I Really, Really, Really Like the Short Runs

The training schedule I use for a Half includes a number of two-mile runs before weekend long runs, and I totally love them. I embrace every time I get to do just two because I usually either have more to do or I keep my shortest non-training runs at three. What a blast to "be told" to keep it at two!! (If I've learned to enjoy double-digits, I can certainly rejoice in the low singles!!)

Clearly, today was one of the two-milers! Additionally, this morning's temperature was 26, but the wind chill brought it down to single digits. It was cloudy, the wind was whipping ... put the distance and the weather together, and that's a great morning to run! WooHoo!!

Elly was totally down with the morning run, too. I think the weather invigorates her like it does for me. Adding to my morning pleasure:

A coin! When I picked it up, though, I had no idea if it was a
penny or a dime. It was so coated in whatever that it was
difficult to tell. Into the pocket it went to ponder later!

The other cool thing about a short run is that it is actually pretty difficult to find a route that is two miles pure; they tend to wind up more than or less than, and, when it comes to specific training runs, I route runs to land right on the target. It's a system that has worked multiple times, so I don't mess with it either direction by running over (and, most definitely, not short changing any). Therefore, because there was an extra half mile from the two-mile mark to my car, well, that lent itself to a lovely little stroll at the end!

Elly loved the extra, unhurried sniff time!

"Freeeeeeeedoooooomm!! Well, as free as I can be on a leash!"

She even paused so I could snap a pic of what it likely our last patch of snow this season:

"I will stop, but you can't make me look."

While Elly enjoyed her free time, I checked out my coin:

The muck started to wear off ... it turns out, it's a penny!
Every penny counts!

And, along the walk, it started to snow! There were just a few flurries floating down, but it was awesome!

That little white speck on Elly's left
shoulder is, indeed, a snowflake! Yay!

The temperatures are supposed to be on the rise again, so that'll put a quick twist on the runs! Fortunately, tomorrow's Rest Day will buffer the change! We'll check in then!

Unexpected Sabotage

When the weather outside makes your dog look like this ...

"I do so love being wrapped up all cozy warm!"

... that's a pretty good indication that too much wet is coming down to run outside! The rain wasn't really that bad, but I'd already decided putting the miles in on the treadmill while watching some of the stuff backed up on the DVR was an excellent use of my time. I'm a good multi-tasker.

Elly, however, most certainly had other ideas for the morning ...

"I see you are putting on your shoes. And, I'm hopeful. I'll be
polite and just wait over here while I whack my tail on the
wall. But, wait ... I detect a great disturbance in the force. There
is something about this scene indicating I'm not taking you
running ... like, that you haven't yet told me we're going ...
you always tell me ... uh-ohhh ..."

"New strategy: Cute face with pleading
eyes. I used it in the pound, and I totally
won. I'm sure it'll work again."

"It isn't working. Wait! When I was in
the pound, I was standing and giving you
the look. I'll try that."

"I seem to have lost my touch. I'm not really sure how you tore
yourself away from me to go over to my couch, but I'll play
the game. See how I followed you? I'm here! Ready to go!"

"Aw, crap. The consolation ear rub. I'll take it while it's
happening, but then I'm going to need my space to pout."

And, while Elly resigned herself to another morning nap, I did, indeed, hit the treadmill. I had a lot from which to choose on the DVR, so I picked the latest The Biggest Loser. (For the record, Dolvett is my fave ... both compassionate and hard core. I love watching him work with people!) I usually fast forward through the workouts stopping only when I see a trainer and an individual chat because I'm not terribly interested in just watching people work out. But, since I was doing what they were doing, I thought I'd let it go while I was running and see if it made any difference in what I thought about those segments.

Frankly, watching them work out while I was was fabulous! It was very inspiring to get my sweat on while others were, too. I listened to the trainers (yes, all of them ... even Jillian who would not inspire me by screaming at me all the time) as though they were talking to me, and it was very energizing! In fact, during the back story segments, I found my own intensity take a dive while getting into the contestant's story. Then, when the workouts picked back up, so did my desire to run! Perhaps the shows I often choose on the treadmill are actually dragging me down. I truly think putting on a drama sabotages the energy level and mental focus I am actually trying to tap. How 'bout that?!

