Defined By Me

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Total Movement Mileage: 273.6 (running: 167.3; walking: 12.5; biking: 93.8) Money Found For Food Bank: $29.25

2,015 in 2015 Change Hounds progress: Nancy: 273.6 Aaron: 214.2 (b: 192.9; w: 16.8)  Elly: 48.8 Total: 536.6

Happy Friday! Happy first day of Spring!! Although, as cold as it is out there, it doesn't feel like Spring. Just sayin'.

Today was the 11-mile long run day, and it. went. awesome. Yahoo!!! Here I am at the end:

You think that look is from not just finishing but also from having the aforementioned awesome run. It is actually because I got to the end and found my car was not towed as I feared might happen. You see, somewhere around the 8th mile, I had this oh crap feeling when I couldn't remember if I hung my hang tag.

Is anyone wondering why miles 8-11 were my very best ones? As if I could foot-race a tow truck that I didn't know was or was not heading toward my car. It was good motivation, though. I could get to the empty parking spot and say, "At least I tried." hahaha

So, that was the end of the run.

At the beginning, I was cursing a friend of mine who posted this on Facebook from the Purple Clover page:

I used the first three miles of this run both singing that song and contemplating friendship dismissal. Sure, sure, I could not check my feed before heading out the door. But, it's what I do. My dad used to read the newspaper at breakfast; I check my Facebook feed. I call it same thing. Anyway, the pina colada song became the background music while I sang the "Let Me Take a #Selfie" (The Chainsmokers) song. That song is fabulous. And relevant to me personally and in our society. Let's not hate on it. Or, go ahead if you want, but I love it!

Eventually, the pina colada song got rubbed out before Mile 4. I decided to keep my friend, by the way.

So, that's the beginning and the end. In the middle, I realized my route was both awesome and a hazard as I mapped a stretch that had no sidewalks nor shoulder. Awesome. I live to write about it, but I won't be using that particular stretch anymore. Oh, and I'm pretty sure I saw two girls doing drugs in the middle of the street on this stretch, too, but I can't be certain. I should have pulled out my camera and aimed. THAT would have answered the question ...!

Anyway ... Then there were the hills I mentioned yesterday -- those turned out fantastic. Feel free to be surprised because I sure was. They were challenging yet nothing my body wanted to turn away from or bail on. My mind was a different story a few times, but we ignore that when the body keeps on trucking!

I saw these views along the way in the middle of the run:

I was stoked at Mile 7.5 because the biggest hill challenges were behind me, and I still felt strong. Apparently, that was a really good thing because the hang tag mental mind game started at Mile 8 ...

Then there was that moment at a stop light, right after conquering the series of hills and feeling fab, where Yesteryear Me would have emotionally been brought to my knees. But, that won't happen to Today Me because I am fully aware of my bad ass status. Here's what happened: So, there I was waiting at a red light with a couple of other people. One of the men admired my hand-strapped-but-hands-free water bottle and asked about it. I told him where I got it, blah blah. He went on and (very politely, mind you) said, "That would be good for me if I were to run distances. And, if I were to do that, I should also probably run like you were (before stopping at the light) to keep it low impact seeing as I have hip problems, right?"

Umm ... 'like I was'? I almost giggled. I mean, what a very polite way of saying I look slow, right? Forget I was coming to a red light, but, whatever. Even so, I love my pace. It works, and it works well. And, no, I'm not the dudes who were blowing by me a few miles back. (For real, you could feel their breeze as they passed. I even know one of them, but he was running so fast he didn't even see me until we crossed paths again a few miles later.) I never was and never will be. But, I used to feel intimidated by and/or judged by those who can run like that whether I ever was or not. I was just that insecure. (And, let's face it, it's just as possible that this guy with the hip problems might have looked at me and thought, "Hey, wait ... maybe I don't have to go at break-neck speed, either ..." Maybe my pace actually inspired some possibility in him he'd not yet considered. Of course, do we ever go to the positive first?)

Either way, now I'm all whatever to what anyone thinks and said to the guy, "All I can say is, I just go. I go as fast as I'm going to go that day, and whatever comes out, comes out. But, I highly recommend this water bottle," and left it at that because the light turned green and I was about to have to run down a tow truck or something.

And, that was my run. It was probably the strongest 11 miles I've ever done. Because I'm a bad ass by my own definition.

Let no one else define any part of you. You are in charge of that! Now, go do something you have decided is great, and I'll check in on tomorrow's Rest Day!