Funky Fresh With the COLOR

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Days Run: 34 Nancy's 2013 Mileage: 103.5 Elly's 2013 Mileage: 49.5 Money Found For Food Bank: $10.91

It hit me this morning that I need to take some deliberate steps to spice up my running routine. Yesterday's registration for the Glow Run was a great start to shaking things up in a way that speaks to what inspires me, and I wanted to continue that as much as possible while getting to the other side of injury, having the sickies and bad weather.

COLOR TO THE RESCUE.

This is one of my favorite spots in the house! Those pictures
are from a calendar I had when I was in high school. I always
knew I wanted to frame and hang (most) of them when I had
my own house. More than 15 years later, I got it done ... and
read about when I had an algebra test and when I had a date
with my boyfriend. Who doesn't need to know those things
almost two decades later?

Clearly, color inspires me! It makes me want to groove ...

For. Real.

But, I've been so distracted lately that I haven't even done the most basic of my running desires which is to make sure my shoe laces are awesome. So, white ones that came with the new shoes ...

White? Really?!

... yeeerrrrrrrrrr outta herrrreeeeeee!

Sweet swap!! Nice that I now need to
sweep the floor from the gunk on the
bottom of my shoes, but whatev ...

This swap was excellent news for Daphne as she acquired a new toy:

And, then there was mopey dopey Elly who hadn't yet been told she wasn't coming with me. But, I think she felt a disturbance in the force around her:

"She's over there all kinds of excited getting stuff together. But,
she's not talking to me. This doesn't look good for the pup."

It's because I love her that I didn't take her. She's not currently conditioned for 7 miles. Sorry, Elly ...

Anyway, the color campaign didn't stop with the laces! Out with the blingy pony tail holder, and in with a color splash!

It's actually a headband, but it slides around a lot more than
the other ones I have. No worries there ... it keeps my hair
back this way! Nothing like an excellent repurposed item
that's going to more use this way than its intended use.

By the way, Pit Crew #2 giggled while she took that picture telling me afterward that my thumbs up made me look like a unicorn. If I'm going to be called something, a unicorn is pretty good if you ask me!

I was looking forward to the run, but I wasn't completely confident in how it was going to feel. Being on the back end of this cold means I have residual goo that's difficult to release (see how I tip-toed around being disgusting while making the circumstances clear? You're welcome.), and I've not had good time to bounce back and feel particularly strong. I feel quite the opposite, in fact -- a little physically deflated. But, that's okay. It'll come back.

I was right about feeling pretty "eh ... how's this really going?" along these 7 miles, but I'll let my time do the talking in that I ran this route in about the same amount of time I would expect on a "perfect" day. That'll keep a girl motivated!

Yay for me! And, now, I must blow my
nose ...

To get myself out there today, I focused not on the run at all but on finishing it. I always always always feel good about having gone. I just had to get there.

I felt good about this outcome today, too!

POW!! 87 cents and a BB, baby!

This run might not have felt awesome physically, but it was a great training run in that it -- specifically, running into the sun which I've not seen in weeks -- reminded me of how very unpredictable the weather can be on April's race day: sunny, raining, 20 degrees, 60 degrees ... And, that can all turn on a dime! So, it was good to be reminded that anything can happen on the day of the run. Keeping an open mind makes for a happier runner!

Also happy is that it's FRIDAY!!! Let's bring the color around full circle, shall we?!

I do so love the kick-off-to-the-weekend Friday!! I hope you enjoy(ed) yours!! I'll check in tomorrow with whatever I manage to accomplish on the Every Day in 2014 challenge or other fun thing! See you then!