Leapin' Lizards, It's Windy!

I swear I'm taking this Half Marathon training seriously, but all I could think about on this VERY WINDY morning (25-40 mph gusts ... what?!) were my dog's ears!!! I know I recently wrote about this very topic, but how can I not with ears that awesome? See?

"That's right, mommy, my ears are awesome! So is the chicken
I smell cooking in that grocery store ..."

Along this particular strip were really big gusts, but we plunged through!

"This is totally awesome, mommy! Run like the wind! Whee!!"

It was almost 50 degrees when we headed out, so Elly got her pant on pretty quickly. Why is that notable? Because we not only had floppy ears, but we got a waggy tongue!

"Just let it all fly!! Feel the freedom!"

And, just like at a portrait studio, we changed backgrounds. Ha!

"I'm too sweet for the rustic background. Puh-leez."

I can't say I remember a whole lot about this run because with wind like that, it's just noisy, and I don't really think about anything amidst the noise! I was acutely aware that I wasn't all crabby about the wind, though, and that is a major leap of progress for me because I tend to spend a lot of energy cranking about how wind annoys me. (It's not productive, but I still do it.) I try not to crank about it while running, though, as I'd prefer to use the energy to just keep moving! I mean, what I am I going to do on Half Marathon day if it's super windy? Stand there and crab about it? Or just get to moving? I have to remember such things and train my brain as well as my muscles. (Remember when I thought running was only about physically moving? It was such a simple idea ...)

I also have to share that while I wasn't really thinking much nor was I really paying that much attention to what I was doing (seeing as I kept taking pictures of the pup), I still managed to spy with my little eye:

Ba-da-bing! Oh, yeah ...
"Hey, mommy, get the coin out of my shot ..."

Here's one more of my running partner because not only are her ears awesome, so are her eyes:

"I am fabulous."

More miles in the tank, more pennies in the bank. That's a great run! See you after tomorrow's!

Whoops!

Okay, I'm typically among to find any reason to celebrate, especially when it comes to incremental milestones, and I totally whiffed giving myself a Yahoo! for reaching 100 miles run so far in 2012! What a tool! So, a day later, I'm giving one to myself. Yahoo!! (That's very different from when the Pit Crewers were little and they had celebrations at school recognizing the 100th day of school ... they didn't do "Yahoo"s but they did do things like make necklaces out of 100 Fruit Loops ...)

Oh, SPEAKING OF necklaces, I thought this was a good time to pass along the picture sent out showing us what the finisher's medal looks like for the April Half!

Sweeeeet!!

Mine will look like the one on the right ... Hooray! Very clever how the Half Marathon one is smaller than the Full ... I'm glad they didn't make it half the size, too, because that would look dorky. Anyway, I know I talked about this prior to the Half in September, but allow me to revisit ... while I'm not a particular fan of "everybody gets a trophy," believe when I say that everybody who crosses that finish line should definitely get a prize, so bring on the bling! I'm getting excited!! And, that excitement is good because the next few long training runs can be a bit difficult to get through -- they can hurt, they take time, and I will hit points where my mind and my body will fight a little bit. I just have to remember that those things are only parts of the bigger picture to accomplish what I've set out to do. And, those parts are more than doable!

To that doable end, I'll be out and about tomorrow racking up some miles! In the meantime, would you like to see what the kitty looks like when you disturb her Rest Day? (I mean, her Rest Life!)

"Step away from the kitty ..."
(Isn't it nice that I made the kitties such a great blanket?)

More tomorrow after more miles!

Nice Way To Start a Monday

Running dog with runny eye booger. That's proof of her
efforts! And, better her eyes than either of our noses!
Hey, it happens, what can I say ...

From greetings on the street from a "regular" who was out there biking to cheers from my Good For You Lady, it was a very friendly Monday morning! It was not only friendly, it was profitable ... 2 shiny pennies found in a
last-second route change and a really dirty one a half mile later that was practically camouflaged in the street. (Ah, but my penny radar was aces today!) I really can't ask for much better than all of that on a Monday (although I could ask that Elly not stop every half mile to use the facilities ...).

Today's run was a nice way to break in the week ... and, tomorrow's Rest Day will be nice as well! See you then! (By the way, is the Half Marathon really only 48 days away?!)

Rest Days Are For Sharing

Just taking it easy today -- see you after the morning run.

Racking Up the Miles But Not the Money

Good morning!

