Love Is All Around

Yesterday may have started with a jolt after sleeping later than I usually do and getting my run on faster than normal, but the rest of the day was smooth sailing complete with a trip to the park in perfect park weather!! I took advantage of our outing by taking Elly on a lovely walk, and, after overhearing a few statements by another park goer, I knew I had to share our afternoon!

You see, Elly and I were strolling on a path when we came up behind a young (early 20s) couple. It was right then that I overheard the woman talking about much she loves her dog and that she has never, ever seen anyone appreciate their dog as much as she does hers. She was rather adamant about this, too. Seriously, there was a tone. A huff if you will. Then she happened to catch me and Elly out of the corner of her eye, and she was completely silent until we parted ways. I just kept looking at my girl, who was in full-on investigatory mode, and I smiled. Fortunately, there's enough love in the world for any of us who so choose to love and appreciate our dogs!

And, seeing as this blog, and even my running pace, is named for her, well, I thought I'd honor her today by sharing a few glimpses of yesterday's adventures!

"Hey, mommy, does that other loved-and-appreciated dog have
a full wardrobe of bandanas featuring Snoopy plus some others
that accent my pretty fur?"

"And, does that other dog mind its manners
and totally focus on whatever its owner
wants ...

... ooo ... what's over there ...?!"

"Yeah, focus ... I'm a laugh riot. But, what
I lack in focus I make up for in total
cuteness. Right?!"

"AND is that other dog photographed as much as I am?!
Wait ... aren't super models supposed to be paid ...?"

" 'Scuse me ... I need a sniff break."

"I don't know about all of these things, but I do hope that other
dog is loved this much. We canines deserve it!"

Elly will be happy in the morning as I leash her up to go for our run! Focus on what you love today like I did ...

"Mommy, we're totally BFF's. 4-evah !!"

... and I'll check in after the morning run!

Whatever Works

Is it ever amazing that a day chock full of sitting makes your body really tired?! Yesterday was just that as the day's activities involved a lot of sitting and spectating, and it wore me out! Needless to say, I was not eager to get up and at a run. However, I was eager to get up and at my weekend Everything bagel, so I got at the run so as to get at my bagel.

Whatever works, just do it!

Elly was totally ready to join me today, and with the cool morning weather, we were both happy! It was a good thing she was so eager today because, for the first time in a very long time, I made the girl run. Elly caught on to my intentions pretty quick, too, because she gave up the let's-just-sniff-and-stall notion pretty early in the run, and when she did stop, she got right down to business. Good girl.

We didn't have much in the way of scenery today because it was still mighty foggy:

Look how big and brave Elly looks. I'm
not sure why she's channeling that part of
her, but we'll go with big and brave ...

I kind of likc how the fogs adds a little
mystery to the very worn paths ...

That you can still see right in front of you in most fogs still fascinates me. It greatly pleases me, too, because just in the nick of time, I saw this ...

I have to admit my attention to drawn elsewhere (looking for money, duh), but, in my defense, who ever thinks you're really going to find a banana peel on which to slip?! And, how many times do you find yourself thankful that you didn't?! *sigh* Well, this morning was such a morning!

In addition to dodging the banana peel bullet, I was pretty stoked to put some speed behind this run ... and, not just because the bagel was a'waitin' (ha!). It's nice to know that for as much as I ached getting out of bed that I could still pull out some strength and energy pretty soon thereafter. Good to know in case I'm ever awakened by a zombie attack or something; being asleep shouldn't hinder my fight or flight abilities.

I found no money, but, never fear, I did later. In fact, I found it on the way to the bagel eatin' place. We were at an intersection, and I saw a dime in the crosswalk right when the light changed. And, you know  how it hurts when I have to drive away from such a thing. So, when we finished our breakfast, Pit Crew #2 and I walked to the intersection where we found not one, not two but THREE total dimes and  a penny. That turned out way better than my last-minute fear that it was not a dime I had seen but a gum wrapper. Or, bottle cap. Or, bird poo. All of which have faked me out on many-a run.

So, it's not running money, but the Food Bank still gets it. And, let's face it, that "found change" jar on our counter top was inspired by the Food Bank stash from running. It's amazing how many things in my world come back around to an activity I used to swear I hated.

For as much as I love it, though, tomorrow's a Rest Day, so I won't be doing any of it! Start your week off with a few moments of chill, and I'll check in tomorrow!

Introduction

After yesterday's long run and big haul (whee!!), I'd say this Rest Day is well timed!! In that spirit, I should show you our new deck pal ...

