Alarm, Coffee, Run, Repeat

It seemed too cliche to begin a new, and more consistent, year of this blog on New Year's Day 2018 so, like all good procrastinators, I decided this morning, during my 6 mile 'wog', to begin a mostly-daily-reflection of the year as it unfolds. I will attempt to chronicle the daily struggles and the beautiful events as they happen but please understand that I abhor routine and intentionally have to schedule time for even the most automatic tasks. Bear with me. I will try. Moreover, I will attempt to write relate-able and relevant posts but if there is anything specific you'd ever like to read about, let me know and I will attempt to write about it ;-). Which brings me to today. But first, back to Sunday, the 31st of December 2017 when I resolved to run 4 miles because, frankly, I knew I wanted to sleep in the next morning and in my self satisfied noggin, I felt completely justified swapping the miles I did on the 31st with sleeping in on New Year's Day (but still f

Along comes an event that just begs to be run again and just yesterday, August 5, 2017, was such an event. The Balboa Park 8 Miler  is a mixed course run that brings together people who love to challenge themselves and each other while supporting each other and having fun! This year marks the 63rd anniversary and I am forced to shout out loud, "HOW DID I NOT EVER HEAR OF THIS BEFORE?" The morning was warm but the humidity had finally subsided a bit after so many days of that 'breathing under water' feeling. When we arrived and parked at about 6 AM (for a 7 AM start) we were met with vendors and a start/finish area that was welcoming and wide open. We were greeted by a very upbeat and spirited MC who regaled us with his humor and funky music that just added to the positive vibes flowing everywhere. We joked about the port-a-potty lines narrowing into three lines snaking into the warm up area and wondered (not so silently) why there wasn't a line for each tiny o

Somewhere around the end of 2016, I decided to set a goal to run 2017 miles in 2017. It is an ambitious goal, one that I am completely beholden to, and as I have collected nearly 1200 miles this year, so far, I am learning that I am stronger than I ever thought I could be, able to get stronger, faster, and more confident by going slower, running longer, walking the easy days, and pushing myself on the hard days. I've run more days and miles in 2017 than I ran, collectively, in the 5 years prior. And I feel incredible. I am grateful for my health and for the people in my life who respect this need to stretch my legs. My children are running by example, seeing in their mother the benefits of consistent exercise, and they are loving it! Now, to sign them up for some races 😀. And then something even greater happened this year. Amidst these 2017 miles, the thrill and challenge of multisport caught me off guard. Specifically, I am dabbling in triathlon and duathlon. Having completed o

Not one to lament growing older, I have had to come to the stark realization that I am not 30 anymore. To quote the insert that came with my Native Deoderant purchase, "Take care of your body, it's the only place you have to live." Although I am not a doctor, I am pretty in tune with how my body feels; therefore, when something aches my motivation goes south quickly. Right now, my motivation is centered somewhere in Antarctica because my whole left hip, from lower back to knee, is aching like a tooth in need of a root canal. I would blame it on my dogs, but really it was just a freak moment when I jumped one direction as they jumped the other while playing in the driveway. A moment of fun has lead to roughly three months of on and off irritation. So, here I sit, looking up stretching and strength training exercises in order to address a pulled piriformus muscle that not only irritates me when I run but is putting a hitch in my get along when standing, sitting, or walki

It's been a while since I last posted either before or after the alarm clock. I think I began to rebel against the very alarm clock that encouraged me to be up before dawn to listen to the sounds of the crickets and enjoy a cup of coffee that would bolster me into a run shortly after. I am not sure what happened but I believe that, even with all of the best of intentions, the structure of routine, while it can be liberating (because you always know when something will happen), it can also be stifling because there is no room for improvisation. Here's my thinking about why my routines fall apart. When I am not taking care of myself, I withdraw because I don't want to be judged for not sticking with my routines. I love to be around like minded people, who enjoy the same things I enjoy, but when I break from the routines (that I actually love and need for my own sanity) I don't want anyone to know and I retreat. I believe this is normal and I always come back around

I am often confused when I see days that I take for granted listed as a 'National' day as if to be commemorated and then left for another year. I understand and even honored yesterday's National Running Day with my kiddos as we traveled our fairly quiet neighborhood by running shoe. It was a time for the three of us to see what has changed and grown and died in the course of time that has passed since they ran with me last. We took the opportunity to ask each other questions about our day, our respective school years, and about the myriad plans we have to both relax and avoid electronics this summer. I learned that they have become strong runners! But upon reflection, the kids and I have discussions like this everyday whether we run or not. I run almost daily, whether it's National Running Day or not. I want to ride my bike to work every day but can ill afford to get hit by a car driven by someone who is more interested in their cell phone than the road. In my humble