Oh, yes, I woke up to a wee bit of snow!! Perfect scenery for me for a run (as you know, I do love Winter!). I slept great and was excited to put on my favorite purple jacket and purple striped gloves to go log the miles!

On my way, I found some birds playing!

This one kept trying to allude me, but I was
persistent. Persistence makes pursuing a Half
Marathon a good match for me. It's the same
characteristic that also made me an awesome
younger sister. Hee hee hee ... worked for me.

These guys showed up right after I finished the first mile (which tends to be the most difficult as I get my motor running), so I had no issue stopping for a few minutes while watching them and trying to take a picture -- which is not an easy feat. Those little guys are fast! It was a perfectly timed mini break before heading on my way.

I was working very intentionally to really breathe in the cooler air (because I think that feels awesome), but because there was no wind (yay!),  the 24 degrees wasn't really that cold. (Yes, yes, when you're standing still, it's cold. I thought I'd clarify that before Aaron corrects me on my definition of cold ...)

You know what else wasn't working very well? My eye for the cash. Look what I found and was all kinds of excited about:

Sometimes, even when it looks like a duck and acts like a duck,
it just isn't a duck at all. (So, whoever made up that saying has
some pants on fire ...)

I wasn't completely convinced it was actually a quarter when I looked really close, but I was hopeful, so I put it in my pocket. Further inspection at home showed I did not score the big bank this time. Drat!

Who better to give closer inspection than
a scientist?!

Oh, why is it foggy? That has something to do with the camera being outside for an hour and a half then coming in to the heated house. This happens to my contacts, too, sometimes, which is funny. Wondering if I've broken my camera is not funny.

Fortunately, the camera warmed up. It took a while, but it looked all clear in the lens again, so, I tested it on the post-shower treat Aaron left for me while I was getting un-smelly:

Thank you Pit Crew leader!! Mmm ... I do love oranges! Did you
know oranges are good for repairing minor tears in your muscles
post-instense excercise? I might not be fast, but a long run counts
as intense! The quarter fake-out was mentally intense, too, so I
hope this orange made it to my brain.

The miles are ticking down to the Half, and I am stoked to be on this journey BUT I'm not excited to report I have some random muscle issue going on with one of my knees. It is most definitely muscular, so I'm hoping to be able to do the right thing with taking care of it while logging these miles. Fortunately, I have no time-to-beat issues (desires, yes; issues, no), so I think I'll be able to manage it. Do you know what super-stinks about it? It only gives me problems going down hill. For the first time ever today, I even had to stop and restretch. Whatever is acting loopy seems to be happy going up hill. That tells you how stupid it is.

There you have it. Another day of running in the books, and I've officially gone more than half of the half marathon miles -- that's a big milestone to hit for me because every mile after 7 is one where I can count down to the finish. The internal dialogue goes like this: "Just passed 7, only 6 more to go. I've run 6 tons of times, no problem." You see what I'm doing there. By the way, the coolest one to hit is 11 because then there are just 2 miles to go ... 2! THAT feels good. In my head. Don't ask my legs how they feel at that point ... See you on Rest Day!

New Fave

There are things to do and places to be on this Rest Day but not before sharing one of my new, favorite homemade creation:

It looks like just a quesadilla ... but it rocks the quesadilla world!

As I've mentioned, these past few weeks have been a bit tough on me, so I decided that in the midst of it all, I would stay very focused on what I was eating because the past has shown that when life hands me a whole lotta stress, I not only have chosen to blow off exercise, but I've also chosen to turn turn to food for comfort. Yes, indeed, I'm certain I'm a textbook case of that. I'm already commited to the running; I need to keep making that continued commitment to the kitchen.

So, to make sure I didn't just turn to food this time, I went back to one of the very first things I incorporated into my world 2 years ago when I made the first wave of food overhauls: La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Tortillas (12 grams of fiber!!). I also picked up a more recent addition: Laughing Cow cheese (check out that cow's smirk!). Then, I put the two together:

It's like chocolate in your peanut butter. But, really different.

These tortillas are huge; one of the cheese wedges generously covers one of them. (Using one and cutting it in half is a perfect portion.) Then, I added some black olives, a pinch of cheddar cheese, a quarter of an avocado and my new best friend baby spinach (thanks to Subway):

Voila! The perfect-for-me quesadilla. I put it on a hot pan to toast the outside and melt the cheese, and that, friends, is creamy, tangy goodness!! Mmmm ...

