Take It And Run Thursday -- My Run Set To Music!

Subtitle: "A David Grey Type of Day"

The topic of this week's "Take it and Run Thursday, courtesy of the good people over at Runner's Lounge, is: "My Running Set To Music. Ok, admit it - once or twice you have envisioned your training or running set to music when you thought about how this part of your life would be depicted the movie they made about you. You might have come up with a few ideas of what song they would play as they flashed different scenes of your training, or maybe what songs would perfectly capture each mile of your run. No need to keep it to yourself - share it! Tell us what songs you would use to tell the story of your training and running."

As per usual, I'm going to take my long and windy road to get to my point, but bear with me -- I've got stuff to say. :-)

Anybody who follows this blog knows that for the past few months, I've struggled not only with running (foot injury issue), but with exercise and activity in general. I started a new "desk job" after 5 years of officing at home. The footwear alone is killing me... combine that with stress, a commute, and an overall feeling of lethargy, plus a more obligated schedule, and I've been quite a lump on a log.

Yesterday was a VERY full day at work -- we launched a major initiative that I've basically been working on since Day 1 -- and on a day where I'd normally reward myself with a glass of wine with friends or co-workers, maybe pick up some sushi on the way home, I rewarded myself with a long overdue RUN.

I'm fortunate enough to work on a BEAUTIFUL campus that is surrounded by man-made lakes and streams, all accompanied by paved running and walking paths. I started this job on April 20th and haven't taken advantage of that at all -- until yesterday.

I worked like a well oiled machine -- at 4:30, just as I was thinking to myself "hmm, gym workout, home workout, or office workout? When will I eat?" my boss came out and announced leftover meeting food for anybody who wanted it -- I passed up the bars and brownies, and helped myself to a plateful of fresh fruit and 1/2 a whole wheat bagel -- a perfect pre-run snack.

At 5:01, I shut off my computer, grabbed my briefcase, and walked to the car -- swapped my briefcase for my gym bag, and walked back into the building to the little locker room and exercise facility. Changed and was on the pavement by 5:15.

I walked the first 5 minutes, getting the lay of the land. It was BEAUTIFUL out yesterday -- 77 degrees, sunny, a light breeze, no humidity. The lake (pond?) I ran around has a fountain in the middle, so ever 10 minutes or so when I passed it, the breeze caused a light mist, perfect to cool me off.

When all was said and done -- I ran 30 minutes without stopping, walked 5 minutes on either end, and ended my workout on the beautiful lawn, doing sun salutations and stretching. It took me a few minutes to get my groove (gruve?) back, but with each footstrike, my body started refamiliarizing itself with the feel of a run -- I hadn't forgotten.

The best part? No pain. NO PAIN.

Today is a different story -- I have all the usual (wonderful) aches and pains and stiffenesses that I love about "the morning after" a good run, but my right foot is having some unpleasant pain, despite a TON of stretching, both last night and this morning.

Oh wait -- this was supposed to be about music.
It wasn't a Moby run.
It wasn't a "top 40" run.
It wasn't a Katy Perry run, and it certainly wasn't the mindframe where I wanted Metalica or Linkin Park. My music matched my mood - peaceful, content, determined, and soulful.

As David Gray hummed in my ears, I felt my tension and stress melt away. I literally felt my feet "unclench" in my running shoes, after a day in heels. After 6 minutes, I couldn't believe that was all it had been, but as my body eased back into the actions, 30 minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

I got a fortune cookie once with the message "GOod habits are sustainable." I got it in 2000, and I"ve saved it all these years. It's STILL taped to my fridge, despite having moved 4 times since I got it. To me, the term "sustainability" is key, because not only does it refer to the need to be reasonable and realistic in your eating and exercise habits, but it implies that you have to have STARTED the good habits in order to sustain them.

Like usual, I find the sustainance harder than the lift-off -- I've been pretty off track for the past few months, but I woke up this morning -- albeit stiff, sore, and wanting to sleep all day -- with habits snapped back into place.

Gym bag has been packed and stowed in the car.
Breakfast (eggs, whole wheat toast) has been eaten.
The house is fairly tidy.
I have a plan for the day, and it's one that is easy to sustain.

