New Year's By the Numbers

It's New Year's Eve!! I don't tend to get terribly caught up in looking-forward-looking-back on New Year's Eve ... frankly, I do enough of that daily to make it a big project on the last day of the year ('little late then anyway, huh?)! However, I do have a little rundown as an ode to my running adventures. Here we go ...

Number of:

mornings I did not want to get up to run: Most of them
times I felt awesome after a run: Most of them
miles of my shortest run of the year: 2
miles of my longest run of the year: 13.1
times I seriously considered giving up on running altogether: 1
weeks it took me to rebound from that slump: 10
bugs that flew in my mouth while running: 1
official registered runs in which I participated: 7
cents I found during official runs: 28
registered runs I ran while pretty sick: 1
runs on which Elly was annoying: A lot of them
runs where I brought Elly and wish I hadn't: None of them
parked cars into which Elly ran herself on a run: None (that was 2010)
times I've been deeply grateful for the support I have around me: Every. Single. Day.

And, one for which I am very pleased:

Estimated miles run in 2011: 650

That's a pretty good list of stats! Look for some of them to be recorded ongoing at the top of the blog during 2012!

You'll be seeing a lot of mileage racked up ... going solo, with the dog, with the family ... mixing it up is always good! January begins the road to April's Half Marathon, and I can't wait to see what else! I have a handful of goals rolling around in my head, and I'll get them figured out in due time. In the meantime, congratulations to Pit Crew #3 who hit his during-break mileage goal today!

Yeah!!! 40.1 intentional miles logged for Pit Crew #3 since October!
That's awesome ... more awesome is he has the same support
surrounding him that I do! That's cool because I know how good
that is! (What's wrong with Elly? It's windy as heck out there, and
she's not one to force her eyes open for a picture ... I didn't take
her on a walk this morning when she asked to go, so she's not
going to comply with a wind-in-her-eyes picture!)

 Celebrate your year today!! I look forward to a new year ... let's all make it what we want it to be!!

Rest Day Roundup

Okay, as in many, many places I'm sure, tomorrow in our city is a 5K walk to kick off New Year's festivities. I have never entered this run because the weather is too unpredictable -- could be sunny, could be raining and cold, could be icy. Who wants to roll the dice there?

But, it's not like you can't register closer to the date, right? And, given our forecast is for the temperature to be in the 60s tomorrow, I strongly considered registering us ... So, why did I not do so? Is it because it's Rest Week? (no) Is it because the forecast suddenly changed? (no) Is it because I missed the window for the less expensive registration? (no) It's because ... we weren't all guaranteed a shirt in the right size on the day of the race given the late registration.

Yup, it's true. The decision was made based on a shirt, and I make no apologies for that! While we were guaranteed a shirt of the right size two weeks after the run, there was no promise of one on the day itself. The shirt is a big thing when you're a kid entering these things, and I wasn't going to disappoint either Pit Crewer by saying, "Oh, you'll get it in a few weeks ... after it's long over ... and you couldn't wear it during the event like you enjoy ... and the thrill of it is gone ..." So, I passed on behalf of us all, and Aaron was totally behind it for the reasons I just gave. You have to have priorities!

Besides, the forecast now calls for wind all day (I hate wind ... I mean, I'm sure it has very important purposes, but I'm not well versed in what they are and certainly don't have them come to mind while running against it). Tomorrow's wind is to include gusts between 10 and 20 mph. Those are big gusts, friends; we've been dealing with them all day today. I would be such a crank after running in that with no fun shirt to wear after! No one wants that crankiness; it might be worse than my morning cranks. So, instead, we will be having our annual appetizers-for-dinner and playing games instead of running. Sounds like a good way to wind up Rest Week to me!

We're back to the streets on the 2nd, so there are only two more days to lounge in the morning! I hope Elly realizes this and takes advantage of her rest time, too. You see she is mighty spoiled in that area::

Her own couch, her own faux pillow pet for her weary head ...
what more could a girl want? That's Aaron savoring that Diet Coke,
by the way. He's not sleeping. He is setting an example of resting, though,
in his jammie pants lounging uniform. And, there's Jingle Jacques ...
 whose jingle is about to be retired for the year. It was a good run, JJ,
no pun intended. See you next year. Elly, you'll see the streets soon!

