Running Thoughts

You have to be a mommy or a teacher to recognize the title of this post as a children's book title.  The book is blue and has white shapes on every page that "look" like common things, one of them being spilt milk, and then it ends up that it was just a cloud in the sky. The sky reminded me of that book today as I ran my 4 and a half miles.  So, I decided to keep watch on the clouds to see what they reminded me of.  Here are the things I saw so that you can psycho-analyze me... donut (could I be hungry?) T-rex (I always see a dinosaur) an old man's face a volkswagon beetle So, what've ya got?  I'm a hungry girl afraid of dinos and old men in volkswagons?  HMMM.  Well, on the phychological theme:  It's so strange how much of a mind game running is.  I think it's interesting that I can run 2 miles and the tiredness sets in at the same point in my back-home-part-of-the-run that it sets in for a 6 mile run.  I wonder what would happen if I ran a different ...

When I ran my first 10k a few weeks ago, I thought, "now, I'm a runner!" The truth is, I give myself lots of labels easily.  I'm a wife, a mother, daughter, friend, sister....all those are "given" to me by the definition of what they are.  And I find I'm eager enough to use labels that I don't like...lazy, unproductive, well, I won't go on with that...but you know what I'm getting at, right?  Why is it that the labels that we most readily use to define ourselves are like that?  Why not just as easily describe myself as a runner?  I was running before the 10k.  Why not an artist?  When I'm asked if I'm an artist, I think twice.  I draw and paint and enter my work in the local art shows.  I'm an artist.  When asked if I'm a teacher, I say something like, well I homeschool or I used to teach.  I teach EVERY DAY!  I'm a teacher, a runner, an artist, and many other greats!  And so are you!  Here is a passage from (you guessed i...

Strategy... I've been thinking some about strategy.  I have a strategy for a lot of things.  Some of them work and some don't.  Like my strategy for getting my housework done...doesn't work so well, and I end up running like crazy to get it all done at once when something is coming up.  You'd think I'd change my strategy....  Getting my kids involved..well, this strategy is mediocre and I keep trying to improve it.  Strategy for accomplishing homeschool...hmmm, need to work on some things there.  All of these things are works in constant progress.  I'm thinking about my strategy to keep up my running and lifting after we get started back with homeschooling, etc.  I know the obvious choice is to get up early, but it is substantially colder early in the fall and winter here.  I really prefer to run after 9:30 when the sun manages to raise its sleepy head over the top of the mountain completely.  We all have our challenges...and have to juggle them.  What are some ...

I'm so glad that I'm only racing against myself.  Did you see the men's olympic marathon?  Those guys finished the half in under an hour.  I'm just hoping to finish the same day I start!  sheesh! How cool was it that one guy from Kenya shared his water bottle with a guy from another country?  He was the winner of the human race for sure.  Another Kenyan actually won the marathon and broke the world record. Speaking of the human race...I run the nike+ human race 10K on the 31st!  I ran 2.7 miles yesterday and I run 4 tomorrow.  Light week, but it will put me over 100 miles on my nike+ so I'll get a virtual medal which will be grand! Now, I'd like to present these gold medals to Ruth and Sara.  Ruth wins this virtual gift for running 12 miles tomorrow. Sara, this for 7.

so, here's a list of why today has been such a good day: I woke up late (so, I thought.."Ok, so my run will come later in the day") I got ready to go run when I remembered that one of my son's volunteer teachers was coming this morning, so no time to run  (I thought, OK, so my run will come LATER in the day.) she didn't come (so, I got extra time one on one with my son and thought, "my run will come *later* in the day!) my 13 year old got called to go help out at the day care, so I still couldn't go run until she got home  (so, I got more extra time one-on-one with K and I thought, "afternoon runs can be very refreshing!) when I did get outside to run, I realized after about 10 steps that I already had a rock in my shoe (Good opportunity to focus on good things and not the nagging little things) At my turn-around point, I forgot to dump the rocks out of my shoes as I had planned, so still rocks for the second half  (more opportunity!) So, what makes ...

Today was planned as a 6 mile run for both Sara and me.  We set our nike plus gadgets to 10k, which is 6.22 miles, and took off.  We started off slowly and then built up our speed in the second half.  It was a cool day and it took a while to warm up, literally.  The whole first half is a gradual uphill slope, but the end of the first half, just before the turn around point, is steep, uphill.  We both finally reached a point near the top of one hill where we felt like scooby doo and decided to walk the last 20 or so feet to the tiptop, then we ran again.  But, ah, the run back down was worth the climb!  Here is a pic of us after the run!

I ran for 40 minutes today.  I tried to do speed work, but my knee disagreed with the idea, so no speedwork until it is completely healed or until I get my compression band for it.  I thought millions of thoughts while running, but here is a list of lessons I've learned while running in the mountains: Always run on the outside of the curve; it doesn't matter whether you are facing oncoming traffic or have traffic to the back of you, stay on the OUTSIDE of the curve!  (nearly got hit by a jeep one day) Run just a little further uphill so that you can have longer downhill If you run farther uphill, the second half of your run will be faster than the first half Be gentle with the uphill parts; even if you know you can go faster, reserve your energy and protect your knees Relax and look around "peace like a river" must mean peace that can overcome obstacles because the river is like that...overcoming.