We have a squirrel hang out on our deck every Fall on into Winter. Evidently, this is this year's (or ... is it the same as previous years? There's just no way to know.). He (she? goodness, I know nothing about this critter!) seems to have the spirit of rest all worked out. Except when we send Elly out, then that thing is fast!

I have a feeling our new pal, whom we named Nutter Butter, will be making a few more appearances, so you needed to be introduced.

Take full advantage of all this Saturday has to offer! By the way, last night I heard today is some national-day-of-family-movement-something-or-other. I couldn't even find it on the internet, but whatever. Its purpose is to encourage an active family. I thought that was cool. Then I couldn't help but think how well-timed my Rest Day is. Just sayin.'

I'll see you after the morning run!

Big Run, Big Reward

On this morning's run, four out of five drive-thrus were mighty disappointing. Thank goodness for the fifth, huh?

Whee!! Eleven cents in the first 3 miles!!
Gotta love starting things off like that!

Then, two out of billion intersections also produced the goods to the tune of a penny each. Hooray!

But, none of that compared to the spot where it seems someone was sick of the contents of their car's cupholder and discarded it. Their toss, Food Bank's gain!!

That's 86 cents (and some crap strewn in there)!!! BOOYAH!!
Oh, yes ... that's worth breaking the stride!!

It seemed it was a cupholder toss given the pen cap and other sundry items in the area. I left those. The funny thing about this find was that I found myself with an interesting running issue: Where to put them! I still had about five miles to go, so I needed a solid solution!

Very fortunately, my water bottle pocket could handle most of these. It was amazing how many pennies fit in an itty, bitty pocket. Kind of like clowns in a Volkswagon. But not. Anyway, it was particularly fortunate I had my bottle with me because I attempted to put the pennies in my very, deep pocket only to have the weight of them pull my shorts down. Five miles of holding my shorts up? No thanks. I would have done it if necessary, but thank goodness it wasn't!!

Amidst the serious score, other wonderful things caught my eye along the way like this ...

... and, this ...

... and, this!

Between the lovely scenery and the massive addition to the Fund, this turned out to be quite a run!

May something you think is routine turn out to be chock full of good surprise today!! I'll see you tomorrow from Rest Day!

Running Needs

I just started reading a book that has completely grabbed my attention and sucked me in:

It's about this guy (um, the author ...) who felt called to bring himself and as many others as possible closer to God by way of running and praying his way across the country in what turned out to a 3,700 mile journey on foot. Three thousand, seven hundred miles on foot. Holy cannoli. And ... Ouch!  I'm thinking that's an impressive feat regardless of one's personal beliefs!!

Okay, there's a whole lot of interesting documentation in there, but I had to share something that totally and completely stunned me when I read it: On the 3rd evening of his journey with a 27.5-mile run scheduled for the next day, he ate a large dinner of burritos and tacos. Burritos and tacos. My question was immediate: How in the world  did he eat that kind of dinner and not find himself having to stop and go to the bathroom every quarter of a mile for the first couple of miles?!

I asked this question out loud to Aaron, and he said that perhaps I am more concerned about making certain I don't have to stop and go to the bathroom during a run than this guy was. He had a point.

Look, I can only say that the idea of eating something like a burrito (presumably with refried beans in it) the night before a run of any distance struck immediate fear into my heart. Yeah, running has changed me like that.

With a long run looking at me in the morning, I'll be keeping all needs in mind as we make dinner tonight! It's funny how running permeates so many pieces of life. It's cool how it's all good, too. It'll be even more cool when I actually map out tomorrow's run, so, I'll be getting on that and checking in when it's finished tomorrow! See you then!

Satisfaction

My run with Elly today was awesome -- not really because of the run itself but because it was out and back and done. Today I was in the perfect mood for the run to be short so I could just carry on with the day. Besides, there wasn't much by way of scenery today as the fog, oddly, increased as the morning went on:

I know it doesn't look like much, but it was weird and, from where I stood, noteworthy. Never fear, it did not take away from my money-scoping abilities, and we arrived to our finish with 11 more cents for the Food Bank. At this point, I'm hoping to double my found-money donation from last year (counting only the change). Right now, I'm only $2.18 away from that mark with almost 2 solid months to find it. It's totally reasonable to hold out hope for doubling the donation!

To be perfectly honest, I don't remember much else from this morning's run because I spent a good part of it thinking back to my first-ever event run. Why? That leads right into today's shout out because I just learned my very dear cousins just started a couch to 5K program!!

 

WAHOOOOOOOOO!!!

