Don’t worry. You didn’t miss a holiday or anniversary. I mean it’s somebody’s birthday and it’s somebody’s anniversary. It is, also, National Milk Chocolate Day…so, go eat a Hershey bar!
In a “ohmygosh…how did I not see this before” moment, I realized Nike+ adds my miles up for me each month. I don’t know how I’ve missed this information before. I will say, it takes all the fun out of using the calculator. Seriously, computers are taking all the fun out of everything. They do so many things we were taught to do in school. Do you even buy your child a calculator for school anymore? Don’t you just buy them a cellphone so they have a calculator and cheat-tool in one?! There I go again. Seriously, thank you Nike+, I’m not sure what I’ll do with all this free time? And, now I’m going to obsessively check my mileage online. So much for that free time….
With this discovery came this great knowledge that I’m sitting here having run 99.91 this month after this morning’s run (It’s July 28th…see why I wished you a happy day?!). These are, solely, training miles. (Yes, I count race miles when I run races. Do you?! A race counts, right?! You’re running after all!) Back to my incredible point. THERE ARE THREE DAYS LEFT IN THIS MONTH. I’m hitting that century mark and I’ll keep on going! Feeling strong! And, while the excitement fills my veins, I would like to make it my goal to continue with the century streak for the remaining 2013 months…shouldn’t be too hard with marathon training. A little challenge come November…unless…I have a something on the horizon to keep my feet happy! (And this is especially exciting for me because I had a lot of trouble finding the joy in running at the start of this year. I barely ran at all. It feels good to have my heart back in it!)
And more happy news…
I signed up to run with a pacer…AND I received a little “thank you” box with goodies!
I’ve never run with a pacer. Never thought about it. Until recently. Still thinking about it. Have you run with a pacer? What did you think?
AND my socks came in the mail last week! YAY!
HAPPY RUNNING! And, what are you waiting for…go get that Hershey bar! Like I said, Happy 28th of July!
This post could, also, be accurately titled, “Obsess Much?!” but I feel I’ve used that title…maybe not…whatever. I’m too lazy to check. So, this week, it was back to work. Ahh.
Last week, on the many adventures, I had the most brilliant of ideas…because all of my ideas are BRILLIANT until they are not. Since I’ve realized my strength…I’m sticking with brilliant. (Or, some synonym of the like but again, I’m lazy…)
My idea was to wake up before I needed to get up for work, run a little, clean up, go to work, have a great afternoon and then run my training runs in the evening. And, I did. Turns out, by Friday, I had added an extra mile to the morning run AND I ran in the RAIN! (My shoes even made a horrible squish sound for the last mile! I just kept wishing my wish, Please no blisters!) I’m over all this whining about the heat. It’s summer, folks, it’s suppose to be hot. Run or don’t. Kind of like running up hills, I like a challenge, even if it doesn’t quite sound like a quality challenge. Hey, you, I ran in the heat and humidity. Works for me. Sounds like a great accomplishment!
i’m not sweaty…just rain-y!my poor shoes…luckily they dried!
These last few months, I haven’t had the opportunity to run many races. Whatever. BUT. Things are looking up for the fall. I didn’t run and didn’t have anyone to run with but that’s okay. Maybe, in this time, I was suppose to learn multiple lessons…that of strength, of true friends, of courage, of my own self-worth, and how to mend a broken heart. Oh, there I go again…off-topic…. I registered for a trail half marathon. There’s this long blah-blah-blah explanation of the process but I didn’t read the whole thing. A friend from run club who’s an ultra runner and genuinely encouraged my initial trail racing (and tolerates my silly questions), told me about this race last year but it was already too late in the multiple steps of registration. (See above…lots of directions for this one.) I hope that I have one of the lucky numbers in this lottery!
Then, last Sunday, during “Sunday Call-In” with my family…oh, wait. I digress…a-gain. I just want to point out that my family is really cool. While leaving on Saturday, my dad said, “We’ll talk tomorrow…. It’s Sunday!” Because after six days and 979 miles of adventures, we were going to have something new to talk about 36 hours later. And we did.
Sunday Call-In looks like this. FaceTime. I’m always at my desk. My parents are always sitting next to each other on their couch. They look like they are being filmed for a documentary about cute couples…sometimes my dad will say something and my mom just looks at him and laughs. Then he shrugs. They’re cute. Oh, where was I?!
So, again, a Brilliant idea. I really need to bottle up this brain power. It can’t last forever. I found a “local” race to run the week I visit my family. No big deal, right?! Except, nothing is really “local.” The way I figure it, and as I explained to my family, I get up at 4am, drive to the race, run, and return. I mean what else is there to do in the country on a Sunday at 4am. Aside from sleeping, checking on the neighbors chickens… Whatever. My dad questioned it a little and said the whole, “well, if that’s what you want to do….” My mom was just smiling. Subjects changed. And then later, my dad said, he thought he go with me to the race, sleep in my car for 1 1/2 hours, and then walk to the finish to take some pictures of me…you, know, if I decide to run the race! Pretty cool!
I’m lucky to have a supportive family.
And, I continue on the with the obsessive lists of races to run….
ALERT: I am changing the subject a-gain…
So, this whole, “two-a-days” has depleted my summer running clothes. I had to do laundry before the weekend! HAHA! On any given day, if you asked what is the most essential running item, I’d give a different answer. Ask enough and I think “Balega socks” would come up more often. I LOVE THEM! I’ve tried Feetures, SmartWool…others. Balega, though, is my one true love! I’m a fan of the female specific socks but after talking the ear off the Balega rep at an Expo, I’m a little “okay” with the unisex socks. At some random-ish, Pacific-coast, running website, I found my favorite No-Show, Ultra Light Balegas in gray and lime. I am currently stalking the UPS website for their arrival. And, then, oh, then, I looked for more. I mean they are my FAVORITE SOCKS and while I currently have six pairs, they can’t last forever and they can’t get me through these next few weeks of “two-a-days” and, then, oh, then, I FOUND SOCK GEEK! You probably already know all about “him” but I just found him. And, now, I have more socks to stalk for delivery. I will now stop buying socks. Even though I do love them and they are necessary…. They keep my little feet blister free! And that matters. A lot. (Sorry, I realize, I sound like a commercial!)
disgusting! i need more socks…clearly…
I mean I do have races to train for…not just the marathons! (I like to say that, “marathons!” Who would have thought multiple marathons for this gal?!) Like I said, I am waiting for word about the VHTRC (Virginia Happy Trails Running Club) Women’s Half Marathon (trail). I already registered for the Charles 12-Miler and maybe my friend I invited will run, too. It’s nice to have a friend at the end. I registered for the Annapolis Half Marathon. I’m thinking about the Scioto Mile(s) Ten-Miler. And, as I sit here at my desk, I can see the envelope I scribbled all my race ideas on. 1 rule: 1 race per pay period. Because I have a “race allowance” to keep myself in check. Between obsessive searches of socks and races, I’m one tired gal and my wallet would be empty if I didn’t keep myself in check!
runnin' rollin' runnin' 