You'd think that correlation of high-intensity show and running on the treadmill would be obvious. (It's not like people pick soft rock songs for their running playlists!) But, when you use the tv as a distractor while on the treadmill, it feels counter-intuitive to watch someone else working out along with you. Who knew? I'm betting the people who actually use music while running knew. But, in my defense, I don't use it. Sooooo ... there. (Yup, that's my best defense!)

I'm not quite sure what to do with this newfound inspiration because I, thankfully, don't need it very often. And, when I do, it's not necessarily during a season of The Biggest Loser. But, it wasn't The Biggest Loser itself that seemed key. Rather, it was the tone and pace of the show. Hmm ... it's something to ponder because that was the best run I've ever had on a treadmill!

Take a minute to figure out what best inspires you or if there's a tweak here or there that can pump you up!! You might be surprised at what you discover!

It seems Elly found a way to get past her disappointment, by the way:

It's a super-short run tomorrow! LOVE those!! We'll see you after!

Not Applicable

Given this morning's weather, today's Rest Day was perfectly timed. I was awakened by a thunder storm from 3 - 5 a.m. (which made for one very nervous, in-need-of-extra-lovin' Elly), and the weather persisted through when I normally run. In fact, it lasted most of the day.

Notable is that I was in my car during the normal run time when I saw a woman running. In the pouring rain. And -- key issue for me -- the lightening. Now, I know many who would call me a wuss for choosing not to run in the rain. Shoot, on any given day, I'm pretty sure I can hand over a plethora of reasons to critique my running prowess. But, I know you know by now that I do not care.

I do care, however, when I see someone running in lightening. It's so remarkably unsafe that I simply can't wrap my head around it. Are the odds on the side of the runner in terms of being injured by lightening? Yeah, they probably are. But, those are dice I'm not rolling.

I was mulling over the site of the lightening dodger when I came across this quote from the 2006 Rocky Balboa movie:

It doesn't matter how this looks to other people.

If this is something you gotta do, then do it.

Fighters fight.

I like that quote. A lot.

But, in no way do I think it applies to running outside when there's lightening. Maybe that's just me.

I'll see you tomorrow. Because I wasn't struck by lightening today.

Here Kitty Kitty ...

In a last-minute switch-a-roo on pretty much everything I planned on for the morning, I wound up returning to the streets on which I started running in the first place today. It was a nice change of scenery including the fact that I ran it in completely the opposite direction that I used to. It's weird how everything looked entirely different just going a different way!

This run totally flew by which was fine because I had places to be and things to do. It turns out this route is also more flat than the ones I now run, so that helped in the speed-this-up process! It was also nice to feel totally awesome on roads where I used to struggle, but that's another story entirely.

My favorite moment today was when I saw Elly perk up like this ...

"I'm on alert!"

... because she spied this:

"I see you. And, I'm not afraid."

"I could lay you out, and I know it."



You already know I dig kitties; this one was particularly cool because its tail was like a raccoon's only with orange and white stripes. I tried to take a picture of its very awesome tail, but Elly was being too foolish for focus.

A spastic dog does not a tripod make.

"Hey. You and the beast. Bug off."

We didn't linger too long (back on that places-to-be thing), but we were there long enough for Elly's tugging to do this to my finger:

Holding the leash caused the key ring to dig right on in there!

Was that necessary?

"I was willing to endure all kind of pain if
I needed to protecting you from that beast.
Because I am awesome. So, enough about
the finger."

One more mile remained after the kitty encounter, and we cruised right along to its finish! While Elly will be disappointed that the leash will stay on its hook in the morning, I, on the other hand, look forward to the Rest Day! See you then!

Exercising the Mind

Today's raining morning was the perfect setting to craft this Rest Day into exactly what we wanted to do ... play!

