If you can’t beat the heat, take pictures!

I woke up this morning not feeling right.  I felt the nagging sore throat that I thought I ditched last week, and worse, I felt dizzy.  Hmmm….  Although I considered putting my run off until later in the day, I decided that I had enough non-dizzy moments to get me through a 10K.  So, with Gatorade in one hand and my cell phone in the other (I don’t always run with a phone, but felt it might be smart since my head wasn't yet digging this running thing), I headed out for a 6.2 miler.

Wow, it was warm.  And humid.  By mile 1, my sweat was sweating.  I seemed to be running on a relatively straight path, so the dizziness was clearly abating.  Because I had my phone with me, I thought it would be a fun distraction to take some pictures and share with you my peaceful running route.

Scott and I comment all of the time how much we love where we live.  Most times, we can run 3 abreast without getting killed by a vehicle.  There’s just such a peacefulness around our running neighborhoods.  Here’s a pretty farm I pass early on that’s recently been prepared for its crops:

Pony fences at mile 2 just scream quintessential New England:

Aaah, space….

A crossroad that allows me to add 1 mile to my run (if I go left).  Today, I stayed with my plan and kept right:

Notice the absence of cars?  There were definitely a few, but sometimes I see more runners/cyclists than vehicles. 

Today’s run wasn’t all that energizing because of the humidity, however I did manage to average an 8:47 pace over that 6.2 miles.  It was fun taking pictures, like looking at my same-old-routes through a different lens.  And as usual, I feel 100% better than I did before I left.  Dizziness – gone.  Sore throat – jury’s still out.  Solid, peaceful run to make me feel I can achieve anything – priceless.

Aaaaaahhhhh…

Gooooood run.  Running after work is hard.  After a full day of staring at my computer, it’s hard to motivate myself to get into my running clothes and hit the pavement.  On my way home last night, I got two good motivators in the form of local runners.  I passed one girl, which got me thinking about a run for myself…then passed another girl on my street, which got me motivated about a run for myself.  More than one name-less runner has motivated me to run when I’ve felt too tired, too cranky, too something-or-other.  But that’s a post for another day.

I’ve found a perfect warm up for my weekday runs:  take Bella along for part of it.  She gets some “mama” time with me and some exercise.  I usually take her for 1 mile (½ out, ½ back) and drop her back home before taking off for the remainder of my run.  As a lab, Bella just wants needs to play, sniff, and chase….squirrels, rabbits, snakes (eww).  And she needs to run.  Anything greater than 1 mile though and I risk Bella losing her focus completely.  On Sunday, she surprised me with rallying for 2 full miles.  She can be such a running rockstar when she wants to be. 

So I grabbed her special collar that she associates with “walkieeeeees” or “runs”, which always gets her excited.  We headed towards her ½ mile mark and stopped for her business, then slowed for the 2 barking dogs (electric fence) so she could say HI! or SHUT UP! – not sure which.  On our way back, we got to say HI to Murphy, Bella’s somewhat hyper boyfriend (German short haired pointer).  I then safely deposited my happily panting dog home to cool off by the fan.  Now it was my turn.

It was humid and, since I haven’t run more than 5 miles over the past 2 weeks (vacation and then sick), I purposely kept it slow.  The inactivity over the past week especially has left me sore, with a nagging hamstring and no good reason for it.  Then I just stopped thinking and ran. 

Splits:

1                 8:42

2                 8:23

3                 8:37

4                 8:27

I’m usually spot on with my pace, but from mile 3 to mile 4, I swore I had slowed considerably.  At least I have a good reason for feeling like I was running through molasses.

As Scott cooked us dinner, I sang.  Yeah, running suits me.

What’s behind Curtain #1....

Adjustment Bureau

We watched a very interesting movie last night, Adjustment Bureau (starring Matt Damon), which was very thought provoking.  The concept was that everyone goes along in life on a formal, documented plan.  And if you intentionally or unintentionally veer from the plan, the Adjustment Bureau is right there to make the proper ‘adjustment’.  I won’t give too much away because I think it’s a good one to see.