Elly wanted some because it smelled so good. (Okay, she would have wanted it if it had smelled so-so, but this smelled awesome):

"I can laugh like that cow, too, mommy, so
pony up some of the grub!"

With the high fiber goodness of these, I stay full for a long time which is fabulous. That helps with the running pursuit for sure! You know what also helps when I want a treat? This:

You know how some sugar free chocolate tastes
nothing like chocolate? Not these; they're fabulous!

and, this:

No need for the sugar ones here -- these are
SO SO SO fruity and good!!

So, there you have it from the kitchen today. And, to be honest, just creating something new and simple was a great stress relief. Ahhh ... It's now time to map the run for tomorrow! See you after!

A Wise Fish Once Said ...

Some days, it's all about just making yourself go. Dory in Finding Nemo had it right when she taught us to "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming ..."

That message can be applied to many situations in our daily lives, can't it? Good golly, if I had a penny for the number of times I just wanted the world to stop or slow down for a minute in these past two weeks ... But, no one gets that luxury, so today was a day to "just keep swimming," and that was plenty!

My singular goal today was to just finish and move on with the day (and not get hit by a car, so I guess I over-achieved and had two goals). Both were successful, so I'll be back on the road after Rest Day. (ahhh ...)

Running With a Friend

There was no better way to spend the run today than to do so with my faithful running friend Elly. Period.

And, she had a great time out there from sniffing every possible random-animal track in the grass to spying on these guys for a minute:

While I gave her a minute to gaze at the geese, she received no time to snag a snack:

That's a nasty cheese stick, but Elly would have happily eaten it.

The route was a mile and a half mostly up hill, then while the last half was mostly down hill, it was also against the wind. Figures. But, at least it wasn't up hill and against the wind! I've certainly done that, and it's a stink. Regardless, the miles are clocked, and we continue to tick 'em down on the ol' Half Marathon miles counter! That's all that really matters. That and after-run hugs:

"Any time, Mommy, any time ..."

Finding Peace

In the past, I have been a regular checker of the "I Love To Run" Facebook page. I love the quotes and the inspirational pictures. Love them.

I don't think I've looked at that page for at least a month because other things have taken precedence. I decided I really wanted to look at it today in my continued project-status pursuit of keeping my mind at peace as much as possible especially while pursuing a Half that I really, really want to rock. I know I'm currently struggling a bit with that mind-body balance pursuit, so while I'm here at a bit of a tipping point, I want to do what I can to tip on the productive side.

And, as though they knew I was going to log on, the following entry was on their page today:

"Running is beautiful. It gives you control, it leaves the negative behind. Hurt, tears, hate, anger, sadness, it all leaves in the form of sweat and something stronger takes its place."

Having experienced this myself, I could not have said it better.

And, with this in mind, I run tomorrow. Half Marathon: Here. I. Come.

In the meantime, I used a bit of time today to stop and do one of the easiest stress relievers in the whole world ... Elly got an ear rub:

She has the softest ears in the entire world.
And, she's happy to share them with us!

I wish you a peaceful spot because you're worth taking the time for it. See you after the morning run.

Get-To-Moving Monday

I'm not ashamed to say that doing a short run the day after a long one kinda stinks. But, last Fall, I made it so there was a Rest Day after every long run, and I know that had a negative impact on my endurance. So, I decided not to dink with the system this time and do it the way it is designed which is the same way it was very successful for me the first time I thought running a Half Marathon was a good idea. So, there you go. Today was a day to hit it.

Here are today's prizes:

And, from where are the random gummy bears in the street coming?!

If that were a paper napkin, Elly would have gone for it. As it's
a gummy bear, she completely ignored it.

A good mile into the run, I decided to play with new ways of taking pictures of Elly. (For as much as I do enjoy just running, it's much more entertaining when I have something to play with.) So, here's one the regular way where I could look through the view finder if it weren't bouncing all over the place:

I have the best ears ever.

Then, for fun, I decided to hold the camera out in front of me (with the view finder facing away from me) and see what happens. Because of where the button is to actually take the picture, I also had to hold the camera upside down which I found terribly fun (it doesn't take much). The outcome -- and I thought they were actually pretty good for taking them completely blind with an upside down camera:

I realize there's very little difference, but it was really fun to mess around with it. It's nice to have new things to do out there! I think our model was ready to be finished when we got home, don't you?

Open says me. Now.

