my normal speed, all in the hopes to enjoy myself and to increase my pace overall. I have a 5k next week and I’m a distance sorta girl. I don’t feel warmed up till mile 3. I’m hoping this will help me get ready for the short race.

Mental games tried to sneak in but I manipulated myself into a full 6.4 miles. It would have been 6.5ish but I took a wrong turn and missed my normal road. I told myself first that I’d just do 4 miles, and then 5, and then 6, and why I don’t I just do the full run. By the time I turned around, I was enjoying myself. I can’t speak for the dog though. She seemed tired, running next to me rather than in front. She barely needed any shushing as we waited for another dog to go by on the other side of the street. Fiancé mentioned that she is getting older. Being six, I wonder how much longer she’ll be keeping up with me.

I’m glad to be back enjoying runs. I had to learn to adapt and not have expectations. I beat my mind at its own game. I stretched my limits. I’m still nervous about next Saturday. But that’s ok. Adrenaline is good for speed. J 

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!

Suck It Up, Buttercup

I don’t wanna. That was how I was feeling about everything these past few days.

Seemed an appropriate shirt for my attitude

Around noon, no one had signed up for my aerial yoga and I was daydreaming about how I would spend my free Wednesday night. And then it happened. The lone person signed up right before I was leaving my full time job. I’ve found frequently when “I don’t wanna” the classes are end up to be rewarding. It was also a regular so there is amount of relief that if I’m off, it won’t be the first impression the student has.

The dog came with me. Normally, she goes with my fiancé to a friend’s house and plays with all the other dogs, but he had something to do first. I do like bringing her along. It’s a good way for her to learn manners with other people. She has bad manners, like barking for attention and jumping up to say hi. And she is a collie/border collie so that requires us herding us while we practice. My regulars know about her and know she may make unexpected appearances. The health center connected to the studio often have canine visitors as well. Overall, it’s a very dog friendly yoga/health community.

When I messaged the regular about the dog, she mentioned she had a really bad headache. The benefits of hydration, caffeine, and peppermint oil were bandied about. I also thought what a perfect time to try some yoga healing. After a little research, I found asanas that were repeated from website to website. I put together a general sequence of progression of pose expressions. I wanted to be gentle rather than throw ourselves into a pose. Which is my habit and her habit too.

The dog and I arrived at the studio and started to set up. I turned down the lights (which I find so much more relaxing for an evening yoga practice) and chose the Peaceful Sleeping IHeart channel. When my friend/regular showed up, we chatted about her headache and possible causes. I told her how to deal with the dog who is a kisser and a hugger and we began.

Who could deny this face?

We talked, we stretched, we checked in with our bodies to make sure we did no harm. The dog soon laid to the side and watched over us. The class focused on the places where our bodies like to store our stress: necks, shoulders/back, and hips. While yoga may or may not be able to cure chronic headaches, it can help alleviate. It can take away tension in the body. It can relax the body and mind and soul, allowing the headache to just be the headache and nothing more than any other pain in the body.

My view at the end of class. Savasana

Collies must make sure everything is OK. Floating is still questionable in her books.

In an aside, personally, I find this knowledge comforting. With my myalgia, I recognize that my pain is real but an overreaction to pain stimulus. So while I may want to cry while holding a standing pose in the fabrics or in coffin, I suck it up. It reminds me of a trigger point massage I got last year. It felt questionable when I got it, felt terrible the next day, and felt wonderful the day after that. Delayed gratification.

And talking about suck it up, this morning’s run. I knew I was tired last night. I tried going to bed early but somehow it always ended up after ten. Four am was coming way too fast. When my alarm went off, I snoozed it and argued and rationalized with myself. But I had my secret weapon. I slept in my running clothes. All I had to do was put on my shoes. And headphones. And reflective bands. And put a leash on the dog. And find my running belt. And track down my headband that always ends up at the bottom of the bin. But all of that is still easier than fighting with compression pants and sports bras when you’ve just woken up.

