Week 3 Run Recap

Week 3 was another super short mileage week. Just didn’t have time to run more with everything going on with my relocating back to SF BAY AREA. Ran 3 days and longest as 5.2 miles.
I am now on the road in route to the bay area. Currently in Oxford, MS. I hope to get a run in tomorrow morning and then a good breakfast at a place called Bottletree Bakery that is suppossed to be pretty good. Then, I will be able to say I have run in Mississippi

I feel like I need to find a race to do soon. Even maybe just a 5 or 10k! Maybe I can find one wherever my travels take me to this weekend. I’m hoping to run quite a bit along this road trip.

Week 3: Approx total miles: 12

Stay strong, healthy and hungry for your dreams! ONWARD!

Week 2 Run Report

Only ran 3 days during the 2nd week of the year. Had a lot going on and plus Week 1 was a pretty good start in terms of volume. Best runs was on Sunday. Ran outside on one of my normal routes and didn’t have to much of a plan regarding pace, but I wanted to do 5-6 miles. I was feeling ok but really couldn’t judge my pace because my freaking GARMIN 110 has completely died and I am wearing my regular NIKE watch with doesn’t have GPS.
Let me take a moment to gripe about GARMIN for a minute. My first GARMIN watch was the 205 which I wore for quite sometime without much problem except that it did take a while to find the GPS signal much of the time. It died about a year ago and I felt like I got good “mileage” out of it. I bought my first 110 about 18 months ago and within a few months, it was giving me problems. Luckily, Garmin replaced it, without requiring a receipt. However, they replaced it with a different color. The gave me the one with a PINK stripe on it, as opposed to the all BLACK one which is the one I bought. PINK! ICK! But, oh well right…was glad I got it back and it worked fine for about a year. Then, the HR monitor stopped working. OK. I just let it go and moved on. Then, the whole damn thing just DIED. BLANK. Nothing there! Should have been fully charged. BLANK.
Suffice it to say, I am done with GARMIN. To pay their prices for a product that lasted a year is just not worth it. Until I get super anal about having my pace at my disposable every second of every run, I will be fine to just run with my sturdy NIKE watch…which I’ve had for about 6 years and no problems, by the way. I map the distance in my car afterwards or on mapmyrun.com — same thing i did before having a GPS watch. Ok. enough about that!

So, the Sunday run…I felt good first couple of miles which are the ones with the most hilly portions. I knew after about 2.5 miles that my pace had accelerated, but couldn’t tell how much. I was feeling good and happy and it was a gorgeous day and good running temperatures. As I approached the 40 minute mark, I knew from past runs approximately where I was in terms of mileage and I figured my pace was pretty good. I came to a short downhill section and sped up and then finished with a about another half-mile of a rolling section. That last section, I just turned it on a found a deeper gear. Lungs were stretching, thighs were burning, heart was pounding. End result = 5.2 miles @ 8:41 pace. BEST PACE IN A WHILE. HAPPY RUNNER!

2012 Week 2 – approx 13 miles

**Big things happening. Last day at my current employer/job is tomorrow, FRIDAY! Next Monday, I plan to leave Atlanta and make my way back home to San Francisco in my sporty BMW. Hope I don’t hit any snow. Everyone keep their phones handy for a 911 call from me!

Week 1 Run Report

The first week of 2012 started off pretty good with the running. I mixed in treadmill with street running and felt ok. I did start to notice my longest run, my 6.4 miler, didn’t feel too great toward the second half. That could be for a variety of reasons: 1) my weekly mileage was higher than lately 2) overall fatigue 3) stress effects

As mentioned in previous posts, I have been running steadily, but low mileage. I’ve been enjoying it and for the most part, having more quality sessions. I want to keep up both, the quality and enjoyment.

I have not yet decided on any races for 2012, but I know I will NOT be running the Birmingham Half Marathon in February. I should be already moved to California by then, so that race is out. A bit of a bummer as I LOVE that race! (hmmmm, maybe I should try to find a race to run while I am driving cross country!)

