Running Thoughts

My imagination "ran away" with me as I left my house today wearing my Halloween Tee shirt, cute little skirt, and running shoes.  I decided the old mining road that I love to haunt must be spooky today, this spookiest of days... The creepy bare trees cast spooky shadows on my path....ooooooooooooooooo The leaves blew across the dirt road ahead of me whispering, "beware, beware!" Eyeballs in the dark, haunted cave glared out at me as I fixed my gaze decidedly away from that abandoned abyss that locals call "Hell's Kitchen." The wind whistled, "Go back, Go back" in unison with my usually friendly rock face, Mr. Three Mile Turn Around, who today, looks more like a monster.  eeeeeeeek!  I kept running, afraid to even turn around!  Today would just have to be 4 miles instead of 3. Bones!  Part of a ribcage lay before me as I wondered, "are they human?"  On any other day, I'd assume they were from a deer, but today.... Are tho...

I'm so excited that I just couldn't wait to post this!  I ordered some things from amazon.com.  (I love amazon.com)...I'm planning to scope out this website to get recipes!  The raw cocoa is exciting because I have medjool dates (taste like caramel!) ordered to be delivered tomorrow!  MMMMMM! Raw brownies!

I mentioned that I felt like I'd landed back on square one again and that I had some thoughts to share on the subject... I know how I ended up back on square one...Things happened to get in the way.  They were all good things, and as we all know, things DO happen.  My main goal way back when I started working toward a fit version of myself again was to keep moving toward my goals even when there are setbacks.  I've been true to myself and to that goal, and I'm actually happy to be back on square one.  I had a great freedom half-marathon in July, and I remember on one energized run right around that time thinking, "I'll keep running long, and a short run will be 5-6 miles all summer!"  Then, I got sick.  Then, we went on vacation.  Then, then, then.  And now...I've had the great opportunity to keep my goal of sticking with it no matter what.  To keep my promises to myself. My long run has become the length I thought my short run would be as ...

I set out to continue on my expanded week's plan.  Today would be 3 miles, but I've been really looking forward to my long run day and I was feelin' it today.  I reached my turn-around point (you remember him, Mr. TMT), said hello to the giant rock face and continued on, thinking, "well, flexibility is a good thing."  My new expanded week idea has lots of room for flexibility.  So, I ran my long run today which was intended to be 4 miles, but again, ...since I'm being flexible...I've also missed the big winding hills that are just past the 4 mile turn around point.  I flattened those, and turned around for a total of 5 miles. This brings this workout week to an end and begins the next one a mile ahead of plan.  Yay! And in honor of my little long run: Click Here HaHa!  That was my favorite as a kindergarten teacher...I hope I wasn't that obnoxious!

What is an expanded week?  Well, I seem to never fit in everything I want to fit in between long runs....for example, by the time I do yoga and insanity and run, I haven't put in enough weekly runs before my long run so it gets pushed.  Well, who cares?  If my workout week is longer, I have plenty of time to fit in all these things I love + rest and get in a nice, needed long run.  So, here is my 10 day workout week, (my expanded week): My week began on Sunday, Oct. 16th... Sunday: rest Monday: hills, (no yoga until Nov) Tuesday: push ups Wednesday: 3 miles Thursday: insanity, push ups Friday:  3 miles Saturday:  Push ups Sunday:  3mi or long run Monday:  either rest or long run (depends on Sunday), push ups (no yoga until Nov) Tuesday:  either rest or 3mi 10 days=1expanded week

Table of Contents: 1. Making Gains 2. My Expanded Week Theory 3. Fall Running/soaking it in 4. Standing on Square One 5. Re-evaluating Square One 6. Push-ups...Only 99 To Go! 7. Food I'm making gains!    I managed 3 runs last week, each 3 miles.  They were hard.  I walked some, but mostly went at a painful, slow running pace for this thyroid challenged gal.  I met up with this guy after a long time no see....remember him?  At first, he taunted me...which served me right after I'd snubbed him this summer for longer runs.  Now, I'm humbled and crawling (nearly literally) to him asking forgiveness. Then, yesterday, I kicked butt on some hills out by the lake.  What a great exhaustion! I have this Expanded Week Theory.   You are welcome to give it a try.  I'm not going to plan runs within a 7 day period, but rather within a 10 day period.  So, my running week just expanded to 10 days, and there is nothing you can do abo...

It's time, Folks.  Time to stop wallowing.  A while back, I reveled in feeling super fit and good about myself.  I was back in the 120's for the first time in YEARS and muscle was making a debut in my arms and shoulders.  Then it happened..unfair.  My prescription for my hormone replacement meds got messed up.  I went without it for 2 weeks.  In that 2 weeks, I gained an instant 10 pounds without even having the grand joy of pigging out and lounging around.  Getting back on my meds isn't enough.  It takes time to get it back into my system and balanced...so 5 more pounds found their way onto my once fairly lean frame. Well, fifteen pounds hurt my psyche and I've been wallowing in how unfair...very unfair.  And I'm done. Done wallowing.  It's time to gain back mileage that I've lost through lack of energy (Get thee behind me, unbalanced hormones!) and lose the weight I've gained. I've been inconsistent with my running.  I've b...

colors and a great runnin' buddy!