We started the day off with a breakfast we've come to crave: Scrambled eggs with chorizo!! I'd never even used chorizo until trying the Shrimp and Chorizo Paella recipe almost a year and a half ago (you know it's a family fave!!), and I never considered finding another use for it until a friend of mine made us breakfast at her house around Christmas. She cooked up a dish comprised of chorizo, cubed potatoes, cheese and eggs. She scrambled it all up, and presto! It was not only a most tasty dish to me, but all four of us devoured it. When that happens, my brain wheels start turning to incorporate it into our world!

Like my friend, I picked up (and will stick to) the soy version of chorizo. Trust me: It's fabulous. I can taste absolutely zero difference, and it's oh-so-very good for you in categories to which I pay most attention:

I'm delicious. For real!

After comparing this to a variety of pork chorizo options of the
same serving size, the soy variety wins in the calorie department
(90 for this soy versus double -- or much more -- for pork
options), in the fat column (4 grams of fat for this soy versus
about 20 grams for the pork), and in the protein department (6
grams in the soy, zero in the pork).

For our dish, we only use the chorizo and eggs. For the four of us, we use 7 egg whites, 1 or 2 whole eggs (2 if the eggs are on the smaller side of large) and four ounces of chorizo. All you have to do:

• heat up the chorizo evaporating the majority of its liquid
• pour your whisked eggs over
• scramble it up
• serve!

You can't make chorizo look pretty amidst the eggs ... but, it's
totally delicious! It's always the first thing gone off of PC#3's
plate, and that is saying something!

That is a protein punch to start your day for sure! And, alongside orange slices and pancake bites ... that's the way to start a weekend morning!! The whole plate is a big whopping of fiber, by the way, so, if you try it, time it well. Just. Sayin'.

While we ate our super-delish breakfast, Elly honored Rest Day:

Okay, then I had to share this with you -- Aaron's Mom got us the best game for Christmas. Have you heard of it?

We can't get enough of playing it! The short of the game is that you have a hand of letter cards, and you need to make a word or words from those letters. You have to have the words plus a discard to go out before everyone else. Points are awarded for letters played, number of words, longest word, etc. Whoever is behind creating this game gets a huge ovation from us -- it's designed perfectly so it's both a challenge but totally reasonable to often have word options, and you're not always stuck having to create the same words hand after hand (or game after game).

Of course, there are those hands you're dealt that totally suck:

PC#3 is totally thrilled with his hand of no vowels. There's
nothing quite like it. (And, yes, we are at McDonald's ... it's
one of our favorite spots to play games -- started that when
the kids were little and easily distracted by home things.
We relocated to McD's, and it totally worked. And, it totally
stuck. No food required. Maybe just a Diet Coke!)

I was way behind when we just played until lady luck showed up. I was dealt a great hand, went out before everyone else and turned the game around:

That's me going out ... going out bonus, most words bonus ...
oh, yes, mama's bringing on the pain! And, don't you like
how one of my words was very Puppy Pacer thematic? I did.

My going from last to first was total payback for PC#2 cleaning our clocks yesterday! So, while the body was chillin', the brain was in overdrive trying to regain some of my pride!

It's been a great Rest Day and is sure to be on through the evening! I love such a Sunday since you're never quite sure what Monday is going to throw your way ... am I right? Whatever comes, though, the day will start off with a run, so I'll see you after! Start your week off with whatever makes you feel strong!

Running Errands

There are some days you wake up and just aren't feeling the run. Then, there are nights before the run when you already aren't feeling the next morning's run. Those times are not good. Even the commitment of an upcoming registered run doesn't always thwart the mental desire to just sleep in the next day ... or, at least to not spend the morning doing something demanding!

When I have such evenings, I spend some time making a very specific plan for the morning's run. I might change the route to see something up close that I usually only drive by. I might incorporate an entirely different street just to mix up the scenery. It also sometimes works to remind myself of how awesome the run feels after it's finished and keep that as my goal.

Or, like today, I plan the miles to accomplish something specific. Today's strategy: Use the miles to get my latest The Good Wife disc in the mail! I finished it last night and most definitely wanted it to get in mail motion today, so instead of driving it to an early-out box last night, I figured I'd run it to the box today instead.