This afternoon also included another 3 miles of walking (where pennies and bb's were also found! Super scores!), so she and I are ready for Rest Day tomorrow! See you then with our feet up!

Right Mind Rewarded

As anticipated, it was a great morning for a run, but I learned a lesson: Never check email before heading out especially on a long run. I received a message that annoyed the tar out of me, and I spent the first two miles trying to figure out how to solve the presented (ridiculous) problem. THEN, the kicker: I was pretty certain I'd figured out a solution, but I was 4 miles away from finishing the run, so I couldn't solve it right then. Grrr! I do tend to be patient, but when I have things to put in to motion, those patience are put to the test!

I did keep my head clear during those first couple of miles enough to notice this:

If you look directly behind the light post most near the center, you see where the road hits the trees in front of the horizon. That's where I'm going! AND, that's only about half way. Holy moly, that looks far away! So, to know I can run that feels awesome especially on a morning where getting out of bed was a chore. (Wait, what morning doesn't feel that way?) It is difficult to see the point to which I'm referring because there were so many chimneys cranking out the smoke from morning fires. Ahhh ... very cozy, just a bit of a challenge to breath through!

So, I solved some problems, I soaked in my surroundings and I unexpectedly rocked my run! I was right on pace with where I want to be (on pace = rocked) which tells me I was able to keep my muddled brain in check. Outstanding!

I have to share what else happened soon after the run: We were on our way for a bagel and Diet Coke (yummmm). We were stopped at an intersection stop light when I noticed a penny in the road. Of course, I had to go get it. Then, I get back in the car, and Pit Crew #2 announces she thinks she sees a quarter out there. I didn't let her get out to get it for safety reasons, but I did go myself. PC2 was in total fear that I was going to pull a I-picked-it-up-I-keep-it move. I didn't ... but, I did swap it out for one in my purse because look at these fellas:

There's no way someone is going to let me use that to spend, but I don't care because it's fun! I'll keep my eyes peeled for some recognizable cash tomorrow! See you after.

Simplicity

Part of what has been weighing on my mind lately was the high need for a new car. One of ours was finally driven to the brink, and getting another wasn't a desire, it was a need. Ugh!! Fortunately, we had a great experience in finding another one, and finalizing the process today make this Rest Day successful on the side of rest. Wahoo!!

As we were going through the process yesterday, there were things that worked well with my insistence on Rest: checking out head rests (crazy how some are not restful at all); pulling off at rest stops to use the rest room ... But, most fabulous of all for fun on a Rest Day was stumbling upon this:

Flashback to my childhood!! Yeah!!!

DO YOU REMEMBER THESE?!?! (or is that just me?) I loved these!! Remember the inside?

How does the magic pen do that?

I not only bought one for both young Pit Crewers so they'd have something to do while we dealt with car buying junk, but I also bought one for myself!! FUN!! (Oh, and check this out ... between the four of us, we easily found 25 pennies in the car lot if not more! We were totally meant to buy a car there.)

It really is the simple things that bring me and my family the greatest joy. I think that's one of the really appealing things about running. It's simple. Put on your shoes and go. The end. It doesn't have to be any more difficult than that. And, you know, I tend not to make much more of it than that!

Speaking of, I've mapped my run for tomorrow morning and am ready to hit it! I won't be so cheery about it early in the morning (I mean, please, it's morning), but once I get going, it'll be fabulous. In the meantime, how restful does our bunny Roger look?:

"I'm gonna get you with my martial arts skills."

With that, I'll see you after the morning run!

Enough

I've been noticing how my Rest Days as of late have been a joke in terms of being restful. While I'm not using them to run, they've been so overloaded with need-to's and should-do's that I'm mentally wiped out way too early in the evening. And, if there's one thing I've learned through the years, it's that my mental state will eventually catch up with and screw up my weary brain. This not-taking-care-of-myself-mentally thing happened late last Spring to the point that I just wanted to quit running altogether because the mental exhaustion started to translate physically. When that happens, I drop confidence, the self-doubt returns, and it's a bear and a half to conquer. Last year, it took about 10 weeks to get over.

Well, this year, I don't have (nor do I want to give) 10 weeks for that kind of nonsense. Not only is the Half in 8 weeks, but I want to return to using running as an awesome outlet of time for me to just go out and breathe (and find pennies!). And, as it sits today, that is my plan: The return to normalcy!

So, this is what I'm looking forward to this weekend ... :

Why is it when I have a 10K 6 miles feels like an eternity but when
I'm training for a Half it's more like, "Eh ... here we go."