My favorite runs this week were the 2 days of treadmill running on Jan 1st and 2nd. 5 miles each time at 9:14 pace, which is good for me right now. A good pace to start the year and only get better as i train to achieve my main near term goal of running a half marathon under 2 hours!

I’ve been running some of the same routes lately…especially one in particular…a route thru the Druid Hills neighborhood/Emory University. It’s beautiful, quiet with various small hills both up and down and it just plain fuels me!! I am soaking in all my moments. Taking it all in.

My last run of the week was just a short 3.5 miler on treadmill on Sunday.

Afterwards though, I did some weights/strength training and then saw another opportunity.
I love running stairs! When I run stairs, I usually run the ones in our stairwell post run outside. 6 good flights.
But, I saw these and figured, “why not?!”
So, I got some good repeats on these bad boys done as well.

Felt awesome. It’s one thing to push yourself, but can you push yourself when it seemingly doesn’t matter, when no one is around but you. Can you? Do it. Push yourself. Amaze yourself. Feel freaking awesome!

The Shoes I’ve been running in most lately are these:

THE KSWISS KWICKY BLADE-LIGHT. Awesome Shoe! An incredibly light shoe coming in a 8oz. I love the feel of it. It’s the lightest shoe I’ve ever run in. I thought the K-ONA’s were light at 9oz and this is even lighter and I can feel the difference. My foot feels snug and comfortable and I feel FAST. FASTER.
I wasn’t sure I would like the color when I looked at it on website, but when I put them on, I loved the color and the feel of shoe.

I have been exclusively doing my road running in K-SWISS shoes for about 2 years now and I can’t see any reason to stop. They make some good shoes.

2012 Week 1 – approx 23 miles

Hope YOUR 2012 has started off well. Onward. Let’s go.

Catapult

CATAPULT; to thrust, move suddenly or quickly

I first came to Atlanta in 1999, July. Moved here from San Francisco, which always surprises people. WHY would you move from San Francisco to Atlanta? It’s not an easy thing to explain, but I will try….see if you can follow along.

I had been to Atlanta twice before moving and had spent time here and LOVED it. The landscape is unlike anything out west. A bounty of trees, so damn lush and gorgeous. Maybe like a drop dead gorgeous woman so that when you see her, you just stop and stare. Soak her in. That is the Atlanta landscape. (not so much in winter, but you get the picture)

Atlanta is enough Southern so that one does feel it, in a good way. The slower pace, the true Southern Ways. You know..people of all ages addressing one as “ma’am” and “sir”. I find it endearing. People are kind here…and yes, many Southern Charmers. And contrary to popular misconceptions, Atlanta is VERY metropolitan. Very. Even more so now than when i moved here in 1999.

So…that is a little of what DREW me to this Southern City. Looking back, I also believe I needed to leave the Bay Area, which is more accurate to say. I didn’t leave San Francisco. I left the Bay Area. I left the Bay Area that had had so many very difficult memories for me. Very difficult and very painful. If you know my story, you understand. One might say I was “running” away from them, but I don’t see it that way. I really view it as something I needed to do for me. I needed to leave the nest. Surprisingly, it was pretty easy to leave. I was excited for an entire new place, new opportunities and to see what I could do on my own. I am a firm and loud believer in wandering. I think more people should do it. You can discover a lot about yourself while wandering. I, was wandering…

Almost 13 years have now passed. Wow. In many ways, I feel like I really “grew up” here in Atlanta. Became an adult. Been very focused on my career and have enjoyed that process. My running has also truly accelerated here. I did my first BIG RACE in January 1999 (before moving) in San Francisco; The Home Depot Half-Marathon. My finish time was 2:01:43 — a record i am still trying to break! After that race, I was hooked and proceeded to run and run while living in Atlanta. Luckily for me, my living situation/income etc has allowed me to travel for many races. 13 years later. Still very much hooked on the running.

One of the biggest issues of my life has been a constant nagging feeling of feeling like i belong anywhere. I think maybe we all have one or two or three or…nagging issues, don’t we?? Well, this is mine. It’s been huge. It is constant and can be a real freakin’ downer. DOWNER!

