Yes, Please

Side note before I even begin (does that mean it's actually a side note then?): There I was last night, continuing to read the Mile Markers I mentioned a few days ago. I was reading along when the author, Kristin Armstrong, mentioned her ex-husband (to whom she refers as her wasband ... ha!). Later, she mentioned him again but by name: Lance. She's mentioned her ex, and she's mentioned Lance a few times. But, for whatever reason in that moment, I finally put it together -- her wasband is Lance Armstrong! That actually means absolutely nothing other than I really enjoy those moments where your brain makes such a connection, and then you feel super clever. I'm still loving the book, by the way. Just sayin'.

In the meantime, on this Rest Day, I have two things to share. First, in my morning Facebook prowl, I read an entry on the Running While Mommy page mentioning how her 12-miler today was terrible. Cutting to the chase -- her entry, my blog yesterday, same basic story. The weather seemed to get her, and she reports having fallen apart. (I don't necessarily know how she defines falling apart, but that's not for me to evaluate anyway.) I've previously mentioned that I am no fan of the "misery loves company" saying, but I am a huge fan of being real. That's the kind of company I like to keep, the kind where I can excel or fall flat on my face, and I still have people around me loving me through exactly where I'm at. That's how I want to know people, too. The highs, the lows, the shiny moments and the battle wounds. We weren't designed to go through this world by ourselves, so Bring It. Bring it all. That's how we best root each other on.

Speaking of my, ahem, run yesterday, I spent no time licking my wounds because we had fabulous evening plans that I was very much looking forward to! At the event, there was a shaved ice truck (greatly  anticipated by the young Crewers!). This penny-picker-upper has a very difficult time splurging on such novelties, so those moments are saved making them kind of special!

Last night was the night for not just  shaved ice, but the  shaved ice company we saw at GO! St. Louis this year! The kids were stoked!!

They were so excited to see the Kona Ice
truck at the food truck stretch at GO! ...
cheapy mom said "no." Don't feel too
bad for them when you spy with your
little eye the smoothies in hand! Ha!

I put this one in here for good measure; a girl and her cupcake
love is a worth peeking!

Why the mention today? It's not just because my Crewers are fabulous and I love sharing how happy and cute they are. It's because I got two unexpected surprises from our visit to the truck last night. First, the prices were totally reasonable (totally stunned; I simply didn't expect it!) But, the real reason for the mention here is they have sugar-free options!!! Sugar. Free. Options. !! WAHOO!! It was a humid evening following a hot day, and I was excited to find out I could not just partake, but I could also do so without completely undoing the morning run. That calls for another WAHOO!!

Blue rasberry and cherry, both sugar free.
Both yummmmmmm.

The sugar-free option was not advertised. We found out about it only because I was pretty tediously investigating the flavor choices and asking multiple questions about sizes and costs. And, there was no line at the time of my line of questioning, so the person selling took advantage of giving me the entire pitch which included the off-handed sugar-free option.

And, it was delicious. The next time the truck is around, it'll be another round of 'em. Four, please!

I love unexpected, happy surprises of any kind, and this one counts big following a morning that was totally and bummerville predictable! I hope a happy surprise comes your way today, and I'll check in after the morning run!

It's Not Me; It's You

This morning's run was brutal. It was quite possibly the worst I've felt since starting to run in the first place. Fortunately, I could get through these 10 miles in the heat in a predictable amount of time ... not because the time was important. In fact, it was only important so Aaron had an idea of when I would be finished so he'd know if I was still running or if enough time had passed indicating I'd melted right into the pavement. The predictable amount of time was good for me just to know that I am fine ... the weather is not. It's not me, weather; it's you.

The I Love To Run Facebook page has been holding an ecard caption contest, and their winner was posted today. It was perfect for how I felt when I finished!! The image was ungrabbable (but, you can see it here!), but it said: "Effort level for this morning's run: somewhere between OMG and WTF?" THAT was outstanding!! No wonder the person won!!

By the way, before I took off, Aaron told me to be safe, and Pit Crew #3 chimed in with, "Don't fall down!" Aaron's idea of safety and PC#'3 weren't quite aligned, but both with merit!

Today's nasty-hot run was not without its own merits. I found these in my go-to drive-thru ...