Off and running,
~Jessica

Take It And Run Thursday - What Nobody Ever Told Me About Running

The theme of this week's Take It And Run Thursday, courtesy of the good people at Runner's Lounge, is:

Yeah, no one ever told me this about running.... Now that you are a runner, what is something you have learned about running that no one ever told you before. You didn't read it in a book, a blog or hear it from a friend or another runner. Or...maybe you did, but you didn't understand it or remember it until you learned it yourself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What nobody told me about running is how much it would become a part of my identity, and how unfamiliar and out of sorts I'd feel once I wasn't running. I'm still "on hiatus," trying to figure out the best possible workout routine, the best shoes, the best way to take care of my body, and the one thing I defintiely haven't found is my running mojo. Mostly because it's been in the high 90s with massive humidity for the past week or so, but also because I've been taking a class at the gym before work, which leaves me with little energy to run.

Last night the heat and humidity finally broke, and gave way to a beautiful evening -- it was in the low 80s, and the air was pretty dry. I got home around 7 and ate dinner before settling into some yardwork - mowing, watering - and then an impulsive trip to Home Depot to buy some grass seed. While out and about, the sheer number of walkers, runnings, and bikers was astouding. As I drove along the parkway and around Lake Nokomis, I was absolutely stunned to see how packed it was. As if we'd been in reverse hibernation for the past week, hiding from the heat, and couldn't wait to bust out of the air conditioning.

For the first time in ages, I felt an urge to be out there, running. But exhaustion + housework kept me back, and while I'm glad I got a few things knocked off my to-do list, I'm irritated that I didn't take advantage of the day -- I woke up to thunderstorms this morning, which has given way to a bright blue sky... coupled with 90 degree temps and 95% humidity. Foiled!

However, feeling that urge to RUN again is refreshing, and makes me realize that I haven't lost my identity as a runner completely -- it's just waiting for the right time to re-emerge, hopefully stronger, safer, healthier, and more determined than before.

I know that this time, I'll simply be running for running's sake -- not to make a trial, a time, or run a race. I'm not about distance, I'm simply out to enjoy the run.

Off and running,

~JessiferSeabs

Life On the Balance Ball

It never occurred to me that it would be possible to move both forward and backwards at the same time, but it seems like that's what I'm doing right now, physically.

1) I haven't run in a while. This has been a conscious choice -- for both physical and emotional reasons. I'm still dealing with the same injuries that knocked me out of the half-marathon, and the one morning that I almost set out on a run (Sunday), The Boyfriend and I ended up grabbing coffee from the nearby bakery and going for a long, leisurely walk instead. Wouldn't have traded it for the world, but it was mildly disappointing as I have since lost my running mojo again.

2) Scary Trainer Liz is awesome, because she kept calling me at home and hounding the crap out of me to get back to the gym, get back into a class, etc. I HATED having to tell her that I didn't run the race, but appreciated her supportive and persistant attitude in regards to kicking my butt in the right way.

3) I got the flu, subsequently was out of work for 2 days and kind of knocked me out for a solid week (a few days before and a few days after).

4) The flu ended up providing a much needed BREAK from physical activitity... and once I felt normal again, it was much easier to get back with my program...

5) ...especially when I stepped on the scale on Sunday morning and nearly had a heart attack.

6) Once Liz and I determined that post-work 6 PM classes just don't work for me (dog issues, working late issues, shoe-induced foot-pain issues, traffic issues), she allowed me to take the month of June off to get adjusted to my new work schedule, and then hounded me endlessly to get into a different TEAM class -- I had been doing Cardi02, which is definitely the most challenging of the TEAM classes, and my new options were TEAM Fitness and TEAM Weight Loss.

7) Hmmm, TEAM Weight Loss. Well, that sounds right up my alley (an alley which seems to be growing wider by the day, to account for my ever-expanding ass -- hey, age 31, can I have my metabolism back please!?!?)

8) Did I mention that TEAM is at 6 AM, MWF???

9) So I did it. I talked to The Boyfriend and said "Hey, I really need to do this -- for one thing, I've PAID for it already*, and secondly I do not like the way I feel lately, mentally or physically. I know myself well enough to know that I'm not going to work out after work, unless it's a light walk or on the treadmill / TV workout, and most days I just want to collapse after a day at work (right now, I'm not getting home until about 7 PM, starving).