It wasn’t nearly as cold as I thought it would be but I wished I had my gloves to start. I have yet to keep my gloves on for a full run. We took down the same route as I did Tuesday. I wanted to compare my performance between the fasted run and the GU run. And I knew from the start, this was not going well. My legs were heavy, my breath labored and all before mile 2. My mind kept telling me to all it, but the other part told me, “suck it up, buttercup. Put on your big girl leggings and run.” And I did. I pushed thru the discomfort. I ran till my legs loosened up. Maybe that’s when the half packet of GU kicked in.

It wasn’t an easy run. My legs did not float like Tuesday. I had no runner’s high. I just had pure determination. And confidence that I did this Tuesday and I run twice this on weekends. I can do it. I will do it. With renewed energy, I fought my way to the midpoint and at the other half of GU. The dog was less than keen this morning on the run even though she was my cheerleader out the door.

The middle was good. I kept hearing my average pace go down. I heard consistent sub 12:00 min times which gave me hope that Runkeeper wasn’t lying this morning. I scared a man walking to his bus stop. I can’t imagine I’m quiet between the dog tags, my tired feet hitting the pavement and my heavy breathing, but apparently I was. I called ahead, “on your right” and he jumped to the grass with a big “OH” and as he gathered himself, “Good morning.” We’ve passed him before. Maybe he will remember us next week.

Last two miles were rotten. I had used up my positive thinking and all I could think about was keeping my legs going and keeping my pace down. I didn’t want another slow day like Tuesday. I wanted to go faster. I wanted to beat PB’s and be happy about it.

And that’s when the odd thing happened. My phone as I pulled into my driveway, never announced the 6.5 miles. According to Runkeeper, I only ran 6.48 miles! The good news is that my pace was better than Tuesday. No PB but much better. The bad news is the same route showed .08 miles less. I had heard that gps has an error rate but this was the first time I experienced it. Also, good news is GU seems to help.

 Headache hair. Don't care.

Overall, it was a good run. I ran thru my exhaustion. I ran thru my headache. I ran thru a bad run and got a pretty decent time out of it all considered. I’ll keep with my “suck it up, buttercup” attitude. I find at worst, I feel bad which I already did, and at best, I do things I can be proud about, like helping a friend with her pain, or run 7 miles before work.

Bend but Do Not Break

After the 18 miles on Saturday and Sunday, I’ve been taking it easy. My body has been less than thrilled over the past few days. I’ve also had a stressful few days, so I wanted to do a yoga class to compliment my aches and pains. We focused on hips both flexibility and opening. So many people come in with tight hips and have no idea until they go to a yoga class and try to do some of the hip stretches. We also focused on shoulders as responsibility and anxiety hangs out there. Aside from the stress, many of us are hunched over a computer for a good part of the day.

The regulars were there and offered no objection to my “playlist.” We also had a new person join us and she was a delight adding an ebullience to the class that only a new student can add. We twisted in new ways, pulled our body in directions not done before. It felt rather wonderful. We all came into the class with some frustrations with life and while in the fabric, we were refreshed to face the world.

After class, I stayed and worked on some moves I had found. Not so much new asanas but ways to move from on asana to another, linking the moves together in an organic manner. Working out problems with the fabrics helped me forget the ones I had outside the studio. Some of the moves worked out, some of them did not, some of them need more work. Such is life.

In the morning, I was less than thrilled to get up early but I knew if I did not, I would not be happy during the day. Running creates a greater calorie deficit which means I get to eat more. I am a much happier person when I get to eat more. Calories slip away very quickly like sand thru a chubby hourglass.

The run itself was hard. I can’t say I was expecting that. My legs didn’t loosen up until well into mile 2. The dog was very into this run, straining to go faster. I added 2 big hills to the run. Running theory says that this will make me run faster. I don’t like hills. I don’t like them walking and I do not like them running either. This makes me think I might need to do more hills and or rolling trails. I didn’t like running when I started either.

I was only running 3 miles this morning so I was very thankful to find some release and relief at mile 2. Part of me was afraid I had burned myself out like a greyhound with this silly 13.1 mile business. We were doing very well in the last mile, really pushing. I was hoping for a lower 10:00 mile and then we had to go past a few people, wait for a bus, and the arch nemesis. Not mine, the dog’s. These two dogs have hated each other since we moved in. Dog was very upset the other dog dare cross paths with us. She very nearly pulled the leash right out of my hands. As soon as we passed them, crossing thru yards, all was well with the world. She huffed and kept running forward in a straight line.