Well…I realize that I have a part in perpetuating this feeling. Some of it is real and true and some of it is stuff I create. There are people who know me, who really know me. Who really love me. And I have chosen to be far away from them. Well, that will certainly help me feel like i don’t belong and not connected. Duh!

Throughout my years in Atlanta, I have been unhappy on a deeper, spiritual level. For whatever reason, I have not been able to create the kind of relationships or community that helps sustain me on the inside and I think we all need that as part of our life. I read back to journals from 3, 5 years ago and read where I question why i am still living in Atlanta. Obviously, living here for as long as I have, there have been reasons for me to stay. I have been fulfilled here it some ways, but ultimately, for me, it has been like a spiritual desert. Over these 13 years, I have traveled back to the Bay Area to visit friends and more and more, those visits have provided me with a shot of the best juice i could possibly give myself. And it hasn’t just been my friends…it’s been the place…the San Francisco Bay Area…the water, the culture, the diversity, the abundance of so many good things….I kept going back to visit to get INJECTIONS of all this good stuff. Each time I have been back, over the last 5 years especially, I appreciate the place more and more. There is truly no place like it. I’ve been around the country a few times, so i feel i can legitimacy say those words! Back in October/November, I was having one of the worst times of my life and where did I seek comfort and nourishment…back in the Bay Area with my friends, who are my family. This past year, 2011, I traveled to the Bay Area 4 times. I finally got the message.

Things in my work environment have changed and it’s definitely time for me to leave a situation. It definitely has had good points, but I think when one becomes quiet enough, the message is there in the quiet, inner space. My message has been to leave a situation that no longer suits me. A relationship at work that is no longer serving me. Sometimes, we just have to move on and that’s what it is for me. Time to move on.

So. Yes. I am going home. Finally going home. I’m excited and a bit nervous, but mostly excited. I’ve been thinking about this for a loooong time and finally have gotten the courage to take the leap. As mentioned, 2011 was a tough year. However, it was a spontaneous meeting by the water with a friend with a red rooster in my hand that helped catapult this decision. At that moment, my year changed and ultimately, the direction of my life.

With a deep breath, I look forward to 2012 and all of its challenges and opportunities and adventures. I hope you’ll follow me along the way.

Onward…

p.s. so much more to say, but will save for a later time

Giving a Mile

One day last week, I found myself out of my normal coming home routine. My errands after work took me in a different direction and I ended up coming home from the opposite direction I usually do. And it was now dark. I was tired and ready to go home.

I was backed up at a stoplight and to my left, I noticed a young woman and little girl. They were attempting to cross the street, not at the cross walk, but in the middle. I was just watching them and hoping they would make it ok. THe young woman was carrying about 3 bags of groceries, plus a suitcase and she had her little girl. I kept watching and they made it across the street to the nearby bus stop, which i figured that was where they were headed. All within a matter of 1-3 minutes, I watched her and wondered what her life was like and where she was going. I thought, “maybe i should offer her a ride. no, don’t. that’s kinda weird. Is it? No, offer her a ride. What’s gonna happen? She doesn’t look like a killer.”

As they were at the bus stop, my car line began to move and i quickly turned into the nearest driveway. I hopped out and said,
“hey, how far you going?”
Her reply: “just down to the InTown Motel”
“ok, i know where that is. Can i give you a lift? Looks like you got a lot going on there.”
Smiling, she said, “yeah, thanks. We just missed the bus.”

I put the groceries in the trunk and her and little girl (almost 3 yrs old) got into front seat. I asked the little girl if she was ready for Christmas and Santa. Smiling big, she said, ‘yes.”

About a mile or so up the road, I pulled into the Motel and noticed the sign that says, “$149 per week.” Made me think even more about her life and such. A young gal and her tot just coming back “home” with hands full of groceries….

They got out of the car and thanked me.