And like a rubber band, as soon as I made the commitment, things snapped back into place. On Monday, I got up at 5:20 and made it to the gym by 6 AM, and then the office in time for my 8 AM staff meeting. I'd done a poor job of food prep over the way-too-busy-weekend, but made healthy choices for Monday's breakfast and lunch (yogurt, fruit salad, wheat toast; huge huge salad). After work, I ignored my growling tummy and went to the grocery store before even going home (knowing that as soon as I walked in the door, I wasn't leaving again). I was mindful of my hunger level, didn't cave to temptations, and I bought ingredients to make smoothies for breakfast all week, veggies for lunches, and a quickly planned out a few dinner menus. While I heated up dinner (chicken breast, snap peas, brown rice, all from the lovely Kowalskis deli counter), I prepped veggies and made a quinoa chicken salad to portion out for lunches. I packed 4 lunches, prepped Tuesday's dinner (Tilapia, & roasted brussel sprouts), watched some TV, and managed to actually muster up a conversation with The Boyfriend when he came over around 8 PM.

Today started off on a similar note -- up at 5:20, gym by 6, work by 9 AM, stopping home to shower and make a smoothie in between. I brought my lunch, a snack, and dinner is prepped and waiting to be cooked.

So, why is this backwards, you ask? Well, I've stepped WAY back in terms of the physical intensity of my workouts. Rather than running double-digit miles or double-digit inclines on the treadmill, I'm participating in less strenuous workouts. At the same time, this leaves me with enough energy to add in some strengh training / core work (currently in love with my BOSU trainer), and not feel so exahusted that I can't move at the end and beginning of everyday.

I've gone back to my routine of not only journaling, but PRE-journaling my food. It helps me to feel more in control, structured, and proactive about my nutrition. As somebody wise once said, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail -- that sentiment couldn't be more true when it comes to my eating habits. If I don't have a plan, I flail around aimlessly, waffling in a confusing sea of carbs vs protein vs good fats vs eat when hungry vs stop when full vs counting calories vs south beach diet vs weight watchers vs ohmygodmybloodsugariscrashingletmeeatANYTHING.

It's not pretty, I hate it, and it makes me feel like I've spent the past 5 years OVER-learning the food and diet industry.

About 25 lbs ago, when I got to a weight where I felt amazing -- comfortable, confident, and happy -- I commented that "this is no longer about weight loss -- weight loss is simply the by-product now of living healthily." I loved feeling that way. In August of 2007, I went to LA for a friend's birthday party and started out that morning with a 12 mile run along the beach. When I look at pictures of that weekend, I am amazed by how thin I was -- without even realizing it. All I could focus on was that I wasn't at my goal yet, and wasn't going to make it there (another 7-13 lbs), by my projected date (marathon Sunday).

This is where the contradiction between backward and forward motion comes into play. I may have been physically healthier 2 years ago, but probably not mentally. I was in the tail-end of an unhappy, unhealthy, unsatisfying relationship that was going nowhere. I was taking Wellbutrin, which I'd started taking for purposes of controlling Seasonal Affect Disorder, but stayed on because I didn't want to alter things during my marathon training. I wasn't running TOWARDS my goals, but away from my problems. I used running as a coping mechanism - certainly healthier than food, booze, cigarettes, or shopping, but a mechanism nonetheless.

As I refocus and turn my goals back to weight loss -- this time, while striving to achieve a more balanced life, I mostly feel forward motion.

The scale is down 2 lbs.
I have slept well for the past few days.
I have had rewarding workouts that didn't leave me sore and drained.
I've socialized with friends and family, and enjoyed every second, sip, and bite of the experience.

Life goes on -- 25 lbs or no.

Off and balancing,**
~Jessica

*I knew that the way to get through to him was to explain that the money was SPENT -- no other justification for waking up at 5 AM three days a week!
**Quite literally -- I'm sitting on a balance ball instead of my chair at work!

Take It and Run Thursday -- Where The Heart Is

I suppose I should title this piece "where the heart ISN'T" rather than "where the heart IS."

The topic for today's Take It And Run Thursday, courtesy of the good people over at Runner's Lounge, is... Running Injuries and Treatment. First it started as a slight discomfort or something that just wasn't quite right. And then maybe it blossomed into a full fledge injury. Or maybe...it didn't. Tell us what you do to prevent and treat your running related injuries. We are interested in how you use good 'ole RICE and MICE but also interested in the not so traditional methods as well.

It's very timely, given the decisions I"m wrestling with this morning. As you all know, I've been training for a half marathon... it's this Sunday... and I am in pain.