My time was very slow this morning. Hills didn’t help but my legs didn’t really cooperate here either. And I dressed too warm which is an odd thing to say in near winter but very true. It was 40 degrees out. I had worn a shirt, light fleece jacket and light fleece leggings. I was much too warm and very much feeling where the fabric had rubbed last night in aerial yoga. Maybe I should use BodyGlide when I am in the fabrics, less fabric burn. Many things to consider.

Hopefully, some speed intervals tomorrow. No long run this weekend. Family life requires my time.

Also, shout out to the a blog I look forward to following after finding this entry  about what it's like to start running. She first caught my interest with this meme.

Drapes and Gu

Wednesdays are great. Not only are they the middle of the week, but it’s the day I get to teach low aerial yoga. I’ve said before I don’t really like to say “teach” and really think of it ask guiding or leading but for sake of conversation, I teach on Wednesdays. Each class is different. Some are very silly and some are a little more on the serious side. And just because you are less than a foot off the ground most times, doesn’t mean class will be easy. My style is relaxed. I use the English version of names. Talking is fine so long as it’s not too distracting. It’s a safe place where things can be said and know it won’t go any further. The attendees are pretty fantastic themselves with different backgrounds and abilities and goals. I’ve got a few regulars and new ones pop in here and there.

Last night, we used two fabrics. Another teacher did this with me in a regular aerial yoga class and I’ve been wanting to try it. I went in with a few vague ideas of asanas/poses that could be done but decided to explore the dynamics of the fabrics as we lay and stretched in them. Part of the joy in aerial for myself and, I think, the students is the freedom of movement and at the same time the guidance of the fabric. Sure you can force a move, but in reality, it’s just better to go with the flow as much as possible, especially in a class that has “restorative” in its description.  And restore we did. The time flew by as we played in the fabrics. Time was spent stretching joints and twisting out our aches and pains. I did have one pose I wanted to do. I’m not sure it would have a name in regular yoga but I call it draping. There is also a dead lizard or corpse lizard but that one is completely enveloped in the fabric and nearly impossible to get a picture of. I promise it’s not as grisly at it sounds and a great hip opener.

Thursday was a rough morning. I’ve not been getting to bed very early and it’s taking its toll. But I have a schedule and I like to keep my commitments, even to myself. Maybe, most importantly to myself. Not because I’m most important but because I have a habit of forgetting about myself till I don’t know what sort of eggs I like.

 My HRM is on the fritz which makes me sad but I dressed a little warmer on top and a little cooler on the bottom and chose my Gu for the run. Strawberry is good and gummier than the blueberry pomegranate. I found it very palatable with a splash of milk. It was a nice chilly 30 degrees. No rain or snow, with just a bit of wind that I was running into for the first half of the run. Great, tailwind!

I had mentioned in a previous post that I thought I was hitting a good run streak only to be disappointed by a rough run on Tuesday. Maybe Tuesday was a fluke but Thursday felt great. I don’t know if it was the weather, shoes, body, Gu or what, but I just felt good. Running felt right. It felt like something that was natural and natural at an 11:00 pace. The dog, I don’t think, felt the same as me. She started running with me about half way thru. There was some tired legs, there was some gasping, there was some side stitches but that’s just part of running. I ate the other half of Gu when we turned around. I think the Gu works. My time decreased from 1:23:00 to 1:18:00 and I still felt pretty good at the end of the run.

This is a really short post about the run. There wasn’t anything that made it special. I didn’t see any urban wildlife or paintable sunrises. It was just me and my dog challenging ourselves. It’s pretty wonderful. 

I think this should be my theme song.

Three runs and a funny hat

So I am playing catch up with my posts.

I was pooped from the holiday so I took Friday as a slug day. I barely moved and catch up on my TV shows like Criminal Minds and Sleepy Hollow. It was like visiting with old friends. With all the running I’ve been doing I haven’t been able to watch much TV. I ate horribly and I have to say the day was wonderful minus the piles of laundry I had to fold. It is vital to take time to let your body recover from all the trials we put it thru on our way to fitness. My body hurt from the race.

