One Step at a Time

Just time for a brief note:

Went camping this weekend in Rocky Mountain House, and I had the beautiful trail run ever. (That’s kind of funny, as I have only ran on true trails only a handful of times in my life.) But, I certainly understood the appeal. Concentrating on the ground below me to ensure I didn’t trip was so all-consuming, I hardly had time to think about the intervals!! It was completely beautiful … the trail led to a beach, and would break through fields that were so scenic. I loved the solitary feeling of it, until I was walking back to our campsite, and read the “If you encounter a bear…” signage. Ignorance is bliss.

Busy with back-to-school stuff this week. Confession: I don’t want my boys to go back. Oh, I’m all about education … it’s just that I’ve enjoyed this summer so much with them. I’d like about 3 more weeks of holiday mode. We came home to a deck full of leaves, and Derek said, “Awwww … why did fall have to come when we were gone?!” I was wondering the same thing.

A thought: are any RBFers interested in chatting online? We could post a day and time and meet with Messenger or whatever works … I’d love to chat with y’all (I never say that in real life, but somehow get a kick out of typing it) in real time and zap you for all of your running knowledge ….

Your thoughts?

… until race day!!!

I’m pumped!

1. I don’t wear my Forerunner to my running clinic. It is the only time I don’t feel a need to obsess about the time or the distance or the pace. The group I’m with helps me set the pace, and I judge it based on Not-Inga’s pace (that instructor that commits to running with the last person, and subsequently no one wants to run with…) and hopefully Jackie’s pace, and on good nights like tonight, trying-to-catch-Brenda’s pace. It’s freedom of sorts, and I like it. Great run tonight there.

2. When I run and get into the groove of it, I tend to hold my thumbs in a Grandpa-like pose … did your grandfather ever grab your nose and then stick his thumb between his pointer and middle finger, pretending he “got your nose”?? Okay, mine did. So I run along constantly, with two noses in my hands. It’s very odd, but I haven’t found anything more comfortable.

3. I run really, really fast when there’s bees and wasps and hornets around. Sigh. I’ve never been stung, and it’s a big fear of mine. Our area is in a stinging flying creature crisis right now … they’re everywhere. I’m not sure if I think I’ll actually outrun them, or if the intervals will confuse their flight pattern … but I can’t help but sprint when I hear buzzing next to me.

So, c’mon …. share your running quirks with me. Normalize me.

Ahhhhhhhhh. I love to travel, but there’s nothing like coming home after being away.

We had a lovely trip out to Penticton, British Columbia to visit our dear friends. They have a house only a block from the beach, and the kids had an incredible time. Kids and water and sand. It’s a sure bet for a great holiday.

My friend Jacquie is a soulmate to me. It was so refreshing and invigorating to just “be” with her. We drank way too much Diet Coke than can possibly be healthy. It’s a strange Pavlovian response. Normally, I’d been having one Diet Coke every two days. I see her, we get to talking, and I’m up to 3 or 4. Chalk it up to holidays, I guess.

I was able to sneak out of bed each morning for a run in their lovely beachside community. Besides being able to run along Lake Okanogan (what a treat!), I also loved winding through the roads and looking at all of the real estate. Their community has it all: modest cottages, average bungalows, and freakin’ huge mansions with gates. I chose one. A mansion, that is. I would run by it, and fondly call it “mine.” (Can you spell “covet”, kids?? ) I was pleased as punch to see my gardener there, working diligently on the waterfront flowerbeds, until I can raise the 3 million dollars to buy the place. Keep it up, buddy.

Running on holidays was empowering. I just made a comment earlier tonight on Mark’s inspiration post about not feeling like a runner when I was starting out. I say now that I feel like a runner. Maybe it’s because I was so consistent with it when I could’ve chosen to sleep in and pig out, because after all, I’m on holidays. It wasn’t like that at all. I felt strong and energetic and eager to start the day. I may be re-evaluating my usual nighttime run routine. There’s something to be said for the morning.

Oh, and if you haven’t visited Mia and seen her adorable new papoose, go there now and ooh and ahh. Amazing stuff. When I kissed my kids g’nite, I remembered just how small they start out. Congrats, Mia and family.

Yessssss.

Yesssss is for the runs when everything works. It’s a push, a hard push no less, but I dig in and I work through it and I stick it out, and I come out of it with a huge grin on my sweaty face.

Yep.

The sentiment behind the anniversary was lovely. Nice dinner, a movie, and a pretty hotel room. I was feeling a bit icky prior to leaving, and that feeling stuck with me. It would come in waves: I couldn’t eat much dinner, but then I felt OK during the movie. But then later in the night, the nausea came on strong and I spent every two hours of our Big Anniversary Night in the bathroom. Horrible. I am terribly disappointed, as nights out like that just don’t come around very often. Grrrrr.

Due to this lingering ick, (which has subsided with some over-the-counter crap … I mean anti-crap, I guess … is that too much info?), I haven’t ran in a few days now. Hopefully everything will come together for a run tomorrow night.

I had some big-time negativity from a family member about my running today. Y’know, one thing running has taught me, is that it’s about me. It’s not about you, just about me. Just me and the run. I don’t care if you’re not into it, or you don’t think it’s a good idea. It’s just mine. I need to apply that attitude s’more into other areas of my life.

Troy is in bug camp this week. Today, they got to pet a tarantuala. What sounds like hell to me is something we pay to send our eager son to. Funny how that works. Derek is sick of the cast. Translation = he wants to swim. We’re going to emergency at a city hospital on Saturday that does waterproof casting. I pray that we look pathetic enough that they’ll do it. It’s a wonky system, health care.

I’m babbling. Back to bed for me.

Spent yesterday with stomach woes, and was ticked that I didn’t feel well enough to run. Still have a bit of the wonky feeling this morning, so I’m hoping that I get over that before we go out tonight.

Funny thing: I had a dream the other night about the movie I just saw with the kids: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Jon was in my dream, as a director against white chocolate, really. It was funny how in the dream, I just casually thought — hey, there’s Jon. No biggie. Because I have no idea what Jon looks like, in my dream he strongly resembled Keanu Reeves. And that was fine by me.

The movie was fabulous, despite lukewarm reviews. It reminded me of my Grade Four teacher, Mrs. Wack, who read the book out loud to us. She was a tad bit of an uptight teacher at times, but she definitely sparked a love of literature in her students. I did an entire project on the character of Grandpa Joe … I even made a model of him. I loved that book, and last night, I started reading it out loud to my kids. That felt good.