I'm in physical pain from the ankles to toes, and not the kind that comes from a really long run. Because frankly, I haven't run a step since my 10-mile run. I've felt some pain when running for the past month (basically, ever since I started my new job and started wearing uncomfortable shoes every day), and after the 10-mile, things just never quite felt the same. I feel the beginning of plantar fasciitus coming on, and definitely some ankle / acchiles tendon pain on a pretty constant basis, and there is this odd spur thing that keeps disappearing and reappearing (painfully, I may add), on my acchiles.

I'm not one who is very good with ambiguity -- I like to make decisions quickly so that I know how to move on / move forward. I feel like I've been up in the air about this race ever since I went back to an office job and sacrificed my flexibility (note: the lack of flexibility and the necessity to dry my hair every morning are the ONLY things I don't like about my current set up).

I feel like for the past month, I just keep saying "I just want it to be OVER, I just want it to be OVER," and part of that desire is so that I can get back into exercise for the FUN of it, rather than the necessary science of training. I want to get back into "normal" exercise -- an hour or 45 minutes or 90 minutes of walking/biking/running/swimming/rollerblading/yoga/whatever I feel like doing, most days of the week, with no necessary goals or outcomes.

Bottom line? I'm not EXCITED about Sunday. Not one little bit.

But, I'm excited to get back to exercise for the desired goal of weight loss, and frankly, training and endurance running have never done that for me (because I'm starving all the time).

Anyway. I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate (Did I mention that I hate?) the idea of quitting, giving up, throwing in the towel, etc. I hate that I won't be there to run with Kat (who is doing a kickass job of training for her first endurance event, BTW), and I hate that I won't get my medal or the knowledge that I DID IT.

But again, it goes back to "Where the heart ISN'T." I've done this before. I've run a half, I"ve run a full, and there will be more in the future, perhaps once my life settles into a bit more normalcy, and I don't feel like I'm constantly cramming things into a too-full, inflexible schedule.

I think it's official, I think I'm out.

(But I will be there to cheer you all on!)

Off and (not) running,
~Jessica

Take It And Run Thursday - Eat This, Not That

The theme of this week's "Take it and Run Thursday," brought to us by the good people at The Runner's Lounge, is "Eat This, Not That," a nutrition guide for runners!

This is a pretty timely post for me, as I'm struggling with a lot of things right now in the realm of diet and fitness -- as you all know (ad nauseum, ad infinitum), I've started a new job, one that took me away from my leisurely "work at home" lifestyle (translation: gym at 10, yoga at noon, dog park by 2 PM), and squashed my feet into uncomfortable shoes 5 days a week.

(I'm kinda kidding about the shoes, but kinda not -- it's been 5 years since I wore heels or dress shoes everyday, and hot damn, my feet are sore and tired ALL the time).

It's also meant major changes in my dietary habits -- I've been following Weight Watchers for as long as I can remember, but in the past few years, my lifestyle had become active enough that I could slide by a bit without paying as much attention to the quantities of food I was eating: I'd conditioned my habits to the point of automatic healthy choices 80% of the time ("80% broccoli, 20% pizza and beer," as I like to say), so quitting at the point of satisfaction was pretty easy -- and the calorie burn was high. I was always caught up on laundry, housework, and errands, so it took very little motivation to get to the gym, the running trails, or the yoga studio.

But NOW... things are very different. And while I think I'm doing a pretty good job of maintaining the status quo, given the lifestyle change, I'm not making a DENT in the 30 lbs I'd like to lose. Super frustrating. I've found that if I "automate" breakfast, lunch, and snacks, I do really well... but it's the notion of making dinner, in my hot little house, after a long work day, that I'm struggling with. Baby steps, and I know I'll get there (it's all about preparation, frankly), but Age 31 seems to have stolen my metabolism and run away with it, so I'm dealing with a great deal of frustration in the world of ill-fitting pants.

Le Sigh.

But this isn't supposed to be about weight loss, it's supposed to be about running, so here are my tips:

• Most importantly -- if you are training for an event, don't do anything different on race day than you've done the night before / morning of your long runs.


• During the course of your training, experiment with diffent dinners and breakfasts to see what gives you the most energy.


• Take note of the little things: for example, I like to pre-treat with some advil before a long run (especially right now, but more on that in a bit), but advil often gives me heartburn, which is further exacerbated by the act of running -- so it's and advil and Pepcid partnership before my long runs, unless I want to be in a world of hurt.