It desperately wants me to not question its faithfulness as my
go-to, so, today, it spit out the good stuff.

... and, I saw these which I've never before seen that I know of (only to see them everywhere since this morning, but whatever) ...

These were at least 10-feet tall!! I even had a chat with their
proud owners of these who was out watering. I almost asked
him to spray me with his hose then thought better of it. It
seemed like a weird line to cross.

... and, apparently, I got up close and personal with my water bottle:

If I'm going to have a $20 water bottle,
it's good to know it's this fabulous! This
was at refill number 2 of 3 ... did I
mention it was hot?!?!

The best I can say for today is: I made it. I was fine, it wasn't that fun, but I finished. I'm very pleased about that!

The heat is supposed to break this weekend which would be very, very welcomed! Tomorrow, we rest no matter the weather!! We also hit the pool ... it's about to close for the season!! BOO!! Anyway, I'll check in tomorrow -- hang tough out there, but be safe!!

Wrong Decision Made Right

Here's the deal. For the past few weeks, I've been wildly under-enthused about running the Roots and Blues Half Marathon. I've been trying to figure out why while, at the same time, trying to push the thought away because I didn't want to talk myself out of something when, frankly, I didn't know what I was talking about at all. Something about it just felt bleh. Call it bad vibes from my past participation when there were only 2 water stops on a 13.1 mile route in September humidity and the course was poorly marked and they ran out of medals. Add to that some lackluster feedback I've received about last year's event (in which I did not participate) plus the knowledge that it's the same group handling it, and I've not been excited to hop on the site to register. Seeing as two years ago I proclaimed I would not put my money toward that event again, and I keep questioning why I've gone back on that.

Yesterday, I finally remembered that I truly never did intend to run that race again. I was admittedly pretty peeved about the whole experience once it was well past me. But, it was the sloppy-seconds choice I made when I realized we had a family schedule conflict knocking out the possibility of running Rock'n'Roll St. Louis. I was so stoked to do that one again that, once it was out of contention, I really really really wanted an official run in its place. I'd logically and emotionally latched on to that goal, but I've not yet embraced my way of achieving it.

Enter: Pink Awareness Cupcake Virtual run!!

I know I mentioned this a couple of days ago, but now I've officially registered both myself and Pit Crew #2!! (You can, too! Check it out: http://runfindyourhappypace.com/2013/08/19/pink-awareness-cupcake-virtual-5k-10k-half-marathon/) As soon as I registered, I knew I needed to decide on a distance, and every fiber of my body screamed that I wanted to make it a Half. How I was going to pull that off even close to October after suffering through Roots and Blues (See? Bad attitude!) was beyond me.

And, then! I started comparing the pros and cons list I had for both options not the least of which being able to again route the virtual path to end at the local cupcake shop (score!) with a guarantee that my medal will be waiting for me at the end, and it was a no brainer.

My run date is Saturday, November 2: Who's with me?!

Remember: With the virtual run, you pick your distance and your route and if you will walk, run or move in combination! It's awesome!!

Yes, indeedy ... and, you really get this in
a virtual run!! (Running In the Rain
Facebook page)

I wasn't sure last week, but I've confirmed the money for this run is definitely goes to the Komen fund. I'm happy for that, too, as the family calendar-o-conflicts also bumped that local run off of my list of possibilities! So, I'll get to contribute this way, and I'm totally jazzed about it! Everyone wins!!

I feel soooooo much better having made this decision!! Reconsidering Roots and Blues was a good idea in that it kept me challenged and motivated. I just wasn't motivated to run that race! Would that race have been the disaster I'm portraying? Probably not. But, why go into something like that, paying to participate, with so many questions of there being an awesome outcome? That doesn't even make good economic sense much less common sense.

It feels awesome to have made a wrong decision right! Also awesome that this change of plans motivated me to plot out my anticipated running for the remainder of the calendar year which will, by design, land me on running 900 miles in 2013. Booyah!!  Last year, my intended goal was 800 miles, and I ended up with 750. Knowing 900 is more than in reach feels fantastic!

My high-tech ways and I were busy earlier today figuring out
that path to 900!