***I don’t share this story for virtual “pats on the back”. I share this story because I hope to inspire and motivate all of us to notice. To notice the other people around us. We all get so consumed by our own lives…not a bad thing and we all do it. Part of being human. But, there are so many opportunities out there that if we noticed, we could make a big difference doing a small thing. Would it have been a big deal for her to wait for the bus and ride bus a mile down the road? No. But, it was the fact that I noticed and cared enough about another human being. Whether someone is struggling or not, it’s always such a wonderful thing for someone to SEE YOU and to CARE. I think we can all do more. be more. to our fellow human beings.
peace.***

I don’t know

Perhaps one of the easiest cop outs of all time is “I don’t know”. Makes me think of different situations when we, as people, “use” this line.
Do you love so and so? I don’t know
What do you want to eat tonight? I don’t know
What do you to do with your life? I don’t know
Should I leave this relationship? I don’t know
Should I get a pet? I don’t know
You get the picture…

Do we know the answers and are simply afraid and before we even know it, we say those 3 small words…3 small words that can sometimes trap you for days, years, a lifetime, even.
Obviously, deciding what to have for dinner is much easier than some other big life decisions. But, I do believe that many times, we use the “I don’t knows” as a cop out for making decisions and “going” for it. It’s easier. It’s a lot safer. And there is nothing wrong with either safety or ease…just important to stay conscious about why we sometimes are unable to make decisions. Fear can grab a hold of you and squeeze pretty tightly if you let it. Fear can mask itself as deep confusion, if you let it linger long enough.
Sometimes we are afraid to say what we want, out loud, to ourselves, to another person, to the world. We get hesitant and cautious. Sometimes, those are good signs,too, and definitely need to be paid attention to…but how do you know the difference?
Ah hell, I don’t know….

Running Renaissance

Not sure why or how, but lately it sure seems I am experiencing a running renaissance. This may come as a surprise to some of you. So, let’s look at what renaissance means: A renewal of life, vigor, interest.

As you might recall, I had such a tough summer of training. No need to go into any further details since it has all been already documented here.

The Fall rolled around and I felt I barely made it to SF for the half marathon on my birthday in Sept. Then, I thought….I am going to rest. Just chill and take a break from the running for a while. Well, what is “awhile”?

In my mind, I thought I would try to not run at all for about a month. Well, that didn’t happen. I just couldn’t sit still. Plus, the Fall is such an awesome time to be outside. The temperatures cool, the humidity falls away and becomes nonexistent. How could I not want to be running in this weather?? And, I feel that FALL running sorta adds it’s own natural/organic inspiration. The scenery, the environment completely changes and it’s such a natural time of reflection and contemplation. The air seems fresher, cleaner and like I can breathe deeper. So, I’ve been taking deeper breaths as I am rounding the corners and crunching on leaves and feeling the Fall air on my arms, face, fingers.

I feel my legs moving more swiftly as I tackle the hills of the Atlanta neighborhoods. My legs feel lighter, my entire body feels lighter, even weightless at times. I face the hills and I am running up them with a quickness that has surprised me. I am getting to the tops with less effort than I remember from the past. Most of my runs have all beeen with negative splits, which feels awesome! Where has all this come from?
I’m sure part of it is the volume has come way down! Today, for the first time ever, I thought back to the summer training and do believe I ran a bunch of junk miles. JUNK MILES = miles just to get in miles thinking I needed more when in fact I didn’t. An important lesson.
I didnt know it then, but I can recognize it now and apply this to my future training.
Perhaps part of this “renaissance” I am experiencing is also due to the break in a specific goal or a specific race in mind. I think I needed the break from that kind of self inflicted pressure. Looking back to the first 6 months of the year as I tried to break 2 hours in the half marathon distance….I put a lot of pressure on myself to accomplish it. Came close, but failed. Then, immediately afterwards, signed up for the full marathon and summer training. More pressure. In the midst of all this self inflicted pressure was also dramatic changes in my work life that came with real external pressure. I think it all just got to me. Now, for the record, let me clarify: I actually like pressure. Like the challenge of it. However, like everything in life, there is a limit and I definitely bumped up against mine. And obviously, I like goals and setting them, etc…. I just needed a break from them since I had a specific running goal for about 9 months.