• A lot of energy products also give me heartburn, specifically, GU. So I don't use it. I do much better with sport beans, shot blocs, or Z-bar (or, frankly, a Snickers bar, if I could just find a way to keep it from melting!)


• What works for somebody else will not necessarily work for you. Every runner I know swears by Gu, but I can't stand it. My friend Jason, an elite athlete and physical therapist, told me "some people like a candy bar and a coke, and there's nothing wrong with that." I tend to like his suggestion. ;-)


• Too much fiber and too much protein sits in my stomach wrong. In the dietary world, I aim for high fiber, whole grains... eliminating as much refined sugar and processed foods as possible. But in the running world, that doesn't work: I end up feeling like I have a blob of Play-dough in my tummy, and that's no fun. My night before meals usually consist of a white (NOT whole grain) pasta with chicken or shrimp, a salad, and some bread.


• Any amount of booze, even one glass of wine, the night before a run completely takes the wind out of my sails.


• Water water water water water (the night before)


• Coffee, coffee (just two -- any more than that, and I'm dehydrated), the morning of a long run. I was amazed to discover the difference between a One Cup Run and a Two Cup Run.

So those are my tried and true suggestions, and I think they're pretty good ones -- I've had to change my diet for running, and change my running for my diet so many times over the past 5 years that I think it's pretty solid.

On an actual running note... training is not going well. My feet hurt ALL the time. I've been working out with Scary Trainer Liz, and yesterday we discovered a possible bone spur / tendonitis on my left acchiles tendon. It's not incredibly painful, but not exactly comfortable either. I like to say "it's definitely NOTICABLE." So we'll see. A week and 3 days before the half marathon, it's not a good feeling. I'm not "out" yet, but I'm not 100% "in" either, mentally or physically.

Off and (not) running,
~JessiferSeabs

Attitude Is Everything (and pasta helps, too)

Last week's 9 mile run was miserable, so obviously I embarked on 10 with quite a bit of trepitation.

I had blisters. I was sore. I hadn't worked out all week.

But, I also knew that I wanted to do this run in the city, instead of in Hayward, WI where I'll be heading after work and spending the weekend -- in theory, running at the cabin SOUNDS like a good idea, but the reality is, there's nowhere good to run. One of the beautiful things about Minneapolis is the ease with which you can ping from lake to lake to parkway to beautiful waterfalls to paths and trails, and barely ever come in contact with a car or intersection. In Hayward, it's open road and county highway as far as the eye can see.

I set my alarm for 5 AM and hit snoozer until about 5:30 -- a little longer than I intended, but I also didn't go to bed QUITE as early as I wanted to last night. I'd had pasta for dinner, and copious amounts of water throughout the day. I was excited to give my new running shoes a 2nd chance, now that the blisters were mostly dried up and I had gone through all my pre-run rituals.

I got up and had coffee and breakfast right away -- something light, but with the right protein/carb mix to get me through the run (english muffin w/ pb & j).

I had water, advil, pepcid (I get heartburn sometimes when I run), and stretched.

And then I was off!

Last Sunday I felt like I could barely move -- today, I felt like I could have kept going forever. And I was pretty fast today, too -- 10 miles in 2 hours, almost on the nose. That means I kept a pretty nice 5 MPH pace the whole time. It was GORGEOUS outside -- and quiet, since it was 6 AM. There were barely any cars around, let alone people, and as I drank in the solitude, I remembered, "THIS is what I love about this sport."

On mornings like this, I'm reminded that sometimes one sucky run is just ONE sucky run, and not an indicator that I'm ready to quit or retire from the sport. Not a sign that I'm too old, fat, or incapable of going the distance. I'm not sure how much distance running is in my future, the last 4 miles of today were still pretty tough and my blisters started acting up by the end, but at least I remembered how to get up, bang out 5 miles before 8 AM, and love it.

I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes, that has been true for me over and over again throughout the years -- it ran through my brain over and over today, along with the positive messages I've heard from various supportive people over the past few days*:

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're always right."

Like the Little Engine That Could, I kept going today, and enjoyed it. I "got out of my own way," so to speak, and took in the beauty of my surroundings: lakes and rivers and waterfalls and golf courses and woods and footbridges. I didn't listen to ENERGIZING music, but calming, peaceful music -- David Gray, Diana Krall, Norah Jones -- things that soothed me into forgetting about my heart rate and my footstrike and reminded me to live in the moment, and just enjoy the run.

