The Best and Worst For REAL

I like to think of myself as an intelligent person, who understand the difference between real and fake, and entertainment and truth. And I could be really high and mighty here and say I don't like or watch reality shows, but that would be a big lie....and honestly if there is someone out there saying they don't watch reality shows, they either don't have cable, or they are in denial.

Recently I asked a fellow blogger what shows she liked to watch, and she said she hated to admit it but she like shows like the Housewives, Teen Mom, and the Bachelorette. And in all honesty I have seen every one of these shows...and I love them. I think if you asked most people they would have the same answer, there is shame in watching reality tv though....maybe because we kind of all know its scripted....maybe because we all kind of know it's mindless.....but c'mon people it's entertaining as hell and you just can't stop watching!

I will say there are some reality shows that I never watch, I am not saying I have never seen an episode, I am just saying even if it's on and there is nothing else to watch I won't watch the following. Not above it...just not interested:

• Survivor
• The Apprentice
• Any Cooking Show (Hells Kitchen and the like)
• Big Brother
• American Idol
• Extreme Makeover

Just to name a few....

Shows I actually enjoy(ed):

• Any of the Housewives Shows(I think the Orange County Housewives are the best out of all of the cities)

• Flipping out (Jeff is so funny and rude...I love him!)

• Millionaire Matchmaker

• So You Think You Can Dance

• America's Got Talent

• Queer Eye ( I haven't watched this one for awhile, but it's a good one that I used to watch quite often

• Joe Millionaire (An Oldie but goodie and WOW yes ashamed of this one, I watched every episode!)(Was this guy a tool or what?)

Shows I will watch if I happen upon them and there is nothing else on:

• The Bachelor or Bachelorette (I really try to avoid this one, because if I stop and watch a couple of minutes, I get hooked and can't change the channel!)

• Celebrity Rehab

• Amazing Race

• True Life

I am sure there are others that I am just forgetting at the moment.

So this might be kind of a pointless post....but I guess if I were to make a point it would be that there should be no shame...we are all suckered in to watching these highly entertaining reality shows that we know are pretty cheesy! It's part of the mindless fun!

I just had to share

Sorry for the poor quality cell phone pic....but the sky was amazing this morning!! I have never seen anything like this!

I am thinking of growing a unibrow....or buying one.

The plan for today was 6 miles and 4 miles was supposed to be at tempo pace. I guess I sort of accomplished that. (Splits at the end of this post)

I knew this wasn't going to be an easy run at the start. The humidity was 80%, which made the air seem thick...plus it was already 80 degrees.

My thought for most of the run was that I needed a unibrow. Something to catch the sweat pouring in my eyes. I spent most of this run wiping my face to no avail. A unibrow would be perfect. Something similar to this but perhaps more bushy so it really absorbs the moisture.

It felt like this guy was attached to my legs the entire run.

By tempo mile 2 I started having mental MMA.

You can slow down, it's hot, anybody would slow down
NO YOU CAN'T SLOW DOWN YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
Uh oh is that a pain in your IT band? You better slow down.
THAT IS A TWINGE OF PAIN IT WILL BE GONE IN A SECOND! YOU ARE JUST THINKING OF REASONS TO SLOW DOWN
A 2 mile tempo sounds much better than 4
YOU CAN DO A 4 MILE TEMPO RUN YOU BABY!
You might need more than a mile cool down
YOU CAN WALK AND COOL DOWN AFTER YOUR RUN!
You can slow down...no one will know
I WILL KNOW AND I WILL BE DISAPPOINTED!!
YOU HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE, YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN! THIS WON'T LAST FOREVER!

I did end up pushing myself the whole 6 miles and I am glad I did. But it was a struggle and not one of my easiest runs. I feel great now, and I will try this tempo again next Wednesday. But maybe at 3 in the morning when it's 70 :)

Splits
8:17
7:18
7:19
7:26
7:59
8:33

Being Honest, The Blogs I Follow

I started blogging just recently and I am really enjoying it. I also really like reading other people's blogs about their running or life experiences. My favorite bloggers are the brutally honest kind. I struggle with this myself on this blog....like when is too much information, TOO MUCH INFORMATION?




I wanted to share a few that I really like.




This is one I came across just recently. It took me a couple of posts to get in to it and then I was hooked. I love her "mental convos" they crack me up! Plus she is honest and has some funny kids stories!

