Sunday dreads were starting to kick in so I opted to go out for a nice easy run this morning…bonus miles!

Duncan licking the sweat off my legs again

Duncan licking the sweat off my legs again

For some reason I chose quite the “glowing” attire.

neon overload

neon overload

It was the best smelling run i’ve been on in quite some time! Everyone must be doing their laundry today. I was intoxicated by the fabric softener and detergent aromas wafting through the neighborhood.

mmmm better than the smell of apple pie

mmmm better than the smell of apple pie

I feel better. Dreads are currently at bay and I’m preparing to attend my friend’s dad’s wake. I need that inner strength for her. So if you want to feel better you need to dress more colorfully than that the 80s and smell yummy things like pie and fabric softener. Hmmm how can we weave unicorns and puppies into this post?

Oh yes….like this….

puppy!

puppy!

the coveted marathon

the coveted marathon

Question: What is your favorite detergent? Ever use special “sport” types?

 

 

 

 

Hi everyone,

After a more serious post the other day I wanted to share a happy day yesterday. I met my running peeps (Jorge, Cinde, Elvia, Mike, Lisa and Shishaldin) for a long run in NYC to take advantage of the NYC Summer Streets event again. I ended up running about 14.5 while most everyone else went on to do 21.5. We got to experience this interactive light and sound exhibition in the Park Avenue tunnel which is right below Grand Central. This was the first time this tunnel has ever been open to pedestrians!

photo 5

i’m usually freaked out in tunnels. but this was fun.

 

photo courtesy of Jorge Lee

Running peeps! -photo courtesy of Jorge Lee

The we ran along Pershing Square and through Grand Central, heading up Park Avenue…

photo 3-1

It’s nice to be where pedestrians are usually not allowed.

Banana Boat had an activity area and we were so excited when we saw they were giving out FREE chocolate covered frozen bananas…

0810130809a

get your mind outta the gutter! they are bananas! =)

That really gave me some much needed energy because I was feeling super slow and wasn’t even sure if I’d make it through our 6 mile Central Park loop. Even with Cat Hill (I walked some of it), I made it through the loop and ran straight to the subway to get back to my car and get home.

this is why they call it Cat Hill...

this is why they call it Cat Hill…

Ok now for the CONS explanation. CONS (Center of the Nation Series), is coming up in about a month. I think I’ve mentioned it before. It’s 5 marathons in 5 days in 5 states (ND, SD, WY, MT, NB). They offer half marathons each day too which is what I’ll be doing =) My friends are MUCH crazier. Roger, Elvia, Lisa, Mike and I will be the 5 wild ones headed out in September for this event. Roger lives in Massachusetts which makes him always feel sad that he can’t train with us on the weekends. So today Lisa brought a paper doll version and we took him with us.

Roger took the subway from Boston?

Roger took the subway from Boston?

paper roger and the girls

paper roger and the girls

And then I came home and used my creativity to make this awesome graphic that we’re gonna use for t-shirts.

for a good time call 555-CONS

for a good time call 555-CONS

We fly into South Dakota two days before the races start so we’re headed to Mt. Rushmore to check off a bucket list item of mine=)

I realize that I don’t usually run consecutive days, let alone 5 days straight. I think I’d better get in a few more weekly runs even if they are only 5 miles a piece….just to get my legs used to running 5 days straight. The rest of the group is actually out right now running another 20 miler!

Question: Have you ever done consecutive or back-to-back races? How do you train for it?

Hello.

I just returned from a 5 mile run.

watch88I’m calling it my Blood, Sweat & Tears run and I’ll tell you why. It’s not that it was some major distance or speed. Nope. It was really more about processing emotions. That’s one of things I love best about running. My morning started with the tears. I’m still so sad for my good friend who lost her father this week. I just kept thinking about how unfair it is that people should die from anything other than natural causes. Why can’t we all just live to a ripe old age and just pass peacefully in our sleep? Then I thought about my friend. She is always such a positive force—glass half full kind of girl. I needed to be that positive force in return. But I know firsthand about losing someone dear. (In case you never saw this video, my husband died from cancer soon after we got married.) So as I pushed myself up the big hill about 3 miles into my run I tried to find some positive aspect of this horrible thing. When life is extinguished instantly, with no warning and in a senseless way, we become angry and sad and depressed and overwhelmed with emotion. But we should also be reminded about the fragility of our life. This isn’t anything new. It’s just that we need to be reminded every now and again. We need to live a life that is full. We shouldn’t waste a moment. We shouldn’t be complacent and continue to live “status-quo”. Fill your life with the things that will become good memories. My friend does this. She is ALWAYS participating in life. She doesn’t know how to be still or sit on the sidelines. And so I KNOW she’s got a boatload of memories to hang on to to continue to carry her dad’s spirit along….I don’t think I’ve ever stopped grieving the loss of my hubby. It’s been 14 years. But I’ve found a way to live a full life without him here in this physical world.

sotss-ecard2

Sorry for this very serious post. But I hope it helps you do something today that you can look back on as a fond memory.

P.S: the blood…..just a papercut….and the sweat….it was 90% humidity on today’s run =)

Hi all,

I meant to post yesterday but something awful happened. A good friend of mine lost her dad in a very horrific way. It jolted me so much. I had just come home from the most awesome evening run to find out that her dad’s life was in jeopardy. 🙁

It started out as any typical Monday. Work was insane. But I came home and went out for a 3 (ish) miler. I usually run on Tuesday mornings but i wanted to take advantage of the perfect night. Weather was spot on and the sun was setting all shades of pink and purple. I had the most amazing and SPEEDY run ever! Each mile faster than the next with the final mile clocking in at 8:51 pace. WOAH! I don’t remember eating Wheaties????

sallywheatiesI channeled my runner’s high and watched a few Adobe After Effects video tutorials. I’m determined to learn some animation skills. But everything came to a screeching halt when I got the news about my friend’s dad. I ended up staying awake until somewhere around 3 a.m. I talked on the phone and texted with friends and tried to process the situation.

I’m so glad I went for that run. Life can change in an instant. You MUST appreciate and revel in all the joys. The small feats and the big ones. Try not to sweat the small stuff. I suggest sweat out the small stuff instead. This way you will be strong enough to handle the not so small stuff.