In real life, how many times do we make decisions we’re not sure of?  Like, almost 100% of the time, right?  Yet we hear stories about someone who, at the last minute, changes flights to later find out the original flight was involved in a fiery crash.  Or we change jobs, thinking the grass is greener, only to find out we have moved completely out of the green pasture into a drab, paved lot.  We make a decision to take what’s behind Curtain #1, but then always wonder, “What if I had chosen Curtain #2…”  

I’m fascinated by how much of a plan we’re all following in our simple lives and how much power we have to change a plan that’s seemingly already set in motion.  16+ years ago, my mother changed her plan dramatically, by quitting her lifelong smoking addiction and becoming active.  15+ years ago, Scott changed his plan by also getting active, which started a healthy new zest for running.  I also took the ‘get active’ route and made a decision to return to school to complete the bachelor’s degree I had started but not finished so long ago.

I don’t know how long Mom would’ve lasted if she hadn’t quit smoking when she did.  I also don’t know how healthy (or not) Scott would be today, had he stayed complacent at his greater weight and unhealthy lifestyle.  I'll never know the job offers I didn’t get before I finally completed my bachelor’s and then my master’s degree.  I do know that questioning past decisions can lead to a paralyzing feeling, so I prefer to look back just long enough to try to learn something (anything!) from past decisions – good or bad.

Making any decision at least signifies a commitment to doing something, right?

So, which curtain do you think my Fall marathon training schedule is hiding behind?? 

The truth is in the tail

One of these days, I will produce a solid running post.  You know, the kind that exudes “I rocked that ## miler!” all over it.  But for now, I’ll just talk about Bella.  It’s easier on my legs.

Yesterday, I went to our great local place that triples as a) store for food, treats, and toys, b) groomer, and c) daycare/boarding.  I just needed food and treats for Bella, so didn’t bring her along.  Besides, she was still thoroughly soaked from our rainy ultimate Kong session at the time.  Bonnie, the woman who grooms all of the dogs, was manning the register.  Since Bella had just spent a week at “puppy camp” while we were in the Grand Canyon, Bonnie struck up a conversation with me as she rung my purchases up.

Bonnie:  Bella had such a good time here last week.  She does really well.

Me:         Thanks!  Actually, I can tell how much she loves it here;  she pulls to come in 
                every time.

Bonnie:  Yeah, most of the dogs are like that.

Me:         I don’t really want to spread the word about you, for fear you’ll get too busy for 
               us!!

How lucky are we (especially Bella) that we found such a wonderful team of people to care for our dog when we have to travel without her.  She plays with all of her friends and I’m sure has some great stories to tell via her wagging tail.  Of course, it behooves Bonnie to speak highly of Bella’s obvious adjustment to her stays there, but really, the truth is in the tail.

That tail don’t lie.

Bella, 3 years ago at 7 weeks old :)

Rainy days and Mondays….er, I mean Saturdays

I don’t mind an occasional rainy Saturday morning.  I don’t even mind running in the rain on a Saturday morning.  I do draw the line at running while there’s lightning.  Change in plans! 

The rain is bouncy and the temperature outside is 55 degrees, but the thunder and lightning have finally ceased.  And since I’ve had enough repeated news coverage of the capture of Whitey Bulger, it’s time for Bella and I to go outside to play!  I called an official “rain delay” for my run, and because it’s my first run since feeling half-dead all week, I’m more liberal with my delay.  Besides, in the spirit of staying in the moment, Bella could really use some play time. 

I pulled out my rain boots, gortex jacket, umbrella, and the beloved Kong.  Bella lives for her Kong.  Most people stuff the Kong with peanut butter for a wonderful canine treat, however Bella uses it as the ultimate retrieving toy.  I swear she prays to the Kong Gods that her Kong will be eternally thrown to her – day and night.  She gets the “day” prayer answered.  Daily.  Actually, hourly.  She’s a lab afterall.

After a solid 40 minutes of drenching retrieving, I rinsed her off in her now rain-filled pool.  She was a muddy mess.  Instant tubby!  We quickly checked our recently constructed vegetable garden, and whoa, it’s almost flooded.  Fortunately, Scott plants in a “mound” fashion, which saved our precious tomato plants from also getting a tubby this morning.