Absolutely Narcissism



This woman is very funny and I just get a kick out of her husband and the pictures she takes. With post titles such as "Guess who's pitching a tent" and "Nakedness and the Country Fair"....c'mon you know you want to check it out!

Catas Trophy Wife



I LOVE LOVE this blog! I love reading about her running and biking and kids antics....She has a daughter who is Phene's age and I can so relate to her posts about kids...and she just has a great sense of humor! She also takes a lot of pictures of her runs with great recaps! I get very jealous when she has pictures of her running or biking right by the beach....makes me miss California!

Taking it on



And who doesn't like this guy!?

The Boring Runner



Oh and this one is one of the BEST! Title says it all! Plus they are local Texas women!

The Bitchy Runners



This is one I just recently started to follow...this guy is good writer, and has a good sense of humor. Plus he is a runner, and talks about running topics. Here is how he describes himself "Who is "Nitmos"? That's like asking who is Batman? I like to think there is a little Nitmos in all of you. Probably the part that itches and burns."

Feet Meet Street




Here are two blogs I really like reading for the simple fact that these two are "real" people....does that make sense? I can relate to their running stories and tribulations, and also they are both local TX ladies. They also both happen to be really good descriptive writers!



Erin's Adventures in Running...and Life


and


The Unlikely Runner




Obviously there are more blogs that I have read and like, this is just a small sampling of some of my favorites.

Monday Bullet Point Update & Some Pics

*Phene was sick yesterday...poor thing. She kept saying "poo poo hurts" and I thought maybe she was having a hard time going #2...but I think "poo poo hurts" is baby speak for my tummy hurts. She threw up a couple times and had a little fever. I know when she wants me to hold her and she actually slows down for a few minutes that something is wrong. Needless to say I was up every hour last night listening for her and worrying. She slept through the night and this morning luckily she is feeling better today! It just broke my heart though!

*It's hotter than hell here in TX....I think it's been over 60 days with 100+ temperatures. I am ready to be able to be outside for more then 5 minutes without sweating to death. We haven't had much rain either which is not only killing every plant in our yard, but hay is scarce and I am on the constant hunt. (To no avail, by the way)

*We don't watch too many reality shows...but one we are in to every season is "So You Think You Can Dance". I love this show! I love it because it seems more professional and serious than other dance shows. Granted it has voting and yes, I guess like many other shows it is a popularity contest, it just seems less cheesy. My predictions for the top 2 are:

Jess LeProtto

Melanie Moore

Let's see if I am right! :)

*Great 7 mile run at Town Lake with Jessica Saturday. At mile 6 my legs were feeling really tight. We pushed on though and kept our LSD pace. This was the first run we have done that was over 1 hour long. We stopped and had a sip of water once, and ate a little bit of a Clif bar. But we realized we need to figure out our refueling choices, whens, what, etc... We will be more prepared next time. PLUS I ordered this and should have it by our next run!

*Luckily, and I thank God, that Sean and I were not laid off last week in our companies lay offs. What a tense time, and my heart goes out to the people that were laid off. I am so thankful to have a job!

I will leave you with some pics of Phene from this last weekend.


Oh and I went to Target the other day when Amy was in town and saw this SUPER cute swimsuit! It's by Assets (Spanx) . Very flattering suit....but it's 50.00....gosh I am cheap!

Clueless about training.....

I have started training for the 1/2 marathon I am doing in the fall. I looked online at a bunch of training plans and though they were all similar, there were so many different one's that I didn't know which one to pick....thanks to Jessica who forwarded me a plan from the current issue of Runners World, or I would still be sifting through all the plans I found to find the right one...
BUT....
Now I have some questions (Quick disclaimer...until this year I only ran for fun...weight loss....and stress relief, never ran a race before last October. Just so you know how clueless I am!) The plan I am following calls for a weekly tempo run...which I have figured out....a LSD run once a week...got that...Rest day...oh ya got that one!!!....what I am not getting are these 3 mile EZ runs that are supposed to happen twice a week.

I understand what an "EZ" run is....but it's the 3 miles I am not liking. What is the point of these EZ runs? And why are they 3 miles? Oddly enough through the whole 10 weeks I will continue to do these EZ 3 mile runs twice a week....Odd to me because I don't like running 3 miles, it doesn't feel long enough.