Those 900 miles take into account a 10-miler tomorrow. Given the weather, I'm not wild about that, but I'm so much more motivated to take it on for my new reasons rather than doing it to train for a race I really didn't want to run in the first place. So, at least my brain is pretty stoked to get out there in the morning. My body might have something to say about it by the time I'm through, but I can deal with that! I'll check in after! See you then!

A Casual Groove

You have to wonder what kind of run it's going to be when you're about to start, you look down, and you see big ol' hole in one of the poo bags you brought along for your pooch!

Unseen, that could be a really big problem.

I made a mental note to use that one first while it was more fresh on my brain, and we took off!

There was just enough of a morning drop in humidity this morning to allow for taking Elly! It was also the week's short run, so I knew she would be just fine. And, in her oh-so-cooperative-predictable fashion, she required utilization of said poo bag within a half mile, and I hadn't yet spaced the issue surrounding it, so it was used and all was well. That, my friends, is a mark of a good run!

Also good this morning was the sky ... doesn't it look like that blue-and-white sand thingy every teacher and office desk seemed to have in the late 70s?

My favorite part of the run and greatest thing to see, though, was this ...

You can see three of the five birds here ...

... and, they're playing in the sprinkler!!

Coming upon that was awesome! I couldn't get my camera ready fast enough to catch the full frolic, but it was soooo very cute! Even a guy all dressed in business duds saw Elly and I standing back and watching, so, he, too, took a moment to enjoy! That's a great way to start a day!

I really can't complain at all about this morning's run. The temperature stayed teetering without toppling on to gross, and those miles ticked away quite quickly. Well, except for when this kind of thing happened:

Do you know what she's doing? She's
just standing there. For real. I guess she
felt she had nothing better to do.

Just before we finished, we came upon a stretch of unavoidable sprinklers, and they got us good! It was a nice relief even for the diva pooch who doesn't care to get wet.

By the way, anyone care to tell me how her running eye boogers got on top of her head?

With that, we were finished! In celebration of wrapping up the week's training runs and in recognition of knowing I was about to embark of quite the gardening clean up/work over, I stopped to get a refreshing treat ...

Oh, Diet Coke, how I love you ...

No matter the temperature, no matter how you're feeling, no matter how many reasons you can come up with to not go outside/to the gym/downstairs to get your groove on ... just do it! It always ends up feeling so much better than it seems it's going to! Tomorrow will be used to rest up for Friday's long run! Here's to a rest! I'll see you then!

The Power Of Suggestion

I was just on mapmyrun.com to create a new route for tomorrow when I clicked on something and found myself on a map of Paris. Evidently, tomorrow's run is going to be suhhhh-weeeeeet ! Have I mentioned running is quite the adventure?! I just didn't know it was international for me ...

Back to today, though ... Today, even though the temp looked good enough to take the dog, I learned from the other, humid-gross morning, and I left her behind. It turned out to be a very wise move as I hadn't even hit my first mile when I felt the sweat running on my elbows. Sweat dripping on your elbows is a really intriguing feeling, by the way. I mean, when do we ever really think about our elbows? "While running" is not the typical answer to that question.

So, I was running along feeling just fine and reveling in the fact that I was so super-smart to leave Elly behind when my mind wandered to something I just read on one of the running Facebook pages I've liked where the owner posted that she'd just fallen over a jut in the sidewalk and wondered if she was the only tool to trip over such a thing. You already know I've biffed it a few times, so I could totally relate to her post.

I was thinking about this post and realized, "Huh. That hasn't happened to me in quite some time."

Until another mile later when it did.

From my knee to the scrapes down
my leg ...

... and, even my elbow got in on the action!

Aw, man!!! I don't even know what happened. I just suddenly felt my footing was wrong (wayyy wrong), and while I tried my best to recover and not fall in front of the very long line of cars waiting at the 4-way stop (of course), I finally just went down. Luckily, I got myself into the grass. Unluckily, we've not seen rain in about 100 years, so the ground was nice and hard. Hence, the cuts (and the blood that was basically gone by the time I took the pics). I went flat on my back by the end of the drama, and I wanted to stay there for a minute -- because it felt relaxing, not because I was that hurt -- but, I didn't want to cause alarm by anyone who witnessed the fall by my not getting up. I'd rather they laugh than worry!