Saturday was a different story. The dog let me sleep in. We didn’t start our run until 6:30am. It felt strange running in daylight. I started with a Gu and slammed some milk before I left. It wasn’t the salted watermelon. I went safe with a blueberry pomegranate. I’ve heard sometimes these running fuels can lead to upset stomachs and this was a long run. They are sort of like the consistency of jujubes than the gumdrops they look like.

The run itself felt pretty good. I felt comfortable right away. I tried to think positively cheering myself on when the legs started to tire. I reminded myself that discomfort is natural. After a while, I could just focus on my breathing. Breathe in fresh breath, breathe out the old breath. This time out, I had no route planned. I had a general idea of where I was but I followed a road that had no sidewalk suddenly and then found a trail that looked like it followed said road. It did not. It ended rather in the middle of nowhere. I found a road that I was trying to avoid because of the high foot traffic. In the midst of the confusion, Runkeeper told me that I was 5 miles in, time for more Gu. It was very hard to chew as my mouth was dry. I don’t really remember the mileage. I just ran, trying to stay in the 12:30 range. The second half of the run was much less relaxed. People had started to move around the city. Other dogs were about and the dog had to show how tough she was. I’ve trained a lot of her old habits out of her but that one still lingers. I do remember the last mile. I was feeling tired but I didn’t really feel my legs. I knew they were there and I had some knee and shin discomfort but it felt sort of far away. I finished with 10.3 miles. Sometimes, when I am doing these long runs, I want to cry. There are so many emotions that run thru me. There is accomplishment and pride and a little panic. Mostly, there is amazement that my body can do this.

There is a new ache. My back, my upper back. The tribulations of being a blessed woman. I know my core itself is good but I need to work on strengthening my back. I’ve tried doubling support but so far still a sore back.

Monday was a great run. It felt good. There was a little rain. Just enough to cool me off as I pushed thru the 5k. My legs felt extremely tired but they still felt good. I don’t know how to explain it but I felt confident in their ability to carry me thru this run. I also remember thinking I’m going thru a good run streak. Because there are good runs, bad runs, and ugly runs. Sometimes, you are lucky and have a good run streak and with Saturday and Monday, it felt like one was coming on. It was a nice easy run and I sped up for the last mile. That last mile was exhilarating. My new found power shone and carried me easily home.

We are in the homestretch. We are on today’s run.
Let me tell you that streak ended today. It wasn’t an ugly run but it wasn’t a good one either. It was raining when I started, rather heavy, only to turn into a mist and finally disappear at the end of the run. I was gasping for breath from the start. I tried Gu as this was a build up run. It was supposed to be a 6.5 mile run so I took one before I left and one at 3.5. The legs were heavy but I did not have the same confidence as I had yesterday. It was like I was slogging thru mud. The dog also was not feeling this run. She was running next to me and this made the run like an obstacle course with the leash slack between us. Finally, I wrapped the extra around my wrist loosely. A less tired me might of thought of that earlier after the first or second hop over the leash, but it was taking all my minds focus to keep the legs moving. There is a monster of a hill at the five mile mark. It starts slow and then builds up in severity. Another hill is rather deceptive at the last half mile. It doesn’t look bad but when my tired legs hit that incline, it takes a lot of interior cheering to keep me going. While I did well, my first full running mile started at 13:07 and built up to 11:04. It is hard to tell exactly what I did as I generally include my warm up and cool down walks in my time. The last thing I want to do is futz with my phone while I’m out. Especially, in the rain where the touchscreen gets a little dodgy with the water droplets. All in all, it was a good run even if it didn’t feel like it while I was running it.

I wasn't impressed with the GU and I couldn't figure out why everyone was such a fan. Then, I figured something out. I was eating like a fourth of what was recommended for the time I was out running. I probably won't eat two or three packs a run, but I might try eating half before my run on Thursday and half while I'm out in this soggy weather.

Also, why all the selfies? Because running is fun. And I hope my smiling face is encouraging to those that question that reality. I questioned it less than a year ago

My head has been a little stuffy so sorry if this was a little meandering. To make up for it, here is a picture of the dog with her Christmas hat ala The Grinch