My question is this....what if instead of those EZ 3 mile runs I do EZ 4 or 5 mile runs? Is this going to effect anything? Is this going to "ruin" the training plan? On race day am I going to choke because I ran too many miles? I know a professional who knows WAY more than me came up with this plan, so I feel like perhaps I shouldn't question it's directives.

Can anyone give me some input? I would really appreciate it.

Amy

There is something to be said for old friends. (And by saying old I don't mean in age...I mean in length of time you have known them!) Old friends know things about you....things it takes time to know.

Amy is actually the only friend I really keep in touch with from my childhood/high school days. I met her when I was 12 years old when we rode Shorty's bus (Not the short bus! Shorty was the driver of the bus!) from the narrow roads of the north shore of Kauai to Hanalei where we caught the large bus for our almost 1 hour commute to school each day. We sat together on that bus for 3 years...until I got a car and then we continued to drive to school together. We shared anecdotes from our weekends....stories about other kids we knew....we were big time gossipers :)...we talked about boys we liked or didn't like. There is probably no subject that we have not talked about at one point in our lives. We skipped school together, we ate lunch together, we had sleepovers....we even started a wannabe zine at one point! We thought we were way cooler than we actually were! But Amy always was cool in my eyes. She listened to cool music, she dressed cute, she was and still is SUPER beautiful and photogenic (!!), and she always dated the older good looking guys. **

When high school ended our friendship continued on throughout the years. Through college, boyfriends, moves, crisis', marriages, divorces, heartbreaks, and everything in between. I have always known that in my darkest moments I could call her and she would be there for me. I really can't say that about any other friend I have had. And in turn I would do anything for her!

All of this has been an attempt at a recap of our friendship of 20 years, which can't really be recapped in a few paragraphs, though I did my best.

I was so happy when she told me that she would have a lay over here in Austin! (She is a flight attendant now) It's been about 3 years since we have seen each other and it was about time for a visit/catch up...even if it was only for a little over a day. We picked up right where we have always left it...with comfortable conversations, and an understanding of each other that has been there for a long time.

I wanted to voice my appreciation of her friendship, an ode to one of my oldest and best friends. A woman who I admire and love....a woman who is strong and beautiful (Though I don't think she realizes how strong she is, or how beautiful for that matter)...a woman who I hope to know for 20 more years.

Friendships like ours are hard to find....and absolutely priceless in life.


**btw she is still super cool!!

Picking Boogers

Only time for a bullet point update today

*One of my best friend's from my childhood is coming to visit for a day! I can't wait to see her and catch up! I have known her since I was 12 years old, over 20 years! WOW that makes me feel old!!!

*Great 5 mile tempo run yesterday even though I had some stomach issues. I did Plyometrics this morning as I will be taking 2 days off of running since my friend is in town. I have never been more sore then when I did this last time...so I figure I will need a full day to recover. I don't know if any of you have done this workout....but it is a lot of squatting, a lot of jumping, and some more squatting. I will be hobbling around tomorrow I am sure!

*Lay offs are looming at our company this week which is SO stressful! Not only do I worry about my own job but I know there are so many people in our company who will be devastated by this. The state of our economy is not good! The cost of living and doing business is getting higher, and so many people are struggling. I am in slight panic mode but trying to just be calm and accept whatever happens.

*Hopefully this Saturday we are running our longest distance yet, 7 miles. Wish we me luck :)

And I will leave you with one of my favorite pictures from recent days.

Craigslisting (Totally Unrelated to Running)

As many of you know...or don't know...I am kind of a craigslisting junkie. I have a bit of an obsession that actually clears my family about $600 cash a month. Any whoo.......I wanted to share some of the things I see on there that intrigue me....mind you these are just posts from today, if I had a week or so to put this together I could really show you something!

Large Wooden Reels (Austin)

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Date: 2011-07-13, 10:28AM CDT
Reply to: sale-kpkya-2491968802@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

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Free Large Wooden Reels / spools. Come and get them! They are large so make sure you have a trailor. Come and take as many as you can get. The address is 622 Morrow St. Austin TX 78752. Contact Nathen for pick-up. 512-458-6313. Only take the reels by the b ig blue dumpster.

I don't know what I would use these for. But if I had a trailer and some time I would def go pick a couple of these up! Outside dining table? Kids playscape? Yard ornament? I love the free section!!