Tomato plant islands

I heard there are 20 states under flood watch or warning right now, so what we’re getting today is really nothing compared to the poor people in those states.  But we’re close to the end of the storm as I wrap this post up, so I guess it’s time to get my butt in gear.  The sun's peeking out, magnifying all the muddy paw prints from this morning's ultimate Kong session.  Wood floor tubby next on the list.

But man, I love my dog :)

Calories….Schmalories!

I’ve never counted calories.  Ever.  Weight Watcher points?  All set with that.  For the most part, I’ve fortunately always been active and on the fit side, enabling me to eat what I want.  And honestly, when it comes to food, I’m lazy.  Yet lately, I’ve found myself more interested in my food choices and the effects on me. 

Just for kicks and giggles, I started tracking my food intake for today, which is easy since it’s only lunchtime as I write this –

Breakfast:    1 slice of peanut butter toast (generous on the PB of course)

                     1 can Coke (though I usually end up drinking ~3/4 of it)

Snack:          1 pkg of pineapple fruit bites (not too bad, right?)

Lunch:          Here’s where it gets a little ugly….

This silly microwaveable container of Chef Boyardee spaghetti and meatballs is 200 calories, with 70 fat calories.  WHOA!  Just because I was too lazy to assemble a healthier lunch this morning to bring to work, they forced me (until “they” identify themselves, I’m blaming “them”!) to consume this fat laden lunch with little to no nutritional value.  To add salt to the wound (literally), the sodium content in this puppy is 820 mg!!!  I think I already feel my fingers swelling as I type. 

Why is this suddenly of interest to me?  Not really sure actually.  Like running, I hope to continue this “living” thing for a long time and do it really well.  I’m not that vain, but I also wouldn’t mind looking good while I do it! I think I’ve been a bit cavalier with my eating habits over the last few decades and I don’t want to play Russian roulette with my body.  I’ve noticed that almost everything I choose to eat seems to come from a package.  That can’t be good.

Running has been the best thing for me, both physically and emotionally.  And I depend on food for fuel to run.  However, I’ve fallen into that trap where I’ve used running as a license to eat as much as I want….whatever and whenever I want.  I do eat some good things, though mostly when Scott’s home.  I love salads and actually prefer just a little olive oil on it as opposed to the combination of heavy dressings and croutons.  And because I hate water, I found a good replacement in Propel.  I love fish and chicken, and enjoy most vegetables with my meals.  Yet, left to my own devices, I’m a culinary and nutritional disaster, and I get lazy all over again.

I’m not sure I’ll ever pass “Calorie Counting 101” in my lifetime.  And that Chef Boyardee lunch is not likely to be my last (just keeping it real!).  I love my lemon cookies and my sweet “tropical” drinks, but I’m becoming much more aware of how my food choices can work for me or against me.  As I get over this lingering cold I’ve been fighting, I’m excited to lace up my running shoes and get back out on the roads.  It’s late June and I have a Fall marathon to think about.  I’ve done pretty well in my marathons with my “lazy” diet described in this post; imagine how I might do if I treated my body a little better with what I feed it.  

I’ll go contemplate that while sipping a Propel.  Maybe this old dog can learn some new tricks!

Happy Anniversary to my MacGyver

Last week, Scott and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary.  Wow, right?  Anyhoo, I’d say I’m pretty proud of our longevity and feel like we’ve got our magic recipe pretty well perfected…..(oops, hope I didn’t just jinx us!)

Carabiner

We each have strengths where the other might have weakness and we’ve learned how to leverage those strengths.  I’m a fantastic list maker, while Scott is a fantastic list doer.  He’s got a good point when he asks me, “What’s the use of a list if you don’t just do it”.  Actually, that’s how I came up with the name of my blog “getting it done”.  So as much as I’ve finetuned the art of list making, I take some cues from Scott on how to actually get some of those things done.  When we were packing for our Grand Canyon trip, I made some great packing and to-do lists in preparation for the trip.  Yet it was Scott who got us out to REI to actually acquire the specialty items we needed like carabiners (what an awkward word!).  He couldn’t seem to find one piece of equipment he needed though, to ensure he didn’t lose his favorite baseball cap on the river.  Here is where my husband channels his inner MacGyver.

