The Summer Evening Run

(actual photo of the beauteousness I am running in)

...when the sun is low but still shining, there is plenty of shade, warmth rather than blistering heat, it is perfect. THAT is what I got to run in today, I felt like the only person in the world, running past green fields with cute baby cows, and old farms out in the boonies; it is runs like this that keep me from giving up when I feel crappy... because I know that I have more of them to look forward to if I run through the pain.

Side Note (but no less important!!!): My younger brother just received the Cadet of the Year award from his ROTC program, way to go Alex!! :)

Running in the Sun

Today was the first warm... almost hot day for running. Running in warm weather takes just as much conditioning as running in general, you can't expect to get out in the heat after running in temperate or cool weather, and have it feel the same. You have to get used to running in the heat and eventually your body will acclimate itself, and the temperature will not slow you down as much (as long as its not crazy triple digits, that's just dangerous). In general, one needs to hydrate consistently throughout the day in order to run in the heat, and also avoid running at the hottest time of day, even if you feel acclimated to the temp; its just safer. Also, sunscreen is important, especially if you tend to burn, because unsafe sun exposure will dehydrate you faster and make you disoriented. Okay, enough of the mothering, just be safe and enjoy running under blue skies for a change :)

Know when to cross-train

Knee slightly swollen and not as bendy as one would hope, with shins that throb... I feel that today is a cross-training day! This day will include: crunches, sit-ups, push-ups, squats, lunges (slow and deliberate ones), and other leg stuff. If I had an elliptical machine I would have hopped on that for 20min or so, but without one I didn't want to aggravate my knee by jogging again. (a pool would have worked too, or a bike... I don't have those either)

My mom likes to do fun workout videos on her cross-training days to keep herself motivated and the workouts varied and fun.

The important thing is to realize that your body's pains are telling you something... and I don't want to have knee-replacement surgery when I'm 40.

So ice the pains, take ibuprofen, and take it easy for a day, and tomorrow I shall be back on the road.

Pretend it is a wild, untamed landscape...

When I am bored with the places I am running, and am unable to derive any enthusiasm from the idea of running my usual trails... instead of wasting mother nature's finite resources by driving to a different place to run, I sometimes imagine that I am running somewhere else. Here is how one might go about it:

First you watch an epic movie with a corresponding epic landscape (examples: Lord of the Rings, etc.), I decided to watch King Arthur this morning, the version in which Kiera Knightly is a blue painted "wolt" (aka Briton) who wears cool leather war gear and kicks ass. In this move the landscape is green, hilly and enveloped in a mysterious fog... very cool.

Second, one plays epic music to listen to while running, I use an ipod shuffle. For this particular run I will listen to something inspiring and evocative of the landscape I wish to envision myself in, like the LOTR soundtrack or an old cd I found that contains Irish folk music, or just hardcore rock where its hard to understand the words :)

Third, you must run hard. If you are running too slow you won't be focused enough to ignore the fact that you aren't in the landscape you are trying to envision.

Fourth and most importantly, you MUST do your best to pick out a landscape that has some similarities to the one you are running in, in reality. This will make it easier to pretend! For example, if I were running in say... the Yakimanian countryside while its rainy and foggy out, the above imagining is a more probable one. But if I were in Arizona where it's humid and sunny and hot as hell it might be more difficult to convince myself... see?

Okay people, now get out there and imagine your own cool landscape, and let the running begin!

Sometimes you just need a cookie...

I am a firm believer in cookies (and pie), you can't just NOT eat them! One should not necessarily eat them all the time, but when you do, make it a good one, and don't wait too long between cookie days because that's just unnecessary torture people. So, for those who find that today is their cookie day, I have the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I've ever had... (if you don't like nuts in your cookies like me, toss in some butterscotch chips! its waaaay better that way)

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water.
4. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate
5. chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
6. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

A Case of the "Workout Mondays"

Today is one of those lazy days where you woke up, and from the moment you opened your eyes you had to spend energy to convince yourself that you shouldn't be lounging in bed. This type of day has a description that everyone would recognize; it is overcast, chilly, windy, sporadic drizzles of rain, and you don't technically have to do anything.

On this "monday" I have procrastinated by doing the dishes, vacuuming, doing laundry, cleaning the litter-box (eew) and even brushing the dog... now that's desperate workout procrastination.

In the end, I know I will run, because my day doesn't feel complete without a workout of some kind; no matter how many chores I do I would still feel like I accomplished nothing if I didn't go for at least a short jog.

I'm not sure if that is a good thing, I might be addicted to cardio, but until I am diagnosed I might as well embrace this newly rediscovered love and need for fitness.

And with our powers combined (fitness and mine) we shall overcome this case of the workout mondays!!!!

Running with Dogs

While running today (usually not the time when life lessons crop up, but I guess you can never tell) through the Yakamanian countryside, I found myself surrounded by three very large (as in up to my elbows huge, I am 5'7") male dogs (I could tell).

My first instinct was to run, which I did for a little while, until I realized they thought it was fun to chase me. So, I stopped, turned around to face the angry and barking mammoths, stood tall, put on my angriest mom face and (with corresponding angry mom voice) told them to get their asses home.

The dogs ran away from me.

Today I learned that turning into your mother will save you from a bite in the ass and a rabies vaccination. Amen.

"Life is Rugby", a brief aside

Stuff from rugby that one may apply to daily life:

1. KNOW that your team (friends/family, etc.) has got your back

2. Run because you ARE being chased, and it isn't "tag"

3. When you hit the ground, get up fast or you WILL be stepped on (if you're lucky, not in the face)

4. Keep going, exhausted or not, because your team IS counting on you

5. Leave it ALL on the field, anger and aggression included

6. Have fun, because Rugby is the best sport in the world

7. Pads are for pussies (unless it's a scrum cap, and that's just plain necessary)

Bloomsday

I loved every minute of it. Running in a mob of people who are all enjoying themselves, smiling at the people cheering as you jog by (trying to avoid giving the person in front of you a flat tire), listening to the bands along the way, triumphing over Doomsday Hill, pushing the last two miles after the hill because you feel so badass, and finishing... oh the finish felt great! Nothing I have ever done feels as exhilarating as finishing a race, this one even more so because I have never done anything longer than 3.1miles. Honestly, every step past the three mile mark was gravy, I couldn't help smiling to myself. I could have puked all over the finish line and I would still have smiled!!! I love to run. I love knowing that I am out there because I want to be, and that I am completely in control of my race. Running is a sport in which the runner gains what he/she puts into their consistent fitness. You can't just go out there and expect to feel great in a race if you haven't put the work into your fitness. This is such a rewarding sport, you run, you race, you feel great, you are in shape, you can eat whatever you want, you are happier, healthier physically, mentally and emotionally... what could possibly be better??

I can't wait until my next race... Which shall be a half marathon in two weeks time!!

Thank you to those friends and family who came to cheer me on even though I couldn't hear you because I was rocking out on my headphones :)

Official Time: 1:06:53 (7.4miles), 8:57min/mile pace, placed 48/576 23yr women