Plant Growth Chamber - $22

00 (Northwest Austin)

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Date: 2011-07-13, 7:07AM CDT
Reply to: sale-vf9sd-2482531675@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

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For sale 1- Environmental Plant Growth Chamber. I bought this from Texas A&M University. The unit is in great shape,, A&M stated that it worked when removed from service. It's not hooked up to power, so I cant demo nstrate functionability. With that being said item is sold as is with No Warranty. Here is the company website with all of the specs. It is the GC - 15 Model....http://www.egc.com/prod_gc_series.php This unit has adjustable lighting that raises up and down. When fully installed and hooked up the unit will control temperature, humidity and water the plants. Touchpad control screen and keyboa rd included for setup. I will not respond to emails so if your interested call 512-507-140 7... $ 2200.00 or best offer...

Hmmmm...seems kind of like an expensive way to grow some pot indoors, but pretty cool it waters the plants for you!

Ionic Cleanse Foot Bath Machine - $1000 (Austin)

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Date: 2011-07-13, 9:27AM CDT
Reply to: sale-pcmn7-2487953187@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

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Very effective toxin release machine. Just put the device in with your foot bath. And it will suck all the toxins out of your body through your feet. It really works. The water will turn black. It really makes you feel good cleansing your system. 512 507 4739

WOW...this scares me....you are supposed to put this ELETRICAL machine in your footbath (I don't even know what a footbath is, but assuming a bathtub??) and the water turns black from the toxins....hmmm...crazy, and slightly expensive! Who is willing to try this one?

small bouncing balls - $6 (atx)

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Date: 2011-07-13, 9:10AM CDT
Reply to: sale-85pf3-2491827076@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

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if you want it text me. 512 870 7997.

come see it or i can send a pic.

Small bouncing balls??

ALFALFA HAY 3'X3'X8' BALE - $180 (SAN MARCOS TX.)

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Date: 2011-07-12, 12:32PM CDT
Reply to: sale-tnjft-2490416840@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

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HORSE QUALITY ALFALFA HAY. ******(512) 800-1576******

Each bale weighs 1122.72# each. Per ton price is $320.00. 12 bales available at this posting.

This large bale is equivalent to 17.27 small, 2 wire bales weighing 65# each at $10.40 per bale.

Free delivery available within 20 miles of San Marcos.

(512) 800-1576
In all seriousness this is my most wanted item right now. Not only is coastal hay hard to come by right now because of this drought, but alfalfa is great....it's filling with more protein so the ponies eat less and sustain their weight more...It's just so expensive here in Texas!

Things I am Thinking About Today

*It seems like all these horrific stories of child abuse and kidnappings are all over the news. How heartbreaking! I can't imagine my child being kidnapped....and I can't imagine how someone could abuse a child physically or sexually. How disgusting and heinous these people are! My heart goes out to these mothers and fathers that lose their children. That kind of heartbreak and uncertainty just...well it's just beyond words.

*I am trying to slow down my running. I know I shouldn't complain about being fast....but I think it's hurting my training in a way. I have looked at multiple half marathon training schedules and every single one talks about this conversational pace. My normal runs aren't conversational pace...so I am trying to change that. Today I ran 6.3 miles and REALLY REALLY had to think with every step about slowing down. My longer distance pace should be 8:58-9:05. At some points I felt like I was shuffling along which was uncomfortable and felt harder than running fast. All in all it was a great run though. I worked up a nice sweat, and I felt good afterwards. I didn't quite run as slow as my pace should have been, but I did my best.

*Last night I was reading Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong (sadly I am in the last chapter) and she had a great section on gratitude and being thankful. I realize that I am prone to looking at the things I don't have....or the things I don't do, instead of being thankful for what I have and what I do. I am in no way perfect, and my life is in NO way perfect. But I have SO much. I have a beautiful daughter who is healthy and the happiest little thing I have ever known....I have a husband who is loyal...I have more than is necessary in regard to material things, I have a job, and above all I have my health. Really I should never complain, and I never should feel down about what I don't have. There are so many people who have so much less...I really need to remember this and be thankful.