Round out your year the way you want! I'm totally stoked for all of the possibilities I already picture for the New Year, so my whole mission tomorrow is to focus and enjoy on what's in front of me! The rest will come ... and it's bound to be fabulous!

Not So Restful But OH SO FUN!

As Rest Week continues, we decided to take the young Pit Crew to do something they've never before experienced: Ice Skating! I haven't been in at least 15 years, so it was pretty new-feeling to me, too, not to mention I've developed that "I really, really don't want to fall down" caveat to activities I used to think nothing of doing! A little caution never hurt anyone ... especially that anyone who has already registered and paid for a Half Marathon. Just sayin'.

Here we are just a few moments into it!

AND! Check out this sign Aaron found in the rink:

That information worked out great for Pit Crew #3 and his walking/running challenge, AND there was a bonus in it for me, too ... the next time I'm dragging on a run, I can remind myself that at my present ice skating abilities, I can run almost three times as fast as I can ice skate. Translation: It took darn-near 30 minutes to do the first mile. HA! It was excellent. I'm not sure many people can say the same about their ice skating speed as compared to their running speed. (That no one probably wants to say such a thing is irrelevant for sure.)

I was glad I've been running so this ice skating venture didn't exhaust me. I could feel muscles I don't normally feel, but those I use running were going strong. Hooray! I can tell, though, I'm gonna sleep well tonight!

In addition to such a fabulous afternoon, I have to share two other gems from our trip (seeing as it's mostly-Peanuts week ... I know, I know, I blew it yesterday, but I was so inspired by the magazine ad, so what could I do ... Besides, you can't force Peanuts greatness, so I went with what was genuine.). Anyway, here's score number one:

Peanuts fleece to make myself a huge,
cozy blanket!! Wahoo!!

What does that have to do with running? Nothing. But, it has everything to do with resting ... oh, yeah!!

And! Here is score number two:

Peanuts Easter material ... a new bandana for Elly is on the way
and will debut in the Spring!

Elly's fabulous fashion changes with the seasons and holidays, and I've been searching for Peanuts Easter material for two years. The girl likes to look good and seasonally appropriate when she runs! Besides, she's been a faithful running partner and my early inspiration to continue ... that means "Spoil Her!" to me!

As Rest Week continues, I'm thankful for the health and strength to take on an activity such as ice skating. I'm thankful I outlasted the Pit Crew in endurance -- not because it was a competition, but because I know just a few short years ago, I would have bailed first and early. And, I'm further thankful for our biggest fan, Aaron, to have had his own kind of fun with us even though a little thing called cartilage-transplant-in-his-knee prevents him from participating in such an activity. Not only did he have fun, he also performed very important Pit Crew duties for the team on the rink:

A little bit of first aid is sometimes required!

It was a blister right where his skate boot rubbed ... that was then kicked with his own skate blade from the other foot ... how? I have no idea. He's a little boy. They do these things.

Band aid to the rescue and back to the ice!

It was a great nothing-restful-about-it day! On tomorrow's docket: Not so many fake-rest moments!

From the Heart

While still thoroughly enjoying Rest Week, I wanted to share this ad I saw in my Self magazine today because I loved it and was very inspired:

And the most important muscle to me is my heart. That's what makes me run.

Make the message what matters to you. And, if you do sit ups and crunches, I will applaud you because I just don't.

Kitchen Happiness Continues

As Rest Week continues, I am stoked to keep finding little changes to incorporate into our world in the kitchen! This is particularly important to me right now not because I have a New Year's resolution with which to torture myself, but it's because when the calendar page turns, I have 15 weeks to be ready for the Half Marathon! There is no doubt I will be ready, but I really want to make this one my best so far. Now that I get the logistics of these runs and what to expect, I really want to pour myself into it physically more so than I have yet. I have no delusions of elite-athlete status, but I do know how it feels to rock a run by my own definition, and that is what I plan to do on April 15! My two previous Half Marathon goals have been to finish. This time, I want to take it on!

This goal has been looming in my head since crossing the finish of September's Half, and I knew that part of my plan had to be continue to tweak in the kitchen! Here's what I stumbled upon yesterday:

I really hope you didn't think I found something
out of the ordinary and earth shattering, or you're
really disappointed right now ... It's not as fancy
as something made with Jerusalem artichoke flour,
I'll give you that ...!