So, since my last race in Sept, I have been running, but without any specific goal. As of today, there is no race on my calendar. In the last month or so, I have not gone any distance over 6 miles. The coolest part about all this is that I am running FASTER without much extra effort. In fact, I feel like I have NOT focused on effort much at all. Just going out running…I have felt loose, free, light and my mind feels quieter while on the roads.

So, yes. I feel a renewal. See ya on the roads. Lace ‘em up!

Miles and a few Acre’s

Last weekend, I was able to spend a long weekend in the SF Bay Area. If you have followed any of my recent posts, then you will understand when i say it was a much needed break and get-a-way. While on the trip, I was able to run 3 days in a row, which was awesome. No run was over 5 miles, but all were good quality and fun.

Saturday morning, I dragged Alec out. I stayed at his place in SF, and after morning coffee, we went and parked near Kezar Stadium/Golden Gate Park. I wanted to run in the park and end the run in the stadium. We got out of car and went on our separate ways. Alec said he would just walk since he had not run since the 10k in Half Moon Bay on 9/25. I went on my way through GG park. It was a beautiful morning and lots of runners were out taking advantage of such a gorgeous place. I miss running there…such a gorgeous oasis. After 3.25 miles, I was back at Kezar. Another one of my favorite places to run. An open stadium that always inspires and challenges me. Pushes me harder. I decided to run 10 minutes of all stairs. Ran one side of the stadium and then the other side. Then, back to the 1st side one more time. Legs were pushed! Heart was beating fast. Loved it! THAT is my juice. Absolutely.
Oh, before I started at the stadium, I saw Alec. He was running. Yep. Mr. “i’ll just walk” was running and he seemed to be having a good time. yep. Mr. “why do we have to go” was having fun! Alec snapped these pictures. A great start to our Saturday.

Sunday morning, we were in Petaluma. I snuck out early for a run with a friend over at Shollenberger Park. It’s an awesome 2 mile flat loop around a marsh. Such a quiet, beautiful morning. I was a little hesitant to meet there…thinking maybe I wanted to just run through the quiet, quaint streets of Petaluma, but it ended up being perfect. We ran mostly together for the first loop. I hadn’t run with anyone in a long time and it was fun. Fun to talk and then just be quiet and only hear our feet as they made crunchy sounds on the path below us and our steady breathing as runners doing our thing. Awesome. I went for a second loop alone and enjoyed that as well. We sat for a few minutes afterwards and just watched the nature around us. I needed to just sit for a few. To be reminded of the simple. the steady. the things in nature that JUST ARE. There is no judgement, no stress. Just existence. Simply beautiful. We even saw a hawk.
I was able to go for one more run Monday afternoon. I ran from Holly’s place and took a round about way into downtown Petaluma. I do love running there. Streets are so quiet, pretty, not much traffic. Had a little bit of downhill to start and so i knew i’d have some uphill on way back. By the time this run came around, my body was tired. Had gotten little sleep on trip and had drank some. Not much, but back to back nights of drinking + no sleep = tired body. I thought of ending the run at the BOTTOM of the .5 mile hill back up to Holly’s house. Then, I thought of how absolutely wimpy that would be, so I put my head down and pumped the legs and my arms. The first 3/4 of the hill is a good gradual uphill that keep increasing in steepness. Then, there’s a turn and the last 1/4 of the hill is just brutal. Nothing but a lung bursting, quad busting, heart burning kind of hill. An awesome way to finish.

In between great visits with friends, I took a stroll along one of my old favorite neighborhoods in Santa Rosa. I wanted to see if the Gingko leaves had fallen yet. Most of the trees were still full. I was slightly bummed.

Not nearly enough leaves for me to shuffle through…..

I also had some coffee while I was away. And, I hate to admit it, but I cheated on Peet’s more than once. I did have Peet’s in SF, but when we went to Petaluma, I ventured out. I have a few reasons for this; the Peet’s in Petaluma is probably one of the ONLY locations I do not like. The place does not have good energy and it is not comfortable to sit there. A big bummer! Also, i had heard about a new coffee place right in downtown called Acre. So, of course, i had to go and see what the hoopla was about and see if it met my particular standards. HA.