*It's freekin hot lately. I am sick of every day being 100 degrees with nasty humidity that has me sweating within seconds of being outside. Don't get me wrong I love a good sweat....but I also love being able to get out of the shower having rinsed that sweat off...and not be sweating again the moment I step outside while exerting no effort. There are things I like about Texas....and there are things I miss about California/Kauai. I miss the ocean breeze...I miss dry heat....I miss Santa Anas....I miss mountains...gosh do I miss those mountains!

Thanks all for reading, and I hope you have a great Wednesday!

Another one of my favorite running spots...Hanalei Bay, Kauai Hawaii

And I am loving this wine lately. It's a chilled red and very refreshing.

Deep Eddy's

Sunday we went down to swim at Deep Eddy's in Austin. Not really what I expected but Phene liked the shallow area they had to walk around in. It was super crowded though and I think we will stick to swimming at Lampasas.

Toughest 10K in Texas Recap and Pictures

All in all a really hard run for me. Hill after hill and mentally I just didn't do good. At one point I wanted to strip off my shirt and run in my bra and kept telling myself if I threw my shirt on the side of the road I could come back and get it. And no one would notice I was running in my bra right?? Most of it I just kept looking down at my feet and each step instead of staring at each hill coming up. Kept putting one foot in front of the other and I got through it with a great time! Glad I ran it and I will try this race again next year for sure!

Stretching

And it's time to go

No pictures in between just one of me coming back towards finish line.

Can you see my face? Yes this was after and I was SOOO tired!!! (No not doing sit up, just struggling to get back up from my prone position!)

Phene and I listening to some music while awaiting the results

1st in my age division. 3rd female overall. Under 8 minute splits and I beat my last 10k time. So I am happy! (I have a little strut going on here!)

So my Garmin said a different mileage than what the race should have been which was 6.2. Who do I trust???? Has anyone else had this experience?

Date Balls

Awhile back I did a cleanse for 2+ weeks. One of the things I completely cut out was sugar. I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes from my cleanse that I still make almost every week. There is no sugar, they are SUPER easy to make (Good for lazy cooks like me), and the kids LOVE them so they make a great healthy dessert! I also eat these for a little extra energy in the morning before running.

There are many variations to this recipe. I have seen some recipes that call for peanut butter, some that use cocoa powder. You can really experiment and add whatever you want, but here is the way I make them….

Date Balls

Ingredients:(The amounts are all just estimated, I am the kind of cook who just eyeballs things)

Package of chopped dates

Cup of nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, whatever you have)

Cup of raisins (or dried cherries)

Shredded coconut

1 tablespoon Cinnamon

Directions

Soak dates in hot water for ½ hour and then strain and add to bowl

In food processor process raisins until they are broken apart and like a sticky mass, add to bowl. (I do raisins first so the nuts pick up the remnants of the gooey raisins left behind, helps with processor clean up)

In food processor process nuts until they are in TINY pieces almost pasty, add to bowl

Sprinkle a good tablespoon of cinnamon over entire mixture and then stir. (Sometimes I use my hands at this point to really get the ingredients mixed together, but a fork works too!)

Mold in to small balls, and roll in coconut…and put them in the fridge in a Tupperware.

I think they are better after they have sat overnight in the fridge, just my opinion though!

Another carry over from my cleanse is this Bragg dressing. It is EXCELLENT! No sugar and organic!

Today

I want to be here



Instead of here

I am a Shoe Snob

Those of you who know me (well maybe only Jessica because she is the only one I complain to about my running shoes) know that I am PICKY about my running shoes and that I have probably tried at least 7 different styles in the last year and a half or so.

When I lived in San Diego I bought my shoes from Road Runner Sports. I absolutely LOVE their store! Not only do they have every running shoe on earth, but their staff is SUPER friendly and they have this used shoe section which I LOVE! (It's not gross I promise!!!) One of the best things about Road Runner Sports is that you can join their VIP program and try shoes out....yes I said that right...you can buy shoes, test them out for 60 days, and if they don't work out, you can return them. I have become spoiled by them and won't buy my shoes anywhere else, ever! (YES I am plugging them....but they deserve it!)

Have you ever bought a pair of expensive running shoes, only to run a few miles in them to find out they give you a blister right away? Or they hurt your ankle? Or they aren't the right size? Well this has happened to me MANY times, and like I said I am picky so maybe I am a little overzealous about returning them if they aren't absolutely perfect. But I figure if I am spending $100+ on running shoes, they should be comfortable right??