From the recipes I've shared, you can tell I'm a fan of soup as an easy, go-to meal or side. However, I never, ever go down the soup aisle of the grocery store. I was so fixated on only getting the soup I had when I was young (oh, noodle-o's ... memories ...) that I had it in my head that that's the only kind to buy. However, I started reading the ingredients including how much sodium is in canned soup, and that was that. I banned myself from the aisle. I didn't even look anywhere else for an alternative. Nothing like blind stubbornness!

After so many homemade successes lately, I really craved some soup yesterday especially after holiday indulgences. However, we had none made, and I wasn't going to make any. (Did I mention I can be stubborn? It's that stubbonness that gets me across the finish line sometimes, though, so I do know how to use that power for good, too ...) I made myself focus and read some labels, and this little gem won me over:

I had to enlarge this so you can hopefull see the quote.
In case you can't, it reads: "Real ingredients" are
ingredients you can understand. In case you didn't know.
HA! I can get on board with a food that is good for you
and has a little sass!

You know, when the first five ingredients (which is what we're taught to look at first, right? I think that's right. That's what I remember at least ... and, no, I'm not looking that up, either ...) are real ingredients, this girl is going to keep reading! Campbell's even defined some of the other ingredients if you keep reading. That's just outstanding.

Here's the other part:

I'm a big fan of looking at the sodium when I can so I don't have to think about it too much when I don't have direct access to that specific information. The sodium in this can is half of their regular soup. Half! Awesome! (Just like running a Half marathon vs. a full ... Okay, it's absolutely nothing like that.) Anyway, I do know our recommended daily allowance of sodium is in the 2200 mg ballpark, so this fits in well. And, my heart says "thank you". Hooray! (Like I'm going to run 'til my legs hate me only to slam my heart with too much salt? Not purposely I'm not!)

Am I saying this is the perfect food? Nope, I'm not qualified to do so. And, it's in a can ... do perfect foods come in cans? Probably not. BUT this was super good and really yummy!! Could I tell there was lower sodium? You bet, but not only was it still super good, that's a trade I'm willing to make.

So, there's another option in our kitchen repertoire! I had no idea there were so many great options out there in the world of soup ... and I had no idea I was willing to pay for them (In my defense, a lot of the soup progress happened when I was a broke, just-out-of-college gal ... a lovely can of soup was a luxury item then!)!

Take a peek at something you've avoided ... see if it's changed for the better and if it fits into your world! This soup option might only be new to me, but I'm betting you have your own "soup story"! You already know that my out-of-the-kitchen story begins with, "Once upon a time, I was walking my dog. And, then, for some random reason, I started to run with her ..." It seems trying something that was once avoided might just become a little treasure in your world!

In the meantime, I can't help but share a treasure upon which we stumbled during an after-Christmas outing yesterday:

Between my new finds and my new Peanuts plates and glasses, this year is ending
in a completely fabulous fashion!

Happiness Is ...

(It seems Rest Week is going forth with a Peanuts theme ... we'll see if that continues ...)

Happiness is reporting the lasagna noodles made from the Jerusalem Artichoke flour for our family tradition Christmas dinner were super-fabulous-delicious!! (And, you wouldn't want something for a family tradition to not be super-fabulous-delicious, now would you?)

AND on a Snoopy plate? How did I keep my head from imploding?

I'm guessing (Hear me: guessing. Totally not looking into it.) since they don't have starch that they are more substantial, if you will. They never got too limp which was most excellent. I could still taste a hint of flavor in them like I did with the spaghetti version. Aaron holds he tastes zero difference, so I guess it just depends on your taste buds. Either way, you can't beat it! Regular-old noodles are gone, gone, gone from my cooking world! These are the winners!

In more Happiness Is news, the walking-running challenge for Pit Crew #3 still goes strong at his school which means all miles logged during the holidays count toward his personal goals. He has set his goal (an additional 7 miles during the break), and it's going to be mind-blowingly easy to hit because of how many walks we like to take together! Don't you love when something that's good for you also falls right into place in your world?! He doesn't even think about how the miles logged here on last night's family walk ... :

Not only not walking here, but as the picture is clear, you can
guess Elly was not yanking on my arm. Very appreciated.

... got him that much closer to his goal! I am loving how secondary the mileage part of this challenge has become. He, like the rest of us, just likes to go, and the miles adding up is a great bonus! I will admit that the weather is cooperating to make this easy, by the way, but we'll take it while it's here!