... but not before having Rest Day, Take 2, TOMORROW. Ahhhh ... Grab hold of what's not working for you and see if you can shake it up! See you tomorrow; I plan to be chill ...

No Longer Optional

Okay, seriously, my life as I usually know it is overflowing with extra details that need tending. I'm not out of the ordinary, and we all have waves of life that plow through our normal routines. I bring it up only to note that all I could think when I started out on the run today was how thankful I am that it is now such a normal part of my routine that I don't give up on it when I probably need it the most. It used to be the first thing to let go; now, it's just not an option.

The cool part is it takes very little time for the rest of the world to disappear for a little bit while I'm out there, and I do such things as giggle at Elly when she looks like this:

The last time we saw her looking like that, she was all bent out of shape over a dog that was barking at her. Never mind the dog was behind its own fence, but whatever. This time, we'd just passed by a cat hunkered down in a driveway. It was there just minding its own business (and probably thinking, "Come close enough, and I'll lay you out."). Elly was all a-buzz about this cat, but we finally got out of site and, therefore, it went out of mind. See? She calmed down. Mostly.:

See how her tail is so much bigger by her rump? Aaron says that's
her waggy muscle that has gotten such a great work out. I think
he's right because it wasn't like that when we first adopted her!

I don't often get to run with Elly on a Thursday, but I changed my routine just enough to accommodate her because I really wanted to hang with her! She's a great pal even if she's oh-so-annoying with her yard investigations. *sigh* But, while she was stopped, I found another BB, so everyone wins!

We finished up and hung outside for some extra lovin' time because it just wasn't that cold (didn't it just snow four days ago?):

When we were ready to go in, I discovered I'd hooked my glove onto her tags:

Nice.

That took more time to undo than you would think, but if that's the only thing that hangs me up today, I'm good to go!

We're to the point in the Half training where, some times, there are two Rest Days scheduled in a row, and tomorrow is the start of one of those pairings! (It's not that exciting because that also means there are a handful of days where a short run is scheduled right after a long one ... yuck! Or, better said: Ouch!) With that, I'll see you on Rest Day tomorrow!

Good Fortune

We all know that yesterday was Valentine's Day. It was also a Rest Day. And, it was a day that we were looking very forward to the Valentine gift made for each of us by Pit Crew #2. We were only about an hour away from receiving them when Pit Crew #3 walked into the family room and saw the unfortunate demise of the gifts. Here's the aftermath cleaned up:

I spy with my little eye ... destruction ...

Yup, we were each to receive 3 home made oatmeal cookies. In fact, by "each" I mean all four of us because PC2 made a bag for herself (smart girl!). Unfortunately, while I was away at the class party, the hound discovered the treats and took it upon herself to eat them. All of them. One. Dozen. Cookies.

What?

So, I have to admit that two things crossed my mind about today's run. One: This one is going to be really good for Elly exercise-wise. (One dozen cookies? Really?!) And, Two: Good thing I have a great supply of the best poo bags ever! (I mean, let's face it ... the cookies were oatmeal ...)

Bread bags are the best bags ever for picking up the poo ...
a friend even saves hers for me to add to our stash because
they're that good. (Think about it ... no holes and thicker
plastic to keep the bread fresh! And, as can guess, holes
in a poo bag are a problem for the picker-upper ...)

And, she's off!

It was, indeed, a good run, and, oh yes, Elly put a bag to use. Fortunately, she did it convenient to the only trash can on the route. I hate when she overshoots ... Anyway, it was also a good outing because just when I'd chosen to not diverge from my route in the hopes of finding a penny or so, I stayed on my beaten path, looked to my right and ...

Ta-Da! It was actually shining on the sliver of sun that was out
at that very moment. Just for me!

How many times have I reminded myself that I can't make finding money happen, I have to let it happen?! That's a difficult concept for me to remember because I prefer to make my experiences more than just seeing what happens. By and large that works for me, but there are certainly times I need to let go and discover what else could be. Finding that balance is hard!!

The hound and I finished up our run, and I was again rewarded. I took my last step, turned, looked down, and ba-da-bing! A dime!!

I was trying to get Elly to smell it to see if she'll just start sniffing
out money for me, but she was having none of it. I guess if it doesn't
smell like cookies, she's not going to be interested!

I'll take that good fortune and run with it for the rest of the day! Have a very fortunate day on your end, and we'll see you after the a.m. outing!