Wintery Branch

Took this picture on a long run through hilly Middletown with Lauren. Trying to teach her to look around and enjoy the ride. She has been a competitor for so long that it's hard for her to slow down. In the process, she is helping me to speed up a bit; it's a great match! : )

My Ultimate Plan

So, I have surrounded myself with an array of Runner's World magazines and Natural Health and Health magazines. I am becomming inspired to be the best I can be. I need to quit smoking. After my birthday bash on Saturday, where I know that I will smoke and feel like a failure if I quit today, I am going to embark on the annoying quitting journey again. I need to remember that it is for running...it is for my health...it is for my son. That is one of the steps on my ultimate plan.

My plan is to get into a regular routine where I look at my weaknesses and work on them.
Good for running...good for life : )

Recovery Run

I ran a four-mile today with Joey in the stroller (slow-44 minutes-11:00 pace...before my injury I would run 10:00 pace with stroller). No I-Pod today.

Before I ran, I was stressed out and feeling like I needed an escape. I started out running fast and efficiently. Around a mile and a half in, I started to get the "running blues". I wanted to walk; I felt tired; I got negative; I was thinking of cutting my run short. I self-talked myself through it, reminding myself about my half marathon and how well I did, how I am still working my way back up from my injury. At the two mile mark, my mood changed: my stride flowed easier; my breathing evened out and became less labored; I began to look around more; I stopped waiting for the end of my run and just enjoyed the ride. I am glad that I pushed through this, because I'm sure to be working on my mental endurance as much as my physical again. The more you run, the less the mental blocks affect you.

I just got back fifteen minutes ago and I feel like I want to relax. My energy is low, but fairly positive. If I didn't have Joey, or had a live-in nanny, I would take a bath right now, with my I-Pod tuned to Matchbox Twenty, Rob Thomas, and Jack Johnson.

After writing this, it has now been a half hour since ending my run and I am beginning to feel my energy levels increase and my mood is lifting. I'm also getting hungry.

Happy Running : )