The worst part? It was when I got up that I realized I had my camera but forgot to put the memory card back in. Seriously?! *sigh* So, the battle wound pics waited 'til I got home. And, yes, I was so sweaty that that piece of grass on my arm stayed there for the remaining 2 1/2 miles of running and drive home. Gross.

I came home to a great care taker, though:

"I'm not even upset you didn't take me, mommy. I can tell by
your funk it was quite a wild ride today! slurrrp! "

Oh, by the way, did you know when you have abrasions on your body, and you sweat into them, they sting? Just sayin'.

Well, that was five miles of pure adventure, don't you think? *sigh* They were good miles, though. They were stronger than I anticipated for a humid day, and that's always good. Tomorrow's the shortest run of the week -- let's see if I can keep my feet in line and on the ground! I'll check in after; see you then!

Very Fashion Forward

As it is a Rest Day, I didn't run. But, a friend of mine did, and her report was, "That sucked!" She's not even one to use the work "suck" on a regular basis. That's how bad the heat + humidity was, and she runs at least an hour before I ever consider it.

Tomorrow's run is likely going to blow ...

This is what it's like out right now:

No, that string isn't choking me -- the
humidity is!

Wicking running clothes: They're not just for running. Wicking running clothes: Awesome for mowing the lawn.

I feel the need to add that I'm a slow sell on things that are new unless I've actively been in the market just wishing someone would invent it, whatever it may be. So, when I learned about wicking material, I didn't believe it would actually keep me cooler and/or more comfortable than the usual sweat-soaked cotton t-shirt I wore for everything (except when I played soccer, and our long-sleeved jerseys were the always comfortable polyester ...). I'd grinned and beared many-a sweat-soaked shirt, so why spend the money on the wicking stuff?

Wicking stuff rocks. Not one drop of sweat hit my eyes when running yesterday or when mowing today. Need it? Buy it.

I realize wicking material for runners and other forms of exercise is totally old news. But, it leads right in to showing off the hat we bought for my sunburn-prone hubby and that I used to mow:

It goes down over the neck, has a super-wide brim and is made of SPF something-or-other material. VERY comfy. Very worth the cash! Just had to share because any tip to get through these dog days on any level is good!

Okay ... tomorrow, we run. Actually, I run. I'm not taking Elly. I have 5 to go, the girl barely likes 3 right now, and even I can do that kind of math! So, I'll be checking in after I'm finished! Stay safe out there! See you tomorrow.

Racing the Humidity

We just barely beat the heat to run this morning. In fact, Elly would beg to differ with my assessment, but I wouldn't expect anything less. Poor girl. It has to be awful lugging around a fur coat in the summer!

It really was fine for both of us when we began, though, so off we went! It was a strange feeling to get up on a weekend and have a much shorter run than usual. It was nice, though, for two reasons. First, I got to sleep longer. Hooray for sleeping longer!  And, second, it gave last night's artichoke consumption time to get on through the system. Hooray for a healthy operating digestive system! That's for real, too, I'm not being sarcastic in my cheers for either of those topics!!

With all systems up and running or cleared out ewww  or just raring to go, we headed out! Elly set the tone early on with her potty prowess (yeah ... one of those  runs ...). At her first one, she didn't notice she had an audience:

Don't you know this kitty believes s/he is totally hiding behind
those seven blades of grass?

Our first mile is a flat one (yay!) but it also has absolutely zero in terms of shade or other break from the sun (boo!). Elly not only did not appreciate the onset of heat, but she was also concerned about our route as this first mile leads right into that stretch that always scares her (because the sidewalk gets so close to the street and big trucks are scary). Of course, as there's no reasoning with the girl to let her know we weren't going to the very scary place, she did her best to completely annoy me passively resist our direction. She seemed a bit relieved at a nearby stop light especially when we changed direction:

"If I keep looking this way, maybe we won't go that way. I'll
even get my tongue in on it and have it indicate the direction
I desire. It's just got to work!"

It was in the second mile where I, too, was over the sun. It was beating in our faces, and that's never good. (I was smart enough to utilize one of my handy-dandy wicking headbands today, though, unlike Friday's eyeball disaster. By the way, it's AMAZING how well those headbands work!! Not one drop of sweat in my eyes the entire time!) Just before having about all of the sun scorch I cared to endure, we got to our turnaround point. It's crazy how much of a difference it makes to have the sun blaze into the back of your head ... it's just not as tough to take! Even Elly found a better groove at this point. All was going to be well on this increasingly hot run!