This is where being very used to carrying something to support
having a dog with me while running totally paid off -- carrying
this was simply no big deal. Who knew that kind of training
was so transferable??

My strategy totally worked. This morning, when I was playing the "just 5 more minutes won't hurt" game, I really only focused on how getting out of bed would accomplish getting that disc in the mail. You might say I literally ran an errand! Whee!

Along the way to the mail, I was greeted by my friend Copper Abe:

I do love the bike lanes -- they have a great track record for
the finding-money pursuit!

That was a good little pick-me-up because even though I slept a little later, I wasn't yet quite awake. I also had a good sized hill coming my way right after hitting the first mile, and I won't pretend like I was looking forward to it. However, that hill lead me to the mailbox, and that kept me mentally motivated (must. watch. more. Good. Wife. send. disc. back.).

A little more than half-way through the run, I arrived at my destination!

You were good to me, now I need another.

Of course, once I was there, I had to go back! Funny how that works.

The run back was excellent. For one thing, I finally woke up. For another, I used a little of my time to call my cousin to send the last-minute well wishes and prayers for her son who took his SATs this morning!! (I'd rather run ... just sayin' ...) It's possible I wished him well on his ACTs ... whoops. It's also possible I wasn't even clearly understood because I picked a very strategically wrong time to call as I was about to ascend a hill. Nice timing. I'm pretty certain the end of that message could only be defined as an obscene phone call especially when I wrapped it up with an out-of-breath, "I love you."

No, really, it's just meeeeee.

Once up that last hill, it was smooth sailing. It was so smooth that I was rewarded:

The great thing about finding this quarter
(besides it being a quarter) is that just 10
minutes prior, I was right over there
running on the other side of the street!

Right before finding that quarter, I found a very shiny penny. And, then there was another right before I wrapped things up! That's 28 Food Bank cents if you're counting! Wahoo!! Man, getting out of bed really did pay off! It ended up being a fabulous run.

Also fabulous was downing this when I got home:

Don't worry, Diet Coke, I still love you. There's room in my
heart for you both.

It's on with the day and looking forward to Rest Day tomorrow!! A week of Half Marathon training is in the books, and it only gets more fun from here! Stay tuned, and I'll see you tomorrow!

New Read

I stole some pockets of time throughout today to browse a new read I just picked up yesterday while standing in line at Kohl's waiting to pay:

It was an impulse buy at the register.
For real.

You might recall my noting how my eyes are always peeled for kitchen swaps but that I don't pour a lot of time and energy into actually seeking them. Stumbling upon them makes me happy, though, so you know I was stoked to see swaps right there at the bottom of the cover ... not just words, but pictures !! Hey, I'm a visual gal.

For only $5, (yes ... FIVE!), this book is chock full of goodness from grocery store swaps, restaurant swaps, recipes, realistic workout routines, calorie burn charts ... all sorts of good tid bits!! Reading through it was like having a slice of real life in my hand ... nothing hurried, nothing extreme. It's just a book of tips, hints and common sense. With pictures!

This book is a great compliment to making sound choices for good fuel to keep me keepin' on!! The strength training exercises in it were also appealing, so I'll try them very soon and report. I'm all about being strong, but I'm not about being extreme about it (Jane Fonda, anyone?!). These looked right up my ally!!

I'll share some goodness as I come across it here and there! Meanwhile, while I was reading, Lizzy kept herself busy:

See that dark spot behind her head on the
couch? That's no shadow ... that's wet
from her incessant licking of that spot.
True story. Oh, and she's gross.

I hope it was a fantastic Friday for you!! I'll be checking in tomorrow after the morning run!

Good Thing This One Was Short

I came back from running all kinds of annoyed. My day was longer and more physically demanding than I usually have the day before any kind of run (good thing this one was short!), and the dog ended up annoying me more than usual.

The funny thing is that along the way, Elly kept stopping to sniff or mark, and I was actually quite fine with it because I welcomed the mini breaks. (If I stretched out better, this would not be an issue. But, I digress.) But, just when I thought to myself, "This girl really knows just what I'm needing today ..."