Remember MacGyver?  He could fix a computer with a hairpin and a piece of duct tape!"can

Well, Scott’s pretty damn close.  He grabbed a piece of twine and a safety pin and connected his baseball cap to the back of his t-shirt.  Simple solution, but it totally worked and didn’t cost $39.95 at REI or Dick’s.  A couple of our new rafting friends noticed his “cap anchor”, marveling at his creativity.  So…cap anchors for everyone!  That’s just one of many creative solutions Scott comes up with.  He’s very handy and not afraid to try anything once. 

When our rafting guides announced our dinner along the river would be “black tie”, Scott made a bow tie from an old t-shirt.  He pinned it to the front of his shirt and arrived properly dressed for dinner.  I never got a picture, but you gotta believe me, it was a hit!

Me?  Well, I have a phenomenal talent for remembering numbers/names; phone numbers, birthdays, email addresses, etc.  Oh, and I can also pull a song out of my inner jukebox for any occasion.  For example, during our rafting trip, I broke out in, “Oh black water..” and then there was, “Cuz I love that dirty water…”  And when the moon was full over the Grand Canyon, I broke out in “I’m being followed by a moonshadow..”  That’s quite an oldie by Cat Stevens, but you get the gist.  And yes, it probably gets a little annoying for the people around me.

So, we make it all work.  We throw all that great stuff in a bowl, mix it up, add some spice (ok, no wise cracks here), let it simmer, reheat.  We love each other, we encourage each other, we share a love for running, the outdoors, and our dog Bella, and we trust each other.  He brings lemon cookies and wine home for me; I bring ice cream home for him.  Pretty basic stuff if you ask me.  


Yet, one of our rafting friends kidded with us on the raft last week, “Hey Scott, stop being all lovey dovey with your wife!”  So another chimed in and said, “Lisa, you guys actually still seem to like each other!”  I smiled and said, “Yeah, a lot”.  To which she replied, “That’s very cool.”

Yes it is.

Much cuter than MacGyver!!

Absence makes the running shoes grow fonder...

With all of the planes, trains, automobiles, rafts, helicopters of last week, it’s no surprise that I picked up the latest cold/flu.  It came on fast and furiously, blessing me with puffy eyes, running nose, a smoker’s cough, a persistent fever, and pure exhaustion.  A steady diet of DayQuil/NyQuil hasn’t been all that impressive in its impact, but does make working a little easier.  Of course, I’ve also been trying to catch up from being on vacation for a week and, to add insult to injury, our systems completely blew up in my absence.  Aw, wasn’t it nice that they waited for me to return to start looking into the problem.

On Saturday,  I had a solid 5 mile run which I thought would propel me back into my regular running regimen.  I felt good, had no real issues with not having run in 6 days, and I simply enjoyed it.  Sunday was a completely different story.  I had nothing.  Never ran a step.  Had 8 miles on the docket, but knew before I got out of bed that it was not happening.  I made a half-hearted attempt by donning my running shorts, but quickly gave in.

While getting breakfast at our Colorado River campsite last week, one of our new friends Lou asked me, “Hey, did you and Scott run around the campsite this morning?”  He was joking of course, but then asked a real question, “Do you feel stressed when you can’t/don’t run?”  I answered quickly, “No, I really don’t.  And I planned for this week of not running.  It’s a balance.”  This week has put that reply to the test, as I’ve been in bed by 7:45 and have left work early to come home and take a nap.  Absolutely no energy or desire to run.  I’m still not stressed, but I always dread taking a longer than planned break from running because it just feels so much harder to restart.  Fortunately, as Scott reminded me today, the Boston Marathon was just 2 months ago – so I know I haven’t lost all my fitness since then.  A little longer unplanned break isn’t going to deplete my fitness level completely. 

Although this cold feels all encompassing right now, it will pass.  And when it does, I will dive back into my running routine with a renewed zest for the miles temporarily abandoned on my training log.  We always miss what we can't have, right?  Just thinking of going out for a nice long run is clearing my head.  Unless the DayQuil’s finally doing its job…

Ultimate Trip Report – Rafting in the Grand Canyon

I’m backkkk…..

I’d been counting down the months, then weeks, then days until our big vacation.   I can’t believe it’s already over, yet while we were there, it felt like we stepped off the world…..I guess we kind of did.