With that, I set sail on the remainder of this day during Rest Week! I'm still feeling a bit like this rest is needed, so I don't have the ants in the pants to go out and tear up the streets with my blazing-fast speed! No, instead, I'm enjoying that extra time in the morning to accommodate different parts of my world. Running will be welcomed back ... but not just yet! Find some down time for yourself during the holidays ... it's a great recharge!

Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!!

(I am such a Peanuts fan that I couldn't help it!)

First and foremost, Merry Christmas to you and yours!! May today be full of love and fellowship and delight and wonder! It's such a fabulous day and time of year ... I'm invigorated in the Winter, and Christmas is a huge part of that!!

Okay, check this out ... last night at dinner, Pit Crew #3 asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Just an hour prior, I found I was locked out of my blog for some random reason, so I told him that I'd like to be able to get back into my blog. And, here I am!! A technological Christmas miracle if I ever heard of one!

I'm so stoked to be back in, too, because yesterday's post was to feature this:

That's not just the crew ... that's the crew on Friday about to take a nighttime 3-mile run to view Christmas lights!! Oh, yeah!! Friday was supposed to be my Rest Day, but in the afternoon, I thought about how fun it would be for all of us to go out and see Christmas lights on foot ... and then, if we run, guess who didn't have to get up on Saturday morning to do so!! Totally selfish motivation on that last part OR win-win, you make the call! Anyway, I pitched it to the family, they immediately took me up on it, and that was that! Plan in place! Yahoo!!

So, about an hour before we headed out, I got together a pre-jog snack:

Some protein, some slow-release energy ... all good! (and on Peanuts plates ... doesn't that make it even better? I think so.)

It was in the mid-30s when we headed out ... ex-cell-ent exercise weather because that temp keeps me cool while I'm getting hot, and it's not so cold that I freeze immediately upon stopping. It seemed a good temperature for everyone else, too, because no one complained (and no one around here is shy about complaining about the temperature, so I knew we were good!).

Can I just tell you that taking pictures in the dark while holding Elly's leash is a very difficult task?!

See? When your arm gets jerked because Elly doesn't care that you
are taking a picture, you get this. Look close ... it's Snoopy on his dog
house. Maybe Elly was just jealous.

We liked this house ... yup, Elly's still tugging ... the girl had places
to go ... things to smell ... many, many yards to mark ... sheesh ...

We loved this big, fat snowman!!

The lights weren't the only things a-glow ... check out Aaron!

Between the flashlight, the camera glow and
Aaron's vest, we felt might safe! And, Aaron
blended right in with the theme of the run, huh?!

Do you think that picture would have ever happened had I not given him the leash? Um, no! My arm was finished being tugged by that point in the run. Besides ... remember how I was all about saying Aaron's arm action got his speed up? I was not kidding ... he took off like a shot on this journey and kept the pace way up! Giving him the leash chilled him out a bit and helped the littler legs of the group keep up better!

Speaking of the kiddos ... Wow. They were impressive!! This route is not the easiest because it has some hills that used to make me want to cry a little bit. But, they did it ... when they needed to walk, they just did. No discussion, no explaination, no apology: No issue. They did what they had to do to keep going, period. I sincerely doubt the walking vs. running issue that so many adults struggle with even entered their minds. They just ... went. That is how it should be. Well done, my little ones!! I'm so very proud of you!!

We arrived home all in need of showers for sure, but all were really, really happy!!

Gotta love those pink cheeks!

That was such a fun outing! Pit Crew #3 even asked last night if we could do it again ... so he could sleep better (given his Christmas Eve ants in his pants!!).

And, with that run, I call it a year as I officially declared this last week Rest Week!! Yeah!! I said it was coming ... how could that not have been the best way to wrap it up?! Thank you, dear family, for hearing my idea and just going with it! I had a blast!!

As it is now Christmas, we are about to dive into our lasagna ... you know, the one I made with the artichoke flour noodles!!! (served on my new Peanuts plates!! Oh, yeah!!!) I can't wait to report on the outcome! It's Rest Week, but you know I have things going on to get me ready to start the new year ... and training for the upcoming Half!!

Merry Christmas ... may you, too, be blessed with family and friends and wrapped in the love of the holiday. See you tomorrow!