And, can I even complain about a run that features this?!

These are home owners after my own gardening heart!

I saw other cool things, too. Like this:

And, this:

Oh, and do you remember this from a few weeks ago?

Check out what it looks like now:

Okay, soon after the flowers-have-died bush, there was only a mile to go. Within that mile, I came upon this:

Intriguing human behavior story about that picture. It's like this ... Elly and I were on the sidewalk when I spied this poor creature in the bike lane. Because that's where I'm always looking. For money. Anyway, it being totally in tact, I stepped over to look at it and, of course, take this pic. When I backed myself back to the sidewalk, between myself and Elly and her leash, we pretty well hogged the width of the walk. I did not immediately see the dude on his bicycle coming toward us, but I did catch him in plenty of time to pull Elly out of the way, without incident and in enough time to say to the biker (who was looking at me like I totally sucked), "Oh! I'm so sorry!" But, then, it hit me. I looked to my right -- you know, where the dragonfly was -- then back to the sidewalk and put two and two together. "Um, hey ... bicycler ... I see the bike lane right there ... any chance you  do? Just wondering."

We were wonderfully close to home at this point. The humidity was kicking up, and we were ready for some water and to be finished!

We did it! I love my girl!!

This week has a really crappy forecast in terms of running weather, so I am more likely to run solo more often than with Elly! That sweet girl gives it everything she has (whether that's effort or attitude, just sayin'), and I need to be particularly watchful of her in the heat onset! I, on the other hand, will keep on keepin' on! Do what you need to stay safe and motivated, and I'll check in from tomorrow's Rest Day!!

Totally Get It

Ahhh ... Rest Day ...

So, I started reading the book Mile Markers (Kristin Armstrong: 2011), and, right up front, something struck a chord with me. It was the following:


That's me on the right. Just kidding.

"... running is, by nature, fast. Sometimes, as in a race, it's nice when teh mile markers tick by quickly, when we are on pace and pushing toward a goal. In life, however, I believe it's best to slow down and acknowledge the mile markers as they come. We are often in such a rush that we blow past them, barely noting them in our hurry to get to 'next.' "

It's like she's in my head. Only, all of that was applicable to how I generally feel about my running, too. And, that shouldn't be a surprise ...

First of all, I'm not fast. I'm not slow, but I'm not fast and certainly not by "runner" standards if you will. I never have been. Ever. So, when I took up running at age 39, it didn't take too long for me to just embrace this simple fact and focus on something I could control ... like how to make it fun for me. I know plenty of people who get their fun from running from their speed. Had that been my motive, there's no way I would have continued. I would, however, have been quickly and completely deflated by my inability to live up to some random standard that I never should have applied to myself in the first place. In summary: Time can suck it with regard to my running prowess.

I've never cared much about my running time. I've never put a big value on it. I've put a lot of stock in how I feel, but not about how long that takes. And, in thinking about my life as a whole, this all suddenly makes perfect sense to me ...

Aside from my natural, God-given physical abilities that keep me going but withhold me from seeing the front of the pack, the winners' podium or a race prize, the sentiment to "slow down and acknowledge the mile markers as they come" is precisely how I decided to live my life especially once I had kids. Once our babies were born, it was never more apparent to me that time was going to pass no matter what I did with it. And, I was determined to not miss a thing. I made a very active decision to never find myself saying, "They're growing up too fast," or feel like I blinked, and they were all grown up. I wanted every birthday to feel very matter-of-fact with, "Yeah, that's how old s/he should be," or "Yup, this age feels just right," and not, "How'd that happen?!" And, so far, that's exactly how I feel because I decide every, single day to make sure I'm soaking up the day for what it has to offer. No one's going to make sure I don't miss something, so I'd better be in there seeing and experiencing it for myself.

Race winners can earn money, or, they
might even earn a pie. Here's Aaron
knowing we won't be bringing one
home ... no winner's pie for us!