I'm planning an upper body lift day, but so far, haven't gotten to the gym.  Hopefully, this evening.  Hubby wants to join me so I'm trying to wait until he can come with me. When it isn't a running day, I feel sort of lost.  So, I read about running.  This is what I read today from No Need for Speed by John (the penguin) Bingham: "...Knowing that a breakthrough is always possible can give your daily runs the character of a treasure hunt.  Stepping out the door or onto the treadmill, you can allow yourself to wonder if today is the day.  You can allow yourself to look for, listen for, and feel the small improvements that occur so often in the first few months of running.  You can allow yourself to accept your body's invitation to discover the treasure in that day's run.  Not every run will reveal the Ark of the Covenant.  The revelation may be something as simple as finding a new way to tie your shoelaces so that they stay tight.  But every run has the pote...

Before I go for my 40 minute run today, I had a few thoughts.  First, MizFit  challenged her readers to random acts of kindness and beauty today.  That's fun because it gets me thinking of someone besides myself and my own family!  I realized as I read her post that I easily become over-balanced, happy in my own little world.  Then, I read FanFit's blog post about balance and thought some more about balance in my life.  That was one of my new year's goals...balance.  I've done better at it, but could be better at it.  I really love that I've gotten more into distance running for this reason.  I have to balance many things in order to make it the whole distance.  There are so many balancing thoughts that enter my mind as I run, before I run (eating a balance of carbs, protein, and good fats), after I run (nutrition again), and between times (resting and cross training).  All of it is a good mind exercise.  Today, I am going to stop along my favorite trail, that is k...

I ran a good, strong 3 miles today and my knee is only nagging me ever so slightly!  My nike plus said, "congratulations!  you just ran your fastest mile so far!"  I like the "so far" part because I'm not planning for this to be the fastest mile ever.  I started off slowly and decided that I'd try to notice things I hadn't noticed before.  Here is my list of new things I noticed today on my 3 mile run: cute tiny yellow flowers that are shaped like starbursts there are two kinds of little white barbie bouquet flowers, not just one a brilliant yellow and black bird with an orange head and neck a lady bug on a green leaf a perfectly flat rock that would make a great little table a pretty little line of rocks in the creek  that change the direction of the water's flow a giant boulder in the creek that changes the sound of the water not all purple is the same...so many shades Great second half of the run with lots of energy-that's where the fast mile ...

Finally available for your viewing pleasure... HERE is a good laugh!  The show was good, all in all, I just thought my bloopers were the most entertaining part.   

I followed some advice from an avid long-distance runner and ordered the item you see here.  Now, as Ruth says, I will be ultra-cool, injured and all.  It's a compression band to help my knee cap stay in its track.  I'm sure that what happened is that I turned my foot out as I ran up hills...those who know me know that I am masochistic and like to run uphill sprints and long gradual inclines (so that I can run DOWN)...turning my foot out injured my knee and now my knee can't get completely over it because...well, I use it you know.  So, today is the last day of rest for Ms. Knee before my 3 mile run tomorrow which will be (as usual) very slow and easy.  I'll keep icing it and my compression band should arrive soon.  The idea is that my knee will be held in place and given a chance to heal.  Everything I read says to continue running, so I am.  I just also thought a rest plus ice might be in order. Also, off topic, our first belly dance performance was last night, so che...

My hubby came home a day early!!  I went to get him yesterday which took the entire day when added to last night's rehearsal for our bellydance performance (friday night).  So, no post yesterday.   He brought me a surprise!  New black running skirt and fire-orange top!  both have pockets!  And both are moisture wicking!   So, here is a picture of me in my new running duds sitting with an icepack on my knee which is what I will also be doing tomorrow!  No run, just put the outfit on to be in the spirit of things (and to show off!).  I'll try to coax myself into the elliptical machine tomorrow.  I'm skipping a run this week and icing my knee extra in hopes of healing!  Maybe I will get to run my 3 mile run this weekend, but what is most important is that I get to run for the rest of my life!

another brilliantly slow run.  I don't know why my nike+ shows slow-downs, like the big dip that is a pace of 17 something.  I didn't slow down there and I didn't run *that* slowly!  haha  i don't expect it to be perfect, but i guess it sometimes loses contact between the sensor in the ipod and the sensor in my shoe.  I noticed it on my 5 mile run too.  today's run was a 40 minute run.  I almost forgot that my short runs this week are 40 min instead of 30.  I ran 3.49 miles.  Ran the whole thing and felt great.  My knee is still giving me trouble though...i will try to go lift today too.  update: oh yes...I did go lift.   braeden and I were the only ones in the workout room, so that was fun.  He pretended to be a sniper out the window and I worked chest, shoulders, and triceps.  Here are the top 10 reasons you would like to work out with braeden and me... 10.  our workout room is red 9.  it's fun 8.  the pins to hold the weights on the machine make great pistols...

I am proud to announce that I did *not* keep my pace within my goal time of below 11 min/mi today.   I was thinking after my last run when I was struggling along thinking, "no way can I run 5 miles," that really I'm impatient with myself.  I'm trying to go too fast too soon.  Could explain my knee pain, huh?  I'm busy worrying that I'm slower than I want to be and losing the joy of the movement of both scenery and my body and mind.  So, I determined that I would go however slowly it takes for me to enjoy my run and feel good, keeping a steady pace that is trully conversational.  I DID it!  I enjoyed miles 1 through 5 and didn't check to see what my pace was throughout the entire run.  I could smile and breathe easily and could have told you a fairy tale if you'd been beside me.  I was super slow.  hahaha  then, the second half I felt myself naturally speed up and I never lost my rhythm, keeping a steady, faster pace.  I loved all 5 miles.  I never even...

I forgot to mention that I was going out of town to look for a wedding dress for Sara.  She found the perfect one!  Maybe she will post a pic! So, that pushes my 5 mile run to tomorrow.  More after that!