Noodle News

Let's hear it for Rest Day!! Yahoo!!! You know how I love Rest Day, and my brain has been on overdrive to figure out the best first-and-last days of the upcoming Rest Week!! This break is well timed not only given the holidays but also given that my tell-tale, physical sign of needing to rest the muscles is talking to me!! In other words, when my upper thighs groan in the morning, it's time to give them a rest. It's coming!

Also coming are fun celebrations and traditions that, of course, involve cooking! So, I'm so stoked to share my latest discovery that I'm incorporating into our cuisine! It's drum roll time, please:

It's the no-starch, no-fat combo that drew me in. Additionally, it
seems that there's a prebiotic fiber in there that encourages the
growth of the bacteria aiding in healthy digestion. Excellent! I did
not know about that before buying it, though ... that would have
required more research than I tend to want to invest ...

Here you go to check out the basic nutrition info ... I had to look
up anything else about the ingredients themselves. It tasted so good
that I actually put in a wee bit of research time. I've learned enough
to stop looking and just make the shift!

I used the spaghetti for this meal before Wednesday's running day:

Looks pretty basic; tastes delicious! I added some turkey meatballs
using oatmeal instead of bread crumbs ... they are more delicate to
handle because they don't bind as well, but I feel better eating it.

I can only attribute the lack of starch to the fact that I didn't feel like I had a zap of energy the next morning (carb loads in the form of pasta have never, ever, ever been benefical to me). In fact, I had a great run that day! Eating pasta usually makes me feel drained the next day whether I'm running or not, so I avoid it even though I love it. Finding this (and quinoa spaghetti, too!) has brought the option back into our kitchen!

I love this product so much that I'm going to use it in lasagna form for our traditional Christmas dinner ... yup, you read that correctly. Our Christmas dinner is lasagna! That's a YAHOO kind of YUM!

Check this pasta out if you haven't -- Aaron doesn't notice any difference in flavor, but I do, and it's for the better! We both win! (I hope he still feels winning after our Christmas Eve run-walk outing ...!!! Who knew we'd ever do that?!)

Book Learnin' Applied

Welcome to the morning run! In today's installment, we were joined by my Running Pal! That's what happens when he takes a day off on a running day (because guess who's working tomorrow? And, guess what tomorrow is? Rest Day! Man, he really timed that wrong. HA!).

"Heyyyy ... you are new to this scene!"

We unintentionally put a concept about which I recently read to the test during this outing. That concept is about how and why to use your arms while running or walking. Basically, I read if you pump your arms, then your legs will naturally follow. So, your arms can boss your legs around. Who knew?

That's actually helpful for a novice like myself to know for when I'm feeling a bit fatigued, and I've employed it a handful of times to keep the groove until my legs catch back up with what they're supposed to do. Of course, if my arms get tired, too, then I'm basically screwed.

This concept came into play this morning. You see, when Aaron and I hit the first mile, neither of us was breathing hard. And, I mean not at all. In fact, we'd barely broken a sweat. (But, how cool would it be for exercise to be that easy?!) I realized that we were going crazy slow, and in my quick assessment, that was a result of Aaron holding Elly's leash which was preventing his arms from cranking.

You need to understand that this man can haul it on these outings, and I've often thought his arms played a bit part of his outcome. (See how I've applied my learning to his success but forget to make it a consistent part of what I do? How does that happen?) Anyway, without any forewarning, I asked for the leash, traded him for carrying the poo bag (he fell for it!), and we kicked it up a few notches. Ahhh ... there we go! Now, we're cookin'!

Well, cookin' until a shoe comes untied ...

We had a great go from there except for when we split up on either side of the road to see if we could score some running cash. DENIED. It's never there when you make an effort to look. I should have known better. Amateur mistake for sure. BUT, I did find this little gem later on:

The last time I found one of these, it was back in the Fall. But, clearly, this is a family ritual:

A collection 8 years in the making!

A score is a score! I'll take any little prize that comes my way!

So, I'm thinking one more run for the year before taking a week's rest ... ahhh ... that sounds fabulous! Also fabulous is giving your puppy some love:

... and getting some love from the puppy ...

"Let's bring him more often, mommy. He tastes delicious."

See you on Rest Day tomorrow!! What a great way to spend Friday!!

Fast Like Lightening: The Camera Doesn't Lie

So, how is it that what is probably my busiest day of the month falls on the shortest day of the year? Give that math some thought!