"You bet I know what you're needing, mommy. I've always
known. It all started with the day I gave you my best I-love-you
eyes at the pound, and it went from there."

... she shifted her mode from a leisurely jog to a full-on sprint to the finish! I never like when she takes off because she's all crazed about it, and my arm gets yanked around. Never cool.

She was such a moron about it today that we had some time-out time in the driveway:

"I knew you were thinking I was a moron,
mommy. That's why I wrapped up my
time-out with a resounding fart."
Oh, yes. she. did.

*sigh*

Oh, and then I came home and had the following exchange with Aaron:

Me: "While I'm certain it needs to be colder to get frostbite on your tongue, I did make a concerted effort to keep mine more in my mouth to keep it warm."

Aaron, with that I'm-trying-not-to-laugh-right-at-you look: "You run with your tongue hanging out ?"

Me (a bit perplexed since he's seen me run many times, not once with my tongue way out of my mouth): "Um, my mouth is open ... and, cold air  gets in there ... on my tongue ..."

Aaron said nothing. He just looked at me. I suppose that's all that topic deserved.

So, that run is in the books -- annoying or not!

Would you like to know what's not annoying? First, it's not annoying to "do our Jane Fonda" with Aaron. Not only is it always more fun with a friend, but he's rather witty in his make-fun-of-what-we're-doing-but-still-do-it ways -- which is totally different from making fun of my earlier topic of conversation. Chatting through a workout video totally works. We did the lower body routine today, and that took the edge off of the end of my run. (Well, knowing tomorrow's a Rest Day helped, too!)

Also not annoying? Finding the perfect present for a friend. You might remember my friend Woody from runs past:

There we are all awesome having finished a St. Pat's 5K!

It's very appropriate I found a St. Pat's run pic of us because look at the present we just gave him:

Sometimes, when you find the perfect present, you also have
to get one for yourself. It just proves how awesome you think
it is!

I told Woody that if we decide to do the St. Pat's run this year, he has  to wear that hat. It's like a rule now. St. Pat's run = Awesome beer mug hat.

Festive-wear decision made.

With that, it's time to not think about running for a number of hours!! Sometimes, you just get a little whipped. Today, I'm whipped! Here's to hoping I don't feel like this tomorrow:

Enjoy whatever leads you into your Friday! I'll be checking in on Rest Day!

All About Business

I have to say that even though many of the routes I use are the same, when the miles count toward training runs, they feel just a little different from when I'm out there "just running." I like having that goal to work toward. I also like when the goal is reached and I can bag the structure. Either way, I win!

Today's run was very focused because I had a day full of things to do immediately following. I wasn't even terribly bummed for my go-to drive-thru to lack change ... partly because I'd already found a penny earlier in the run but mostly because I really needed to keep on keepin' on. The short of today's story is that Elly and I went out, we came back, and we wrapped it up without much in terms of frills.

Oh, but I did find this at the end:

It's always fun to find a shiny treasure. This one is magnetic,
by the way. I have no idea why.

And, I noticed Elly had sweat on her head just like when I get it on my ear warmer!

... And, then I remembered dog's don't sweat. Apparently, that
was from my end-of-the-run hug. Also apparently, I'm that
disgusting that my face is all wet in 14-degree/5 wind chill
weather.

In case you haven't noticed, I seriously love this dog:

"You bet you love me, mommy. I'm the
best! I appreciate the glorious lighting on
me today, too. Totally makes up for all of
those times today you wouldn't let me
sniff at my leisure."

The final noteworthy of the day (because going out and getting it done no matter how it gets done is noteworthy every time!), I recently read in my Self magazine* the idea of putting pomegranate in oatmeal! This I had to try:

Holy Yum, that was delicious!! I look very forward to my
morning oatmeal conconctions, so I love this new addition!

*Having recently read this does not necessarily mean it was the most recent issue. I'm a mess like that.

So, today was pretty much all about business, but that works just as much as the messing around runs! Tomorrow's a quick one! We'll see you after!

