Know the Code

A short post tonight as I REALLY need to be doing school work.

I was so excited today to wake up late (yes, 6:45 is late for me), and enjoy a day off with some sunshine and a sandy beach after my 6 miles. The run was fantastic - I even found a new trail along the river (if you can call it that - it's really more of a brook) in New Haven. It was humid, but not too hot at all. The legs were a little tired and I am definitely not looking forward to my 13 miles tomorrow morning without a rest day (schedule rearranged for the wedding Saturday).

When I got home, I ate a huge bowl of cereal and went out to work on the car a bit. I was unsuccessful trying to repair the lift gate, but was able to dismantle the interior fan and remove the culprit of the obnoxious ticking noise (just a leaf, thank goodness). So, while the car is in the shop tomorrow for the lift gate, I will be trotting around the streets of New Britain for a couple hours.

Even after I finished up with the car, the sun was STILL not out. I have been looking forward to this beach day for weeks now. So, I took to the next best thing - retail therapy.

Now, on to the original reason for my post tonight. This morning, I must have run past thirty other runners, and approximately only fifty percent gave a smile, nod or wave. This is international runner's code here people. It's the same thing as all those people who drive Jeep Wranglers or motorcycles - just a quick wave of acknowledgement. If you're out on the streets or trails and you cross paths with another runner, no matter how tired or cranky you are, give a little sign - we're in it together and no one knows better what your feeling than another runner.

Running In the Rain

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain drops on my windows. Hmmmm, I thought, Six miles in the rain? Yuck! But, after my moment of prisiness, I remembered how many awesome rain runs I had while training for my last marathon. I actually started to get excited as I suited up. My first few steps were a little slippery as the oil was seeping up through the pavement. As I ran down towards Putnam Avenue, I felt the droplets sliding down my face and into my eyes. It may not sound quite as wonderful as it feels. The light rain is enough to keep you extremely cool, even on a sticky summer morning and you forget about any of the pains in your body.

All of these special parts of nature are things that we often forget about or take advantage of. And, the only way to enjoy them is to take it outdoors and think about all of our surroundings.

Whenever you have a chance, head outside. You don't have to run six miles to open your eyes - just take a short walk and breath deeply.

A Beautiful Day

Many marathon training programs are structured in what they call a step-up, step-back format. This means that for two weeks, you build the mileage of your long run and on the third week, you slightly decrease the mileage so that your body has a chance to recover. This week was a step-back week for me, so yesterday's long run was a brief eight miles. Knowing I had a short run, I got up a little later than usual since I wouldn't mind running after the sun began to warm the pavement. Normally, if I have a very long run, I get up and out there as early as possible before it starts to get too steamy. I chose my downtown New Haven route yesterday, which is one of my favorites. My legs felt fantastic, and I probably could have continued running much longer. But, I stuck to the plan. On the way back to the house, I decided to head into Eli Whitney Park to finish the last mile on one of the trails. Trail running is so invigorating and is great for building body awareness and stabilizer muscles. The first time I ran on the trails, I tripped over a ridiculously small rock, ripped my pants and completely banged up my knee. I learned my lesson that day and now every time I run through the woods, I enjoy it more than the previous.

I woke this morning so excited for the upcoming day. Sunday is YOGA day, which always such a treat. But, I also had a reunion to look forward to this afternoon. The first half of class was fast and challenging. And, of course, I forgot my towel on the day that I would be sweating like crazy. But, we eased into some of my favorite poses and ended class on a great note. As always, I walked out of the gym feeling so refreshed.

Schoolwork was calling my name as I walked into the house, but I knew I only had a short time. I did what I could in an hour and then hopped in the car to pick up Colleen on my way to meet Karin for a very long overdue meeting. As I saw Karin walking towards us, I thought "No, she looks WAY too good to have just had a chemo treatment." I'm so proud of her. The weather was absolutely perfect, so we sat out on the patio and got lost in our catch-up. It's been nine years since we have seen each other - way too long. We parted vowing not to let it go so long again. It's so wonderful to see great people who may have drifted out of your life, to hear all of the things they have accomplished and who they have become. Friendship is a very powerful thing that many of us take for granted.

I head off to sleep tonight awaiting my three miles and weight training session tomorrow morning. Weight training will only continue for another month before my body can't take the stress of running high mileage. But, the longer I can continue to lift weights, the better my muscles will be prepared for the big race.