Today is seriously jam-packed to the point that I just know I'm going to be passed out on the couch by about 7 p.m. even though the youngest Pit Crew members will be all a-buzz with school being out and the countdown to Christmas becoming torturous! Well, what better way to start the day than with a run with the dog! There was certainly a day where a run on a day like this sounded awful -- I wanted to retain the energy I had to get to the end of the day! Fortunately, that mindset has turned 180 degrees, and a run is exactly how to start such a day to really get in the groove. Here we go!

For my birthday, Aaron got me a new camera to take along with me while I run (Fabulous! Frankly, all distractions are welcomed.), and today was the first day since receiving it that all conditions were right to have it with me (no rain, plenty of time for when I get distracted, etc.).

So, I got a good one of Elly and Jacques while in motion (oh, yeahhh!), then I made a not-terribly-invested-in-the-outcome attempt at one of all of us on the move:

HA! What a great shot of us all! You can,
tell, though, that I'm moving at lightening
speed seeing as my foot and Elly's paws
aren't in focus.
THAT'S RIGHT! LIGHTENING SPEED.

The run was fun especially when Elly got her usual attention regarding Jacques. I took it upon myself to remind people that Santa is still watching and you never know where he'll be ...

When we finished, I gave Elly her kisses and was cooling down when I noticed Elly dragging her feet, so to speak, on the way to the car. She just kept looking at me. I wasn't worried about her because she had a happy look and was wagging her tail. But, she wasn't really walking. Then, it hit me: She saw the camera in my hand, so she figured it was time for an after-run picture. She was just waiting for me to take one! You think I'm kidding, but I took this really quick ...:

... and then she picked up the pace like normal! Such a sweet doggie accommodating my obsession! (Do you think she's used to having a camera in her face and being told to stay still for a picture?)

As a reward, I gave her a little treat on the way home:

The window down was a treat because I was sweaty-wet, and it's cold out there! It wasn't much of a treat, though, because I only let her do this for about 2 minutes before closing the window. Brrrrr ... that's okay, though, because she doesn't know how to quantify things.

With another run in the books, the duties of the day aren't happening by themselves, so I am off! Make sure to do what takes care of you today, too!! See you after the morning run! Rest Week is a-comin'!!

Oh, Yes You Can

I had a conversation with a man this morning that made my eyes pop wide open. The short of it is that many years ago, he was directly told that not only was his career choice a mistake but that he also would never make it in the field if he chose to pursue it. Someone who was supposed to be a mentor to him said those words: You will never make it. (nice mentor!) Of course, I was all put out on his behalf which really wasn't necessary because he was standing there in his chosen field clearly having made it.

It made me think of the many stories I've heard about or experienced being told in some way we're "not good enough to (fill in the blank)". In my quick mental scan, I thought about how often (not always, I get that) so many of those stories turn out where the statement becomes motivating and, ultimately, that negative nellie is proved wrong. It seems when we have something to prove to someone else, many times, we can dig deep and do so.

Then there's the flip side -- when we tell ourselves we can't do something. That seems much more universally difficult to overcome. For me, just three years ago, the only negative voice I really had to conquer with regard to running was my own. Oh my gosh, I was so mean to myself! So hard, so hateful. I was so hard on myself that I actually had to break the running process down into steps that included, "Rule number one: You have to be nice to yourself." I'm totally serious. That was the first order of business.

I know I'm not alone in the negative self-talk experience. And, that is really sad. Whether that negative self talk is about running or any other activity makes no difference. I just hate that it exists to the degree I know it does for far too many people.

I'm sure a big part of why we are so hard on ourselves has to do with comparing ourselves to others --a frustrating practice in which so many of us engage. To that, I offer the following statement I heard in a motivational speech years ago: "When you compare yourself to someone else, someone is going to lose." Too true.

Running for me holds so many kinds of victories, but you will note that none of them have to do with crossing the finish line first. In fact, that is likely never, ever going to happen (unless it's decades from now under an age-group category when they put everyone "70 and up" together. And I'm 85. Even then, I may not be first, but I will have kept going.). My biggest victory in running is very likely the turning around of my own self talk. And that spills right in to the rest of my life and my outlook on what's possible.

It was a bigger challenge than I care to remember to turn the talk around. But it was worth it. I challenge you to do the same. Start small if you need. Require that you say one nice thing about yourself every day. Focus it on a particular challenge or just in general to start your day. It sounds cheesey, I know. But, it matters. I never want to return to the point where I tell myself I'm not good enough for anything, no matter how big or small. That's a challenge I don't ever need again.