That concludes Training: Week 8.

And now it's time for the taper.

Off and running,

~Jessica

*Molly J and Annika S... thank you for your words. I thought of you both a lot today! And Annika, on the week of your graduation, I dedicate today --10 miles -- to YOU! Congratulations, girl!

Training: Week 7

I could sum up this entry with five words:

"Things are not going well."

Since starting this new job, it's been challenging to find time to squeeze in workouts, say nothing of the energy for a long run. Gone are my 10 AM / 2 PM trips to the gym, lakes, yoga, and dog park... and instead, I'm running either before or after work. While I feel I'm doing a pretty good job of maintaining a healthy lifestyle (bringing lunch every day, eating a healthy breakfast at home, planning healthy dinners), my "me time" has definitely fallen by the wayside. It used to be that running was my alone time, and while that is still true for the long weekend runs, my weekday runs have been at Cardi02 class... and while I love the cammeraderie and teammanship of working out with a group, I'm also feeling like I went from being alone almost all day, everyday, to being surrounded by people and chatter 24-7.

Last weekend, I skipped my 8 mile run. It was somewhat inadvertent, but I skipped it and did nto make it up. I was out late on Friday night this week, so I postponed my long run for Sunday. I woke up very refreshed and excited on Sunday morning -- it was a day MADE for running... blue skies, 50 degree temps (that rose to about 70 by the end of the day), and tons of sun.

The run was miserable.

I am not ready for this race. I'm not prepared, and it's going to be tough to finish. The 9 miler was brutal -- despite PERFECT conditions. TRUE... I didn't do any of my prerun rituals on Saturday night (pasta, water, early bedtime), but it felt much harder than it should have. I ended up walking a lot... and while I enjoyed the outdoor time (especially because the rest of the day was spent indoors watching baseball in our lovely Metrodome), I finished the "run" with very achey hips, blisters (that's a new one), and a very discouraged attitude. I already can't fathom trying to do 10 miles on Saturday, especially because that run will be done at our family cabin in Hayward, WI unless I squeeze it in on Friday morning before coming into work.

Now that I've got that little vent out of my system, it's time to switch things around and focus on bringing back my good attitude.

So I had a crappy run. SO WHAT! It was a crappy run on the most beautiful day of the year, a day MADE for running, and my personal favorite type of weather.

So I had a crappy run. SO WHAT! I also burned over 1000 calories, and got it out of the way EARLY... before the lakes and paths were crowded, and so that I had enough time to come home and relax before heading downtown for the Twins game.

So I had a crappy run. SO WHAT! I BROKE UP WITH MY EX-BOYFRIEND the night before attempting my 14 miler for TCM 2007, and literally started crying half way through, and had to sit and cry for about 20 minutes before finishing the run, and I STILL kicked ass on my 16 miler the following weekend. Certainly, things could be worse. This year, I got to come home to my GREAT boyfriend, and let him pull my sore feet into his lap and rub them and tell me "you're crazy, but good job."

So I had a crappy run. SO WHAT! I'm 31 now, not 29. I'm 20 lbs heavier than when I last attempted this. I have a full time office gig that I just started 2 weeks ago, that has me in a suit and heels all day, talking to people -- a far cry from my "past life" in yoga pants and flip flops, working from the sofa.

I am nothing if not hard on myself... call it "oldest child syndrome," but I'm fairly used to succeeding at things... and if I don't think I am capable of doing something successfully, I usually don't bother trying. It's been my achilles heel for as long as I can remember, and apparently this is no different. After that 14 mile run that sucked so bad in 2007, I complained about it to my Dad (who didn't know about the breakup yet), and he said "Okay, so it sucked, but did you take a minute to stop and realize that even though it sucked, you still RAN FOURTEEEN MILES?"

Oh yeah.

But SO WHAT. I ran 9 miles. And next week I'll run 10. And on 5/31, I'll suck it up and stumble across that finish line, no matter how long it takes me, how much I have to walk, and how bad it hurts.

(And then I think I'll get really into biking. And swimming. And 5ks and 10ks. I think that this endurance sports thing has maybe passed. Although, that's also what I said after 26.2).

Off and running,
~Jessica