Here are some shoes I have tried and what I thought of them......

Women's ASICS GEL-Cumulus 13

This is my current shoe and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them! Perfect cushioning, and comfortable from day 1! This might be my go to shoe for awhile.

Adidas Trail Response

Loved this shoe too. But it didn't last long. I felt like the toe box cushioning was worn and depleted after only a few months of running.

Brooks Ghost 3
I saw these in the Title Nine catalog and they had a lot of great things to say about these shoes. These gave me a blister right away. An d for me there wasn't enough toe room. BUT I think I ordered these a size too small, and perhaps would have liked them a lot more if I would have 1/2 sized up. I wore these for about 6 months though. (Funny thing too, because these continued to give me blisters until the day I stopped wearing them)

Merrell Cruise Control
These shoes are HEAVY! But I loved them! Wore these for over a year until I tried a lighter shoe and just can't go back to them because of the weight. SUPER shoe while I ran with them though!

Holiday Weekend Bullet Point Update and a Few Pictures

Back to busy day at work so just a bullet point update:

• Watched Paranormal Activity and realize that I am too anxious as it is, maybe I am too old, I just shouldn't be watching scary movies! That movie freaked me out! The part where the demon (or whatever it is) drags her out of bed!!!! YUCK!
  

• Went swimming a few times which was fun and refreshing since it's SOOO hot! Phene is learning how to kick and dog paddle, and she is enjoying the water much more.

• p90x yoga on Saturday which I really enjoyed. It really helps with my back pain, so I think I am going to continue doing it once or twice a week.

• Ran 5 miles on Sunday with Jessica which was nice! I do miss running with her during the week! Glad we got to catch up!

• Have a 10k on Saturday, which I am nervous about...so one more run tomorrow and then a short break of a 2 days before the race. I am just hoping it's not too hot!!
  

Clickin' My Heels (If I had the energy)

I am not going to lie I like pushing myself a little. I don't like to get stuck in a rut with my running or get to that point where I get burned out. I try to set goals for myself and I try to stick with them to the best of my ability. So, lately my mind has been drifting to hills. And it just so happens that I am reading Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong and came to some chapters on hills that inspired me.

Here is just one:
http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/2007/04/lovehate.html

Here is my favorite part:
"I want to be fit for hills…in running, in life. They often come, be it in a race or in everyday living, when we least expect them. We think we are giving it everything we have, and then WHOA, there it is, no way around it except to climb. I want to do these drills, to feel dimensions of this inflicted pain, until I have a 'muscle memory' of it – in my legs or in my heart. I want to have practiced enough, done the drills so many times, that when I am suddenly faced with a 'hill' of any proportion, I kick into auto-pilot. I want to do the right thing, and do it well, if for no other reason than because it is what I have been trained to do. In life, there is not time to dwell on accessing the hill. You just go because it is blocking your path. Sometimes you even have to be strong enough to carry others with you. Up and over." -Kristin Armstrong

(WOW, I wish I could put my feelings in to words like she can! If you get a chance, read her book, you won't be disappointed!)

Ok back to my story...

I started scoping out the areas around where I run at work and started driving out some possible routes. There is a killer hill no farther than .5 miles from my work. A nice gradual hill on the first mile, a long windy down hill, a couple gradual hills and then you turn around and come back....up that long windy down hill, that's now an uphill.

I kind of psyched myself up all day yesterday after I settled on the route I was going to run. Honestly I had a restless night of sleep just thinking of running it this morning, I even dreamed about it!

This route is a narrow two lane road so I ran without music just so I could hear cars and be aware, I don't completely trust that everyone pays attention while driving! And though I thought this route/run was going to be a hard one, it was the easiest run I have had in awhile. I felt SO good after the run of course, and really not too bad during it. And I guess I found out today that "if the situation requires it I can kick a little ass!"

If I had it in me at the end of the run I would have jumped in the air for a little heel click and a yahooskeee! (But I was gasping for breath and probably couldn't of lifted my feet that high)

Have a good safe weekend all! And don't be afraid of hills, make them your friends :)

Some famous race hills that make and break runners....that maybe I will see someday!

Heartbreak Hill, Boston (right past the 20th mile! What a time for a hill!)

Hayes Street Hill, San Francisco (at the 2 mile mark, what a killer start!)


Doomsday Hill, Washington (4.75 miles in)