Besides, I have other challenges in the world I can do nothing about ... like how the big shift to LED lights leaves many of us with Christmas decorations that don't fit around the LED bases:

Good thing I have retained some old-school light strands because
these little guys are fabulous!

Take some mental time for yourself, and remind yourself of your gifts. See you after the morning run!

You Don't Scare Me, RAIN!

This morning's forecast did not call for rain. So, of course it did. See?

It kept starting and stopping, so I decided to just GO. For crying out loud, I've registered for a Half Marathon in April ... like that's not rolling the dice on the weather conditions? I figured I should buck up and just deal with whatever is thrown my way. (So, I can handle the snow and single digit temperatures but not the rain? What, am I going to melt? Mess up my hair?)

Actually, the real reason for always avoiding rain is to avoid the wet shoe syndrome. Nothing about soaked shoes and bunched up wet socks appeals to me.

The first mile was dry from the skies AND, bonus, my Good For You lady called out to me! I hadn't seen her in a while, so that was a very nice treat! I need to change her name, though, because now she waves and yells out, "Hello, Dear!" Fabulous!

Right after the first mile, the rain returned. Drat! At least it was 50 degrees, and, fortunately, I had sense enough to leave Elly at home. If you think stopping to pick up her business rocks the pace of a run, think about what her stopping to futiley shake the water off of her every 20 yards does! My only real hope was finishing with dry shoes because it got to the point that the rain was coming down in steady sheets. But, luck was on the side of my shoes, and I finished just in time before the water really permeated my Lightening-Titanium-Periwinkle shoes!

Mostly dry shoes! Hooray!
(Doesn't Jacques look exhausted from his not-doing-anything stint?)

You can't beat a successful outing. Take THAT rain! It's nice to find out that what you always avoided wasn't really that bad when having to face it. Another winning running moment! And, a winning Monday to you -- see you on Rest Day!

Totally Fabulous!

As promised, Aaron suited up this morning to join me for our fast-walking-jogging combo! It's been so much fun going with him all two times, and this morning was no exception! See, there he is all happy to be out there!

So very happy ...!

We'd been talking most of the time by this point which is when we had the following exchange:

Aaron: Sorry, I think I've been distracting you.
Me: From what?
Aaron: From finding money!
Me: Umm, do you really think my eyes haven't been scanning while we've been moving? Besides, you can't find money every day.
Aaron: We call those sad days.

It was also at this point that we saw this:

Fabulous! Right in the middle of kind-of-nowhere!

THEN, check ... this ... out ...:

Look closely ...

Need a closer look?

AWESOME!!

We often hear owls around here but never see them. How cool is this fellow?! He, on the other hand, did not find me too cool ... he let me get just so close, and right when I was taking just one more step, he flew to another tree and very effectively camouflaged himself. He's not as into the paparazzi as Elly.

THAT made getting up and running worth it! And, with only one mile to go from here, my running pal and I cruised the rest of it and headed home all proud of ourselves!

Hooray! Fun to run together!

See you after the morning run! (Hey, Christmas is coming ... shouldn't a Rest Week be approaching?! Ohhh ... the wheels, they are a-turning now!)

List To Accomplish

We did some Christmas travel and visiting today, so I figured I've have nothing to say about running because, well, I didn't do any. (None. Zero. As planned.) That was my assumption until I had the following conversation with Aaron in the car. Keep in mind that a few days ago, he agreed to be my running partner tomorrow:

Aaron: Tomorrow, there are 4 things I definitely want to accomplish.
Me: Oh, yeah?
Aaron: Yes. Blah-Blah-Blah and Blah (details boring for you, but he did use real words)
Me: Hmm ... interesting that 'running with me' is not one of those things to accomplish.
Aaron: Well, that was a given because you already knew about that.
Me: Interesting seeing as I also already knew about three of the four things you mentioned ...

Honest oversight? Or, passive way of letting me know that getting up early in the cold to exercise is not his idea of a good time? No matter because he's going.

In the meantime, enjoy one of the prizes I got from my Mom and Dad today. It has nothing to do with running whatsoever. But, I don't care because it's awesome:

We'll see you after the morning run!

Rest Only From Running

It might be Rest Day, but there hasn't been much rest from the time I finished yesterday's run to right now! It's totally okay and how life rolls some times, but this is the kind of time frame where I have to remind myself that the Rest part of today applies only to my running intentions ...!