This was so very cool for me to hear as it made me spend a lot of time thinking back to my first event and thinking about what they're working toward. While they've not yet decided if they're going to register for an event (but, oh, yes ... bossy Nancy came out and told them they totally should!), they have a goal with this program. And, reaching that goal is going to bring with it success and its very own brand of satisfaction. Who doesn't want to feel that ?!?!

Crossing every finish line changes me a little bit and always for the better. I remember how crossing that first one reminded me of how capable I am when I put my mind to something and when I set a goal -- even something I never, ever thought I was capable of doing. Crossing the finish line of my first Half changed my life from the inside because I was reminded that I am totally and completely unstoppable. And, every line since then brings with it a flooding-forward of every step I took to get there, every time I drug myself out of bed, every minute I gave to do something I never thought I would ... every minute comes across that line with me. It's pretty cool. Even when I feel like I'm going to puke.

So, the better part of my day has been spent mentally cheering them on. It's my hope they can feel it!!
And, when they hit whatever goal they ultimately set, it is my wish for them to feel the following:

You go, Dilbert.

And, in this corner of the world, I've run today's run, and I've washed my super-smelly clothes so I have my pick of what to wear for Friday's long run. It's a Rest Day in between!! I'll see you from there tomorrow!

Big Picture

Were you a kid who always wanted the box of 64 crayons complete with the built-in sharpener even though the school supply list specified bringing no larger than a box of 24? I was. I was also the one who skipped over the beginner sets of paints and pastels and asked for the masters collection to be under the tree at Christmas as it seemed strange to me to have to be at some certain level to be ready to create. I mean, really.

I reflected on those thoughts and more as I stepped foot outside and saw that God got out the masters collection today for the morning's creation:

Ho-ly YUM. What a creation!!!

In addition to finding an abundance of change this morning, my run was filled with thoughts of how much I truly love my running mornings. Soaking up a sunrise like this genuinely made it impossible today for me to put into words the reasons I love it. I've tried and deleted a half dozen sentences trying to explain, but none of it made sense. I just keep looking at that picture.

Of course, not every day is this glorious nor am I always filled with an inexplicable experience. I do not love running to this level every day, but so what. Think of the many things in your world that are sometimes difficult but that you would never, ever dream of giving up on because the whole of the experience is bigger and richer than the moments that are a pain. Marriage, children, careers ... anyone?

Yeah, running can be hard some days. It is hard some days. But, put it in the category of the big picture being worth it in the ways that matter to you, and you'll get how to get through the rough spots.

By the time I was finished, the sky changed significantly which is when I saw the swooshes:

Eat your heart out, Nike ...

Oh, and to update you, yes, that penny I mentioned yesterday was still there. All traffic pattern stars aligned for me (seriously, it was weird), and it was an easy snag:

Still there! I left the filter ...

That was the last penny to add to my already 26-cent stash for the day! How cool would it be for this rate to continue between now and the Thanksgiving donation?! (VERY COOL)

Just like life itself, exercise of any kind is going to be bumpy. Period. I know in the past I, for one, fully expected that it needed to be fun, or I just wasn't going to do it. It's almost like exercise owed it to me  to be so entertaining that that was the only way I'd deem it worth my time. To be honest, until this moment, I never really even realized that. Huh.

I'm going to chew on that sentiment while I get on with my day. I'm already looking forward to another good one tomorrow! I'll check in after and let you know how it went ... good or bad, it's gonna happen! See you then!

If I'm Going To Have Stress, I'll Totally Take This Kind Of It. The Ridiculous Kind.

Yesterday, we were in the car and came to a stop light. Just as the light turned green, I noticed a penny just sitting there. Aaaaaaaaaaggghhh !! You know that's enough to make my heart skip a beat. And, with Aaron following the rules of the road and not holding up traffic, well, we had to leave it.

So, hedge your bets now if that penny is still there tomorrow when I run. I am purposely routing myself to go through that intersection, and it was up by a curb enough to potentially still be there (vs. getting thrown around by traffic). It's a tricky part of the intersection, though, so all of the traffic pattern stars need to align for me to even look for it. Oh, the running stressors I have ...

Speaking of stressors, I was a little on edge about seeing on Facebook that the upcoming virtual medals had been mailed, and mine had yet to arrive in my mailbox by Saturday afternoon. Finding this to be a really long time to get from point A to point B, well, I was anxious for today's mail.

Patience -- or pretending to have some about this matter -- finally paid off because look what arrived today!

One for me, one for Pit Crew #2! Whee!

Those will be tucked away until November 2, but I had to show 'em off ... so sparkly and awesome!