Scott and I spent more time in the air and on the water this past week than we spent actually on dry land.  We set our sights on the Grand Canyon for this vacation and we set out to do it in a pretty adventurous way.

On Sunday, we flew to Las Vegas.  Not a big fan of Vegas.  First the good points:  very interesting architecture, perfect weather (as long as you like to feel as if your head is in an oven), and lots of people watching to launch a thousand stories.  Now the nasty points:  everything else.  To be fair, we didn’t set aside time to watch shows and we aren’t gamblers.  However, we’ve grown accustomed (or maybe spoiled) to expect smoke-free restaurants and other public places.  Not so in Vegas.  And instead of the newspaper stands holding newspapers, they held endless supplies of sexually explicit magazines designed to complete someone’s trip.  Definitely not the theme of our trip.

On Monday morning, we were picked up by motorcoach by 6:15 am for transport to the North Las Vegas airport.  Here, we were weighed along with our bags and I couldn’t help wonder if the 2^nd package of Delta cookies I devoured on the trip to Vegas might push me over the edge?  Fortunately, we all passed the weight test and began boarding our 10 person propeller plane where everyone gets a window AND an aisle seat.

As we took off and left the Vegas skyline behind, we really started to feel like our adventure was not going to disappoint.  We were able to see Lake Mead from above and, although we didn’t know to look for this, the pilot later told us there was the word “Elvis” carved out in the trees below.   I guess there was still a little bit of Vegas lingering.

We landed the prop plane in the middle of nowhere.  OK, it was actually a one runway airstrip called Whitmore International Airport.  There were no slot machines or restaurants as there had been at the Vegas airport.  And definitely no Cinnabon restaurants to grab a gooey treat.  A short shuttle ride up the hill brought us to the Bar Ten Ranch, where our helicopter awaited us.

I got to ride shotgun in the helicopter!!  What’s funny even to me is that I’ve got a pretty healthy fear of heights, yet loved this adventure of flying so far.  I was able to take some pretty amazing pictures as we hummed along towards our meeting point:   the raft.

After getting our bags situated and stowed in the waterproof bags Western River provided us, we headed right out.  We were finally on the Colorado River!!  We had 2 rafts, 4 guides, and 28 adventure seekers.  A little ways down the river, we pulled over so our lead guide Wiley could deliver the orientation.  A little bit about safety, a little bit about the importance of staying hydrated, and a LOT about how/when/where to go to the bathroom.

The bathroom rules were clear:  liquid had to hit liquid.  Meaning, pee in the river.  Sounds gross, but the current was so strong, anything going into the river is immediately diluted.  Everything else points you to the “outhouse”, which was a mobile toilet located inside a tent to provide privacy.   The reason for such stringent bathroom rules made perfect sense.  Afterall, the camp sites are used throughout the season that sees thousands of visitors and, with almost no rain to wash things away or break things down, these camp sites would quickly become disgusting and un-campable if campers just went in the woods.

With the bathroom rules committed to memory, we hit the river with a focus.  Find the rapids!  We hit many “ripples” and some rapids and realized the water was just as cold as the beaches in the Northeast.  Brrrr!   But with the hot sun, the splashes that numbed us were quickly replaced with burning sun that dried us within minutes. 

We stopped for lunch, which on day one consisted of make-your-own deli sandwiches, pringles chips, fruit, and cookies.  Our second day, lunch was a delicious blend of tuna salad with what seemed like endless veggies that made it one of the best I’ve ever had.  Add the never-ending supply of water and lemonade, and I was eating like a queen.

Each evening, we selected a campsite and set up camp.  While we went off to find the perfect spot and set up our cots (no need for tents!), our guides went to work at cooking dinner.  Again, we were pleasantly surprised at how much and how delicious the food was.  The first night consisted of pasta with sauce that included tons of veggies, onions, and hamburger, garden salad, garlic bread, fruit, and carrot cake.  Our second evening menu took on a surf and turf theme.  Steaks on the grill, rainbow trout, rice pilaf, potato salad, and don’t forget the shrimp cocktail appetizer!  Dessert included two cakes baked in the dutch oven.  One chocolate and one vanilla….both frosted.  I was in heaven.