With that kind of life philosophy, it's no wonder the above passage resonated with me. I've often joked about how I get more of my money's worth out of a race than the fast people (except, perhaps, for those who actually win a cash reward for being so darned fast ...). The thing is, when I started running, I very quickly found what would make it fun for me along the way. What would motivate me. What would inspire me. (You'd think it would be the health benefits, improved fitness level, blah blah blah. Perhaps by my use of 'blah blah blah' you see how far all of that got me on the motivation front.)


And, while I was passing
over money, Pit Crew #2
was totally scoring!

While I was super-stoked about my performance during April's Half Marathon, where I totally PR'ed my Half Time in a pretty big way, I reflected and acknowledged to myself what I traded to do so: I picked up none of the money I saw (even thought I mental-tallied and put it in the Snoopy Food Bank bank later); I took far fewer pictures along the route, and, of those I took, more were blurry than usual; I barely waved hello to my Pit Crew cheering for me at the 6th mile in part because I barely saw them ... Yes, there is a trade to speeding things up.

I've never really determined the trades I made in April to be good nor bad. They just existed. I am proud of that run, but I'm not going to berate myself if I never repeat it. I just want to go and experience whatever comes that day. That's more than good enough for running.

It's not good enough for life, though. That's where I keep things as chill as possible. I don't just want to acknowledge the mile markers. These are the ones I want to embrace and squeeze until all of the stuffings almost come out.

I can't not smile at this pic ... as it should be ...!

Yes, I've come to love running. Even on the days when it totally sucks, I love it. It doesn't take much to understand me or my life. Just watch me run. That will speak volumes.

Speaking of, tomorrow, we're back at it! With any luck, the pooch will join me. It's been a while since I've had her with me on a weekend. That would be a treat for us both. Even if she's annoying. I'll see you after!

That Was Something!

Well, that was ... something! Yes, I'm speaking to my run this morning. It's not even that easy to recall because, as I sit, I am sore sore sore, and I am very fixated on that right now!

Basically, everything about this morning's run was not normal. Shifting my schedule ensured there would be a long run that came faster than planned, and this is the one I picked. That was on top of a very topsy-turvy week where nothing was routine ... so, why not pick the week most chaotic to shake things up? *sigh* But, I went with the, "Why? Why not!" theory and went for it.

It wasn't pretty by the end! But, I lived to tell about it!

The temp wasn't too bad, but I paid no attention to the man behind the curtain on tv telling me it was also humid. I rationalized in my head that the humid was coming later, and that I was heading out early enough to not be affected right now. (How long have I lived here?) So, I had some issues before I even hit the second mile:

No sympathy deserved, though ... not only did I manage to redefine the morning forecast, but I also left behind two perfectly fabulous headbands that would have kept all of the sweat out of my eyeballs for the duration of the run. So, no sympathy. But, name calling seems appropriate: Tool!

Just after wiping my eyeballs almost out of their sockets, I spied with my freshly wiped eye ...

Right there in the middle, baby! That was added to the dime
and other pennies I'd already found ... booyah !! Two miles in
with burning eyeballs yet can still spy money. Just sayin'.

By the way, the dime came from my go-to drive-thru ... the very one from last weekend where I was ready to remove its very prestigious designation. It must have caught wind and got scared.

Anyway, back in the real world, another mile and a half up the road, though, I got played by the streets:

It's tarred into that spot. That's just mean.

If I continue to use this route, I'm going to start looking for a sharp stick. That oughta do it.

Not quite half way through my route, I was going along just fine. There was a stretch coming up that I thought was going to be an annoying, uphill challenge, but it not only turned out to be not as difficult as I anticipated, but it also had fun things to look at. When I wasn't wiping my eyes and watching for traffic. See?

So pretty! LOVE seeing blue!

Can't you just imagine what fun takes place in all of those
hidey-holes?!

Then, right before I hit my fifth mile, I felt it. The wrath of humidity stuck its straw in my shoulder and sucked everything out of me (dramatic? It's just how I picture it happening. Like a vampire.). Very suddenly, I felt just wrung out. At least I knew it was the humidity, so I spent no time wondering what was wrong with me.

I spent quite a bit of the next mile and a half (a) slowing down, and (b) drinking my water that I was smart enough to bring. If I'm going to be prepared, water bottle trumps wicking headband every time! I also pit stopped to refill:

Don't you love gas stations that have, what we affectionately
call, bunny-poop ice?!?! I DO!