There's also going to be a Halloween themed cupcake medal revealed soon -- I'll let you know when!

I'm off to make some S'Mores Oatmeal Bites (click here if you need a refresher!), and I'll see you after the (hopefully prosperous!) morning run!

Back At It

I walked downstairs to let Aaron know I was heading out to run when he looked at me, saw my clothes and surprisingly asked, "Are you running today?" He can be forgetful. OR is it that he had his own little flashback to when there was nothing getting me up and running the day after a race. In that regard, I can understand his confusion. But, those days are looooong gone. This morning, it was time to hit the road and keep up the training schedule!

Besides, I don't think Elly could have stood another day not getting to go out for an adventure! She was on her best behavior, too, including ignoring every dog we passed even if they, themselves, were pitching fits. Very excellent.

"Of course it was very excellent. I'm a
very excellent dog."

I will fully admit to feeling yesterday's run as soon as I hit the pavement today, but that's what happens when I turn up the volume and actually put some speed into the effort. Everything shakes out and is loose by the end of the run, so why not go out and enjoy another one?

Today's was a great swing back into the norm! And, with normal comes adhering to the schedule which means tomorrow ... we rest!! I'm looking forward to starting a Monday with just a wee bit of down time! Start your Monday off the best way you can, and I'll see you then!

Ready, Set ... Race Recap!

It's hard to believe that fewer than two weeks ago, I wasn't even considering running this morning's 10K only for it to turn out to be one of my all-time favorite runs! Ready? Here we go!

As usual on race day, the whole fam was up and at 'em bright and early. Wait. It wasn't bright at all. In fact, it was dark. Nevertheless, we were up, out the door and to the event in plenty of lollygag time! The moon was even still out! There it is!

And, there we are!

My favorite Crew ... all supportive and chilly in the very cool
morning air!!

And, hey! There's my friend Melanie!!

Remember I mentioned I recently learned of a friend running today's 10K? She's the one! She just started running in June ... how cool is that?!

The Half Marathon started a half hour earlier than the 10K, so we had plenty of hanging around time. We wound up having extra hanging around time with a slight delay in the start of the Half. And, why was that? Check it out as the administrative snafus of two years ago that made me not want to do this event again didn't just re-emerge, they simply did not disappoint:

And, what is going on up there you ask? Check it out -- this picture is taken from the start corral. Just after running over the timing mat, runners need to turn right to be on course. However, these porta potties were positioned just right so the very.long.line. of potty goers extended past and cut off the ability to turn on to the route. Look, it was either poor planning, or it was a coup designed by the 10Kers in line. You decide.

Fortunately, it being an event on a relatively small scale, the line went down quickly, and the Half began. The fam and I stood and cheered for every runner 'til the last was out of the chute. It was at this time we actually heard the tunes being provided for our pre-race pleasure. And, it was confusing. Here's the thing ... I actually loved most of the music. Journey's "Faithfully" and Toto's "Africa"? I'm a big fan. But, at a race? A race with a specific musical theme? Is it just me? I think not. Melanie and I weren't the only ones in the crowd mentioning our concern about dozing off before heading out. And, the choice of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" doesn't really evoke internal motivation at a distance run. Especially in a run where they're not closing off traffic. Just sayin'.

Soon enough, it was time for the 10Kers to get set. We went our separate ways ... one to the corral, three to picture-taking position.

One last pic before heading to our posts!

Of course, it's not like I'm without my camera, and of course it was out before the race even began!

You know how I love my pre-race shoe pictures! Lavendar
kicks were right in front of me?!

And, these?! YUM!

I took this one because Melanie is in it. I'll let that be a Where's
Waldo moment for you!

Until I was behind the starting line, I had yet to decide what kind of run I wanted this to be. Shoot, I haven't run in an official 10K in so long that I didn't really even have much on which to base a decision. A 10K's an "off" distance for me -- a 5K is quick enough to get some speed on and know it's almost over, and I know my pace for a Half. So, what's a girl to do with the in-between?

As the start clock counted down from 10, this girl decided to pour it on and leave everything out on the route. That's what a girl's to do!

With that, I was off and took off faster than I ever have for any run. I know you're not supposed to do that, but I had enough confidence in reevaluating and slowing it down if need be without berating myself for doing so, so I figured I'd just go for it. That mental component was key and very much my former nemesis, so having faith that I could pull back without emotional consequence allowed me to just go-go-GO!

There I am in the red on the left ... not yet in focus. Kind of
like how I was feeling when we arrived under the moon ...

Around the aforementioned porta potty line corner is an up hill stretch that used to be so very painful for me ...