The rafting got progressively more challenging, with a couple of rapids at around a rating of 7 (rapids are rated 1 – 10, with 10 being the greatest).  This whets our appetite for more of the higher rated rapids that come with the 7 day trip.   Even though we were on a more moderate part of the river, I got a pretty impressive bruise up and down my left shin and one or two of us teetered on the edge as if we were going overboard!  We needed both hands for the highest rapids, so not too many action packed pictures to reflect how violent the rapids were.  

Our guides were remarkably educated in geology, botany, Native American history…you name it.  Our two guides have been at this for 8 and 15 years, so I guess they’ve picked up a few things.   They brought a great sense of humor to our raft and really pulled our group together quickly.  It felt like we were fast friends within the first day. 

Anyone who has been to the Grand Canyon will attest that it’s indescribable.  We took almost 300 pictures and feel like we captured 1% of the beauty.  Since we were there at the full moon, we also got to enjoy the interesting lighting and shade the moon cast upon the canyon walls.  We saw mountain goats, some (including Scott) jumped from 30 foot rock “diving boards”, waded in the Travertine Grotto, climbed a waterfall, showered in the waterfall…..the list is endless of the wonderful things we got to see and do.  I said to Scott a number of times during our trip, “We are so lucky”.

Before we left the raft and transferred to the jet boat, we’d already decided we’d go back for the longer 7 day expedition.  Not just for the higher rated rapids, but for the beauty, the calmness, and the peace the Grand Canyon exudes.   I hoarded as much of that beauty, calmness, and peace that I could to take back home with me.  I just hope it lasts through my first day back at work…

Staying in the moment

Only a few days into my new blogging adventure and I’m going dark, but not for too long.  There was a time when I would never have left my phone or laptop behind.  Where I’m going, I’ll need – no, I’ll want – to be 100% present in the moment.  

In fact, being present in the moment has been something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.  It’s hard to stay 100% present in any moment.  Even now, I could easily be distracted by a sudden Facebook notification or the discovery of a new blog to follow.  I love being connected, yet also love being out in the great outdoors with my soul mate.  The more I live, the more important it is to me to live in the moment.  

And now, Bella is reminding me that SHE is my next focus.  It’s hard to type and throw her retrieving toy at the same time.  I’m just not that coordinated.

Do you leave technology behind on your vacations?

The Dance

“Looking back on the memory of
The dance we shared beneath the stars above
For a moment all the world was right
How could I have known you'd ever say goodbye
And now I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end, the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain
But I'd have had to miss the dance” – Garth Brooks

Just about a year has passed since we said goodbye to Scott’s dad.  For over 20 years, I gained another “Dad” and feel so lucky to have had him in my life.  Since he lived with us, we witnessed his failing health through a magnifying glass and it was difficult.  Roles were reversed, as Scott wholeheartedly and heroically took on the role of caregiver to his dad.  Emotions were raw, as we helplessly watched his dad valiantly fight the inevitable loss of independence. 

I really miss him.  And anniversaries (especially the first one) can be so damn powerful.  There is a lot more that I miss than can be articulated….

I miss telling him about my day

I miss seeing the twinkle in his gorgeous blue eyes when he saw any of his family

I miss  hearing the daily bantering between him and Scott

I miss hearing him talk to Bella

I miss hearing him humming a tune

I miss seeing the glow of his often-too-loud TV when I couldn’t sleep

I miss him rushing out to sit on the ‘piazza’ to watch a good thunder/lightning storm

I miss hearing the word ‘piazza’ in reference to a porch

I miss how proud he was to show us off to his friends when we visited him in Florida

I miss his big bear hug whenever he would return home from time in Florida

I miss how hungry he was to read every one of my papers I’d write for school

I miss hearing him tell us how crazy we were for running (then being so proud when we finished)

I miss hearing him say, “I love ya’s”

What I don’t miss is having had the dance – he brought me my Scott, he shared his whole self, and he enriched my life.  I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. 

Junkfood Junkie

I cut up a fresh pineapple yesterday, while drinking a Coke.  Not a Diet coke and not a Coke Zero.  Full sugar, full caffeine, full caloric Coke.  As a runner, I’m supposed to drink tons of water and eat nutritionally good foods.  Well, sorry to disappoint, but I hate water.  Yep, I said it out loud.  And if given a choice between a lemon cookie and an apple, I’ll always go with the lemon cookie.  Duh.