So. What was the verdict of Acre? Loved it. It has light wood colors inside and feels soft. The music playing all 3 times I was there was on the quieter side. They have ample seating, even one long “family style” table. Each individual table has a little lamp. Get this? There is a typewriter. Yes, an honest to god old typewriter that anyone can use. Pretty cool. I even used it. So, I give it an A on the Atmosphere.
The coffee? My first taste was a purchased for me small cappuccino. It was the perfect size and very good. Not too much milk, which is as it should be. My second taste was regular coffee. It was good, not as strong as I usually prefer, but still a good cup of java.
I went back on another day for another cappuccino because I wanted it in a “for here” mug. For some reason, it was not as good as the day before, so that was kinda disappointing. Maybe it was me and my taste buds or maybe some inconsistency. Guess I will just have to keep going back.

Today, I ran for 1st time in 6 days. Hadn’t run since last Monday due to the traveling back to ATL, catching up, and then feeling sick since Friday morning. Ran 4 miles today even though still a lil sick. But, what is it that they say?
Oh yeah, “in sickness and in health”

Keep Movin’

lately

Been forced to do quite a bit of thinking and evaluating lately about ATTACHMENT and AUTONOMY and CONTROL. Well…i feel like these thoughts have been all consuming for a while, but even more intensely the last 3 weeks or so.

ATTACHMENT (defined): a feeling that binds one to a person, thing, cause, ideal or the like.

Why do we get so attached to things or ideas or causes? Why does it feel so torturous when the “string” is cut, so to speak? Sure, it’s super easy to just keep thinking, “just let go, just let go”, but when you feel like the thing or ideal is as much a part of you as your arm or leg, it’s hard to “let go.”
When the “string is cut”, it DOES feel like the rug has been pulled out from underneath and of course, all hell breaks loose inside. No one likes that feeling. Of course, Pema Chodron, the great buddhist nun author has a field day with the whole rug thing:
“Everything is changing all the time and we keep wanting to pin it down. to fix it. So whenever you come up with a solid conclusion, let the rug be pulled out. You can pull out your own rug and you can also let life pull it out for you. Having the rug pulled out from under you is a big opportunity to change your DNA. One way to pull out your own rug is by letting go, lightening up, being more gentle and not making such a big deal.”

Whew. Gosh, why does it sound so easy?

And then there’s this whole thing about Autonomy!
Autonomy (defined): Independence or Freedom

Well, that’s been me in a nutshell. If you ask anyone in my life to describe me, INDEPENDENT, is most likely a word that would come up. I didn’t just get that way last year or 5 years ago. I have been that way my ENTIRE life. First by circumstances and then buy choice.

If you see a wild and free animal out and about doing their thing and then all of a sudden, they become captured and are forced to live in a cage, you can probably guess that said animal is not happy. Might become angry, might “fight” against and with their captors. And then who knows, all hell might break loose. Makes perfect sense. For the first time, I finally get what all the hoopla is about regarding endangered species. I do. I understand. More than I want to.

And then there is this thing about CONTROL! So, I guess I have discovered how much of a control freak I can be. Let me just say I have NEVER EVER described myself as such in the past. But, the events of the past month or so have shined the light so ever brightly on this oh-so-endearing characteristic that I was nearly blinded. In fact, I may have been blinded for a few hours due to the stinging “headlight” in my face. As I think about autonomy and control, i can’t help but wonder if the two go hand in hand. Are independent people more controlling than others? Hmmm…

So, Controlling+Autonomy+Attachment is what I am wrestling with. The bight lights, the full length mirror are in my face, following me around. I need to be the humble student, but it’s not easy.

You know…I’ve actually prided myself all along on being very good with attachment stuff…HA. Who knew that my work was not attachment to a person but to a thing, a process, an ideal…

(THUMP) Did you hear that? That was my ass hitting the ground as the rug just got pulled out from under me.