Today's only pain of this hill came from the blaring sun rising behind it. There's no picture of that; it would only be white anyway! It was no fun at all going directly into that sun especially with eager racers to my sides and uneven brick under the feet, so I used the unpleasantness to motivate me to just go faster!

Almost all of the streets and trails of this run were very familiar from past races. It was strange but fabulous to have such a full memory bank on which to draw as I ran. To be honest, I've struggled at some point on every part of this run where I've been before, and it was nice to rerun when I felt positive and strong and, further, felt I had not a thing in the world to prove even to myself. Indeed, I've come a very long way!

I haven't come so far that I don't have some fleeting snarks in my head. For instance, there I was running down this hill approaching Mile 2 ...

I've always wanted to run down this hill. It's big, and it looks
like fun (and, it was). The very dead deer at the bottom of the
hill was not fun at all.

... when I overheard a dude talking about how he wanted to see if he could get to Mile 3 without stopping because today was the first day in 20 years he'd run 2 straight miles. I turned and clarified that he really just said first time in 20 years, and he was all, "Yeah, I used to run, but I don't anymore, but (she) wanted to do this, so I was like, 'Yeah, I'll come do that with you'." He was a super nice guy, and I was genuinely impressed that he was able to just up and go like that, but it didn't keep my brain from being all, "You kinda suck." Fortunately, such jealous sentiments are truly in jest. Anymore. (ha!) I actually wanted to say that he sucked out loud, but I took into consideration that he doesn't know me, and that might not go over very well.

By the way, it was right before this down hill that I came upon an intersection where I had a very big decision to make: Look up, and don't scope for money OR give in and do what it is you do. You see, given the broken windshield all over the place, there was obviously a recent collision. And, when there's a collision, there's often change in the vacinity. Yes, I know these things. I almost immediately saw a penny and was trying to convince myself of my GO! St. Louis found-money strategy (make a mental tally instead of picking it up, and put that much in the Food Bank fund myself) when I saw a quarter and a dime, and I decided not to resist.

How cool is it that this 36 cents took the Food Bank change
tally to $13.10?!

I hopped out of the flow, circled back and scooped up the goods. I just couldn't help myself. (Whee!)

I also couldn't help visiting the ghosts of past races when we hit the trail:


This stretch is very similar to one we used during May's
Go Girl Half and last year's 5K. Seeing a line ahead of me
that long used to just annoy the heck out of me because it
made me feel like the run would never end.

And, it was right along here at the 2011 Roots and Blues Half
when I lost a whole lot of confidence -- 3 miles in to the run --
and, I knew things weren't going to go my way. But, that
wasn't going to be the case today!

Here near the finish, I decided to check in with myself. And, I was feeling great!

Selfies: Not yet banned in America! Good
thing I am not racing in Hong Kong ...

I could not have designed a better overall experience for this run. The weather was perfect (it was only 59 degrees when I finished!). The route was better than I expected (minus the steep up getting to Mile 5, but whatcha gonna do). I was excited for my friend experiencing all of this. My Crew was eager to cheer me and they had time to partake in a fun treat while waiting. Everyone. Wins. !!

I had no idea of my time along the way, but it was quite inspiring to wave to the Crew waiting for me just before the finish then look at the finish line clock to see I was about to smoke my best 10K time.

Just keep going just keeps paying off!

Here's another ghost of races past: As soon as I crossed the finish line and stopped, I thought I was going to lose it. No, not by way of tears ... *urp!!* To the pleasure of myself and those around me, I didn't. The feeling flitted away as fast as it hit me. And, that's mighty excellent because did I really want to get my beautiful finisher's medal nasty?!?!

Best medal EVER!! That itself was worth
the entry fee!!

Let's take a closer look at that, shall we?!?

THIS they got TOTALLY RIGHT in my book!!!

So, with another run in the books, let's hear it for love from the Crew!!

Hooray, chilly Crew!! I wouldn't want to
do this without you!!!

And, let's hear it for huggin' fellow racers!!

I did it ... she did it ...

We totally did it!

A very special thank you to my very biggest fan!

And, of course, I cannot forget to acknowledge and give the love to my trainer ... who was left behind ...

"Uncool to leave me behind, mommy. What gives?"

"Seriously. Explain. I'm all ears."

And, with that, it's onward tomorrow!! That Half on November 2 isn't going to run itself, so I am back on schedule with a morning run! Elly will be so pleased!! No fanfare, no bling, just easy going! It's all about what you want to make of it on any given day. That is the pleasure I've found in this running thing! Make today what you want it to be, and I'll see you after the morning run!