My junkfood junkie traits are decades in the making.  When we were kids, mom didn’t allow soda in the house.  Yet, somehow I grew addicted to Mountain Dew and Coke.  Fortunately, running (and my husband) has forced me to at least eat normal meals.  I could easily throw an English muffin in the toaster and call it “dinner”, but knowing I have a run the next morning is enough of a motivator to put a little more thought into my dinner menu. 

Little did you know, but I paused while typing and ran to the vending machine for a morning snack.  Did I bring any of the freshly cut pineapple to work, knowing I’d need a mid-morning pick-me-up?  Noooo!  Instead, I bought these –

Please note the sides of the poptart are purposely separated from the bulk of the poptart that will be consumed before you finish reading this post.  The ends of a poptart are totally useless!  There’s no brown sugar/cinnamon filling and there’s none of the fake “hardened” frosting either.  So why bother?  It’s not that I’m even concerned about whatever piddly caloric reduction I might be making.  It’s really about the blandest part of a poptart.  Maybe I should market that concept…

Off to microwave my lunch sized Chef Boyardee Ravioli’s.  Since the label reads, "Good source of protein" and I’ll be washing it down with a grape Propel, it can't be all that bad, right?  I said, riiiigggghhhhtttt?

The hills are alive, with the sound of…..

…..chafing thighs!  As Lady Gaga sings, “I was born this way” and shorter legs with muscular thighs are what I was graced with.  I could have it so much worse!  I could have no legs, I could have injured legs….but I have strong legs and, in particular, strong thighs to motor me up the godforsaken hills that make up my running neighborhood.  To be honest, I actually don’t mind hills and rather embrace them most of the time.  I did avoid one hill this morning, but on a good note, it added an additional mile to my planned route.  So I’m feeling pretty full of myself right now.

I headed out this morning for a rolling 6.25 mile run.  It’s already very warm, so I got out as early as I could.  A combination of a bad night of insomnia and a cranky stomach was not a good precursor to this morning’s running plan.  But I grabbed my grape Gatorade, headed out…..

…and had an awesome run!  I love when all the cards seem stacked against me and I pull off a decent run anyway.  It just goes to show how strong the mind/body connection can be.  Some of my splits –

1                 8:50

2                 8:38

3                 ?

4                 ?

5                 8:40

6                 8:35

7                 8:15

(there’s a .25 in there somewhere and a reminder to me that I really need to mark miles 3 and 4 for future reference)

And did I mention it’s warm today?  It was close to 80 degrees when I finished, so although not super fast, I feel great and very happy with this mid-week longer run.

Back to the chafing thighs….

One of my tried and true running necessities is Body Glide.  Nothing like it.  I get it pretty cheap on nationalrunningcenter.com and my running has left fewer battle scars ever since my recent loyalty to this product.  I heart Body Glide – swoon.  And no, this isn’t a feeble attempt at getting free Body Glide (though I’ll take it if offered!).

So, in looking at my thighs from a glass-half-full perspective, thanks thighs!  Keep up the good work, cuz I’m not moving to flats-ville anytime soon.  Bring on the hills and the Body Glide.  Match made in heaven.

Thanks Mom!

How is it that my mother has been blogging for years now and I’m just now jumping on board?  As a matter of fact, Mom has led the charge in a number of areas where I am happy to follow.  Here are a few notable achievements:

• Mom started her blog over two years ago; I’m now working on my first post!
• Mom went back to school later in life and became an RN; I went back to school after a 14 year hiatus and completed my Bachelor’s degree.  Then I couldn't stop and continued on for my Master’s.
• Mom started running awhile back, racking up 5K and 10K race t-shirts; this got my husband Scott and I running, which has grown into a love for distance running.
• Mom got herself a Kindle; Mom just gave me a Kindle for my birthday.  I now have to learn how to use it.  Er, uh, Mom?

That’s definitely not all there is, but I don’t want to overwhelm you all with too much “Mom awesomeness” at one time.  Since Mom is always sprinkled throughout my every day, you’ll hear plenty more about her.  ‘Cuz she really does rock.

So, thanks to Mom for inspiring me to launch this blog!  We’ll see where it lands…