Hey, Number 5: Here I Come

197.1 miles to go 'til crossing the GO! St. Louis Half Marathon finish line.

 

Bring. It. On.

Scratching the Itch

Let me start by saying that the weather forecast for this morning was delivered by someone whose pants must be on fire. There simply wasn't enough wind outside to make it feel like the promised -2. I realize it's weird that I sound like I'm complaining. But, given the number of days I've trudged through over-the-top heat and humidity only to wrap up such runs feeling completely depleted and questioning why I'm such a wuss (which does nothing for the ol' ego), I'd like to take on the very weather that leaves me feeling invigorated. Just. Sayin'.

I did discover potentially my biggest problem with running in the cold, though:

Reaching that itch on my back wasn't the
issue ... getting to it through four layers
was today's new, unforeseen problem!

While I was all set to stay warm and safe in the cold, I was still presented with a problem to address. You see, there are many things with which I've concerned myself these past years with regard to running: hydration; right vs. upset-the-system pre-run foods; what if I have to go to the bathroom; obsessing about buying new shoes, etc. But, not even once have I ever considered alleviating an itch.

The itch was in the middle of my back which is not an issue in and of itself because I can reach every part of my back ... never mind the fact that it was one of those that hits hard and drives you crazy until it's gone. The problem was figuring out how to get to it through the layers. (Kind of like when you have an itch on your foot, but your shoe is on ... made worse when you're driving.) There was reaching and pinching and, the end-game, finally satisfying the itch factor without missing a step or tripping over anything including the dog. It took two attempts, but, yet again, perseverance paid off. I even managed to do so without dropping Elly's bread bags which is actually rather noteworthy given I dropped a bag on two separate runs this past week without realizing it when all I was doing was running ... No itching, no messing around, no taking pictures. Nothing. And, gone. Whoopsie.

Who knew today's victory would not be about completing the run in the frigid temps or even about officially starting Half Marathon training back up but, instead, be an ode to scratching an itch? Sometimes, the world makes no sense.

This duo makes all kinds of sense, though:

Elly is reflecting on her running
greatness. She's so proud.

With the sweat and frost behind us, it's off to enjoy the rest of the day and look forward to tomorrow's day to chill!! We'll see you on Rest Day!

A Pampered Pooch Is a Happy Running Partner

The forecast tomorrow calls for the temperature being 10 degrees feeling like -2 with the wind chill. I'm totally looking forward to it!!!

In the meantime, what better project was there to do in honor of Rest Day than to further pamper the pooch for her high need to rest?!

"I'd look at you, mommy, but Lizzy's right
there. She's riiiiiiiight theeeeerrrrre ...
bugging me ..."

"Okay. She's gone! Cheese !! Waggy tail!!"

I've been eyeballing that fleece for a long time just waiting for the right excuse to get it! I found just the right reason when I put an uncovered pillow down for her next to her fleece floor blanket, and she loved it. (I knew she would; she's a pampered pooch after all.) But, I couldn't let her settle for a naked pillow, right ?!

"Thank you for taking care of my needs,
mommy. I'll be napping in just a sec after
I do a wee bit of grooming."

"There. All clean. Nighty night."

She wasted no time hunkering down on her new plush! I'm glad she's getting in her double-digit hours of rest today so she can join me in the morning ... no one else is going to!! We'll see you after the popsicle run!

Girls' Morning Out

This morning's Family Run turned into a Girls' Morning Out, and that was excellent!

We three girls are ready to hit it!

Besides it being warmer than I really expected (therefore, my long sleeves were not welcome by the third mile) and it being windier than either of us would have liked, the run in and of itself was pretty uneventful.

But, there was a huge bonus to it ... me, my girl and the open road was a great combination to just have good talk time. We talked about things that matter a great deal and things that don't matter at all, and I would take that any day over an eventful run (especially when most eventful runs for me involve something like falling down).

"And, while they talked, I was un-be-liev-ably annoying. It was
fabulous. I think I'm perfecting it. Like an art form."

With that, the last non-training run is in the books! We'll see you from Rest Day tomorrow!