Switching things up

This morning, I decided to switch up my pre-run routine. Mostly because I had plans to meet my friend A for breakfast, but also because I’m curious about my running ability when it’s *not* 85 degrees, humid, and relentlessly sunny and still only 10 am (thanks, New England heat wave, for happening on my vacation from mid-south heat, thanks…)

But I digress. I awoke at 8 am to an, “something came up at home, my child-thing is sick, cannot do breakfast” text. The lazy bum in me set my alarm for 8:30 and rolled back over. But the motivated side of me bounded out of bed, brewed coffee, and ate a piece of fruit.

I don’t usually eat or drink (aside from some water) anything before my summer morning runs. When it’s cooler and/or I’m not on a tight time schedule, I usually allow myself time for breakfast and a couple hours of digesting and I generally feel like I have a little more pep in my step. So, since I was up anyways, it seemed like a try couldn’t hurt.

Operation not-suck morning run, attempt #1: nectarine and 3/4 mug of coffee with 1% milk. I haven’t been a regular morning coffee drinker since last semester ended so hopefully I’ll get a nice little boost. 

It’s still pretty hot considering it’s only 8:30 am (although my computer, still being on central time, is telling me it’s 7:30 so I feel even more awesome).

And now, an announcement:

I’ve decided to run a full-marathon! 

I’ve run 4 halfs before and loved them, despite the fact that my last half went horribly, awfully wrong. Halfs are definitely my favorite race distance, hands down. But my entire life I’ve said, “I want to run a marathon someday”. Well, I think “someday” is next April. If I’m being honest I’m terrified, but I have a friend who is willing to run with me and I don’t think there really is any “perfect” time to run your first marathon (oh goodness, it sounds like I’m talking about having children).

Truth is, I want to qualify for Boston. Not on this first marathon, I just want to survive and finish. But…I can only ever qualify for Boston if I take those first steps and conquer 26.2 miles. I mean, if Oprah can do it, then I totally can.

What was your first marathon experience? Or, do you want to have a first marathon experience? 

Got salt?

Losing salt through sweat makes me want Mexican food. Namely, a gargantuan burrito from Moe’s.

And today, I lost a lot of salt. If it were even remotely sanitary, my body could be used as a salt mine.

Basically, all of my runs while up north have *sucked*. I’m lucky if I break a 9 minute mile and/or don’t have to stop to walk 5 million times. Which blows my mind because I was consistently improving while running in the south’s mid-summer heat. I keep telling myself that running in the heat and pushing through discomfort will make me a better runner in the long run (ha, ha) but as a former fastie, it’s still hard for me to stomach my significantly slower times.

Quite hard, really (twss).

I’m sure if I made an effort to not roll out of bed at 10 am and, instead, headed out at 8 am life would feel a little less sweltering. But wake up at 8 am on vacation? Yeah, no thanks. (Note to self: stop being such a wimp).

At least I’m getting a haircut today. And eating heaven’s pasta (aka penne with vodka sauce) for dinner. That makes life seem a little less sweaty.

Today run: 40 minutes of sweltering slowness

Honesty: A confessional

It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to do a Tuesday confessional. And it’s Sunday, so confessions seem…fitting….despite the fact that I am not Catholic and only set foot in a church on major holidays (I don’t think it’s possible for me to be as dedicated as Janae!!).

But I digress.

1. I didn’t want yesterday’s stage of the Tour de France. Which kind of feels like blasphemy. I’ve been watching every stage, sometimes multiple times, for years now and having missed one doesn’t feel ok!

2. I’m not fat. If anyone told me I was fat, I’d ask if they were drunk. But I’ve gotten kind of unhealthy. All of those nights of stress-eating mac and cheese at Whole Foods caught up with me. I’m ready to be healthy again. For real.

3. Although I ate popcorn for dinner last night and that will probably be the case again tonight. Oh hormonal munchies, how I love you.

4. I want to run a marathon but I’m terrified. Fortunately for me, I have an equally running-crazy girlfriend who convinced me to sign up for a full next April. So we can run together. I am both intimidated and so excited that I could put a kid in a candy store to shame.

5. The book Born to Run changed my perspective on running in more ways than I even imagined it to when I picked it up off of the shelf.

6. In non-running related confessions, I’m having serious wedding fever. So many of my close friends are getting married and engaged and I can’t stop envisioning the day that I get proposed to (hopefully by D). This has led to secretive staring at diamond rings on the Interwebs many a late night.

7. Aside from popcorn, I am also addicted to coconut popsicles.

8. And to adorable pictures of kittens and/or chubby babies

9. I plan on joining a running group in my new city. This isn’t so much a confession as it is a “maybe if I post it in public I’ll actually get the guts to do it”.

10. I seriously need to focus on being more frugal. i.e. not spend $25 at Whole Foods every. single. day

I am, uh, back?

Talk about a blog break.

With moving and D searching for a job and dealing with all of the stress that accompanies both, blogging unfortunately took the back burner. So did running (and any other form of being healthy for that matter…)

But I missed it.

I missed having a place to vent no matter how horrible my day was and I missed the accomplishment of finishing a run.

So I’m back! (Hopefully for good, this time)