Just after this moment, I dropped the top of my bottle. You know, the part I actually put my mouth on. Ewww. What's worse than dropping your water bottle top on a gas station floor? Oooo ... dropping it on the gas station bathroom floor would have been more gross. There. I win. Of course, I washed off the top without dropping it again before going on my way ...

Three more miles to go. And, I was hot. And, tired. Just kinda bleh. But, the only way to wrap it up was to keep on going! I did choose to walk up a stretch while enjoying my still cold, bunny-poop-iced water. That was just the break I needed to finish!

17 cents in total ... yeah !!! That made the
pain worth it, right?!? (right!)

The minute I stopped, I knew I was going to be hurting. It was just that humid. And, I was just that tired from the week. And, all of that is okay. Some are good, some are not. This was somewhere in between. But, days like this make me love this even more:

Yes, yes I do. I'm pleased to report that for as tired as I was, I knew I could go another three if need be (not that that ever needs to happen, but, you understand). Today was about wanting to be finished. And, wanting a shower. And a nap. And, today, I got it all.

And, tomorrow ... ahhhh. Rest. I'll check in then when I should feel all back to normal!

Plan Now, Do Later. No Further Thinking Required.

So, this is at least sort of what Rest Day is supposed to be all about, right?

'Tis an excellent sentiment!

Unfortunately, the real world doesn't really allow for much rest, so we'll see just how bountiful those 10 miles tomorrow turn out! Oh, yes ... a changed schedule officially put the long runs on Fridays, and tomorrow is when that starts!!

The idea of mapping that route is enough to make me want to weep at the moment ... but, I'm not running it right now, so I need not emote. Just sayin'. (That's the thing that often gets us, isn't it? Giving in to that feeling you have right now about something you're actually going to do later ...?! Plan now, do later, don't think about it when the time comes. At least that's what works pretty consistently for me!)

So, to round out my very busy day, I am off to map out where my feet will take me tomorrow! In the meantime, enjoy a very small nugget from my garden (mighty thematic given the Surfing Rainbows picture, don't you think?). Every time I see portulaca, I think it's unfortunate that it's somehow-somewhat related to weeds because that gives something quite beautiful a very bad rap.

I don't care who says what; I find you breathtaking!

See you tomorrow after the long run!

Ohh, Elly ...!

As promised, we were back at it today! Elly really did want to go with me. But, I'm not really sure she wanted to run. Umpteen potty stops and walk breaks in the first mile? Yeah, this girl can grab a clue.

Wait, you might not believe me? Check it out ... here she is checking out the pretty flowers ...

"Look, mommy! So pretty! And, you like
flowers! Let's check 'em out for a spell!
Perhaps you'd like to have a sit?"

... and, here she is pulling over for yet another walk break.

It's so blurry because I'm pretty certain I
was in utter disbelief that she was pulling
over to the grass again! At least we were
close to finished here!

A friend recently asked if Elly goes on all of my runs with me up to the 13 miles. I said, "No, she goes up to 5. But, she prefers 3." After her recent runs, I might have to amend that response to, "She loves the idea  of going ..."

Speaking of going-not going, I recently saw this on the I Love To Run Facebook page. It's yet another sentiment to which I really don't relate:


And, then there are those of us who just stand there. Just sayin'.

There was text along with this cartoon -- it was really pretty funny, so I had to share:
"Sharks die when the stop moving. Runners do not. Keep this in mind next time you encounter a don't walk sign at a busy intersection. There's no need to job in place or dance from foot to foot like you have to pee. Just chill. Wait a few moments. Note: If a non-runner waiting with you at the crosswalk is dancing from foot to foot, he or she may indeed have to pee. Give this person wide berth."
-- Mark Remy (The Runner's Rule Book) Runner's World

Apparently, my just-standing-there approach is highly recommended! Or, at least, it's supported! Elly likes just standing there, too. (Could you have guessed?) Standing there at a stop light today meant spying one of my three penny finds today, too, so how cool is that?

Elly's leg reminds me of the Star Wars Ewoks ...

One way or another, we got it done today! And, while Elly's stop-n-go patterns are totally can be annoying, I can't not take her. Why would I want to leave this face behind?!

With the shifted schedule, tomorrow is not a running day! We'll check in anyway; see you then!