So, one of the things on today's docket was grocery shopping. I don't typically mind the idea of grocery shopping, but I tend to not like the reality of it by the time I'm finished. What often makes it easier is the cue I took from my mom and implemented into my own life: when I was younger, she often rewarded herself in some way on grocery shopping day. Usually, the reward was a salad from the store's salad bar to take home and enjoy after everything was put away. So, today, I wandered over to the deli section and bought myself these:

You might recall I first bought the whole wheat with flax variety. They're fabulous, but I wanted to try another kind, too. So, I came home, put away everything (which felt like a little marathon in the kitchen and up and down the stairs multiple times ... yay for running to condition myself for grocery shopping and laundry days!), and I made myself this:

Eat your heart out, Subway ...

This should give you a better idea of what size this is:

I should probably mention that's a 7-inch side/sandwich plate.

That breakfast was fabulous ... I microwaved the bread for 20 seconds, put on 2 egg whites, a pinch of cheese (literally a pinch, not like a fist full and I'm calling it a pinch!), a couple of black olives sliced and a mess of black pepper. Mmm ... mmm ... mmm ... AND it totally re-energized me (as I seemed to have left most of my energy at the grocery store ...).

With that, I continue on with Rest-and-by-that-I-mean-no-running Day, and I'll see you tomorrow. The weekend days are flipped, so I get two Rest Days in a row with Sunday's run scheduled with my Best Pal! WooHoo!! Enjoy your Friday however full it is!

Runners Club

Elly is no fan of the running
club because it means she
doesn't get to join me in the
morning. Poor puppy.

Twice a week, I facilitate a running club at Pit Crew #3's school. They have a loop to run, and they are free to run it as many or as few times as they choose until the bell rings. My job is to keep track of their laps, and, of course, I get to cheer them on.

Some of the kids run with gusto. I mean to tell you, they are chomping at the bit to start, and they want to go-go-GO as many laps as possible. Others have more modest goals in mind, but they are happy with and so proud of the those they've set. There are also those who come out to walk. Every one of them has an individual idea of what makes this club fun.

I watch these kids and get giddy with joy for them because I can't help but thinking back to being their age and knowing I had absolutely not one ounce of desire to do what they are doing. I was okay with running after a soccer ball, but, beyond that, you probably could have gotten me to run only if you poked me with a stick.

While the purpose of the group from the adult point of view is to provide a fun way to socially exercise, all the kids know is that they are having a blast reaching for whatever goal they have set for themselves. And, without a doubt, they are very proud of themselves. It is my privilege to witness what is happening out there.

After my duties there, I go run myself. It was a very uneventful run, but at the end, I noticed that my hair looked an awful lot like Ed Grimley's:

That's truly unfortunate.

Oh well, that's what the shower is for! See you tomorrow on Rest Day!

Such a Lucky Duck!!

After waking up to the rain pounding the roof around 5:30 a.m., there is no way I thought I'd be able to run outside. Luck was on my side, though, and it let up right before I headed out!! Can I even tell you how much that excited me?! What a lucky duck! And, you're lucky, too, because now I'm not whining about using the treadmill!! Everyone wins!!

So, I was half way into the run when it did start sprinkling. Drat! I was not thrilled about having to go the rest of the way in the rain, but, seriously, what do you do? You're exactly half way from the start which also means exactly half way from the finish. There's not much choice there. You just keep going!

Fortunately, even the sprinkling let up just minutes later. I consider that a reward for my positive just-keep-going attitude (You didn't know I had powers over the weather, did you? This is the point where you also need to recall I have a very vivid imagination that I kick into gear while running ...)

Then, check it out: I stopped running, took my very short cool-down walk, and blam-o:

I could not have timed this run better if I'd tried!! Victory!

Another victory runs rampant in our house -- For my birthday, my friend Cindy gave me the Pampered Chef kitchen tool that lets you make oil-free baked sweet potato chips in your microwave!! Yee-Haw!! We had a yummy side of them with dinner last night!!

Seriously good and seriously good for you. Double the winnings there!

So, I found no money today, but I didn't get rained on. I also caught my post-run Diet Coke when it started falling over in my car. I totally win. May your day be full of all kinds of victories, too ... it's the variety of victories that make it all fun! See you after the run tomorrow!