Life-Line

So… even though I have not written about running lately, I have been. Running, that is.

Of course, I am always changing my mind when it comes to training and the level of training. Before my last race and while I was in the midst of feeling so much physical difficulty, I said I would back off after my birthday run and really give my body a chance to rest. HA.

As you recall, if you have been a reader of this blog, I had a disappointing (understatement) marathon training segment this past summer. Several factors played into what happened to me physically and mentally, but at the end of the day, it was just flat out disappointing. I felt slow, exhausted, never good enough, and wasn’t really having any fun. I was also on a vegetarian nutrition plan and went quite a while with no alcohol or sweets. I felt consumed with training and yet, I was not getting the results I wanted and again, I really wasn’t having any fun. I now also realize I was completely discounting how much some other things in my life were affecting my training. Work had been extremely stressful and some personal stuff was also difficult this summer. So… i had a perfect cocktail recipe for a tough time with no balance and we know that a life out of balance is a perfect recipe for disaster. Physically, i felt like a disaster and of course, I hated that feeling. I like to feel fit, healthy and “ready to go”. I’m only now realizing all the things that played into the “disaster” and how it all got created.
Making that decision back in September to drop from Marathon to Half Marathon felt excruciatingly difficult…as if my life depended on it…Of course, it didn’t, and some people may even wonder what the big deal is. Like anything else, when something is important to you, perhaps only you truly understand your decision making process and the feelings associated with it. Of course, it was not the end of the world. Life went on and I went on to run a respectable half-marathon.

Since that race, I have definitely cut back on the amount of training. I am only running 2-4 days a week and I have not focused much at all on the number of miles. I have mostly focused on speed and I have felt better than I have in a LOOOONG time. I have been having some of my best runs in terms of TIME/PACE and most importantly, I have been thoroughly enjoying myself. I have been pushing my pace and been loving it. It’s been so awesome to feel my legs turning over faster, my arms pumping faster and my breathing deeper. My lungs have been burning and my quads have been aching from my faster paces. I have been running hilly routes and not losing my stride. I have been pushing through and then zooming on the downhill sections. SO FREAKING FUN. Fun like I am cycling down a fast, fast hill and I am flying down it. I feel free.

And today’s run was kinda a snapshot of the ones I have experienced lately.
I went out thinking I would go 5 or 6 with only a few very moderate incline/declines along the way.
I had run a “fast” 3 miles last night at 5pm, and today’s run would be done less than 24 hours after that so i wasn’t sure how my legs would respond.
I parked in Virginia-Highlands, slipped on my iPod, and off I went on a crisp late morning in Atlanta.
The instrumental version to “Empire State of Mind” by Katy Perry was the 1st song that played and I was in my moment. AAHHHHHHH —
I ran on and found my stride. By 2nd mile, i could feel my legs getting a little tired. I took some water and trucked on up the hill and was super focused. I ran through Inman Park and into The Old 4th Ward. Mile 3 passed. Flat stretch and a little downhill now. Just hoping to hit the green lights and I did. Faster, faster. 4 miles done. Realized I was only gonna run 5. Dug in and stepped it up. Found a deeper gear. Mile 5 done.
5 miles at 8:56 pace per mile. Faster than I have run in a few years, at least. Felt fucking awesome!
I’m so looking forward to my 10k race next Saturday.

It’s worth noting that during this time of faster results in training and feeling more joy in the process, I have not been nearly as “focused” or as much of a stickler on my nutrition…i.e.. i am eating red meat once a week to help with iron levels, i am taking a multivitamin, i am drinking when I feel like it and i am enjoying my cookie cravings.

When I completed my run, I had to walk about half mile up the hill to where my car was parked. Alicia Keys’ version of “Empire State of Mind” came on the pod and I was singing loudly as I walked up the street. Then, I kept throwing my little water bottle up in the air and catching it and then throwing it and running to catch it…a la football. It was pure joy, I tell you. PURE. I wish I could have seen my face or taken a video clip of this true, simple, and joyful moment. I was so full.

Running… one of my life-lines.

Zoom Zoom.