Like a glove

Nothing is better than new shoes that fit your feet. The toes, no longer crying out in little wealps of pain. Let's see what happens!

Cloudy skies

When the water under the bridge is clear, there's no drama. 

First bridge

I couldn't get past it. It was time to tackle Niles again and boy was it gorgeous. Today was a tempo run:

1x9:40

1xbridge @ 10

1x9:20

total of 7 (this was an increase in tempo mileage)

and then home

I didn't think bout much except smells. The smells of Summerland in the early morning: 

Dion's fried chicken, swamp rot, the Warf's fried foods, fish, coffee behind Illy and baking pastries. Yum, I can't wait to indulge afterwards.

15/112

I will worship:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3ElnxNHotc

When I'm tired and sweaty. 

When I've hit the wall and can't go on. 

When the kids are fighting and the house is a wreck. 

I will worship. 

When my leg hurts and and muscles are tight. 

When all I wanna do is sleep. 

I will worship. 

6 recovery @ 10:20. Done

Cycle-fuel

12 miles with him early Sunday morning! It always helps to talk someone's ears off. Average, 10:45s. My knee was a tiny bit funky but I iced it and stretched and the kink worked out!

Running is hokey pokey

You put your left foot forward, you put your right foot forward, you put your left foot forward and you shake it all about.

Check marks

It's always about the check marks. Except when it's not. And then things begin to unravel and you have to try a different route.

7/112

Anticipation. 

Although it's not the biggest accomplishment having week one done sure does feel great. Especially since I didn't miss a workout and that is even more great. Today's recovery run was a bit slow but I averaged 1005's. 

I certainly spent Friday night awake in anticipation of Saturday's run. Everyone's excited really:

The kids for Christmas of course. 

Seth for the new year. 

Me for races and running and training. 

And I guess everyone is curious when the house is going to sell. 

All in all, a great run!

This day

Talking and sharing on a run is important. It really makes the time go by faster. And it lets the counters and the watch checkers take a little bit of a break. Plus no one to hold you accountable for what you say on a run because you never know what state of mind you were in when you said it!

5 alone and 5 with my partner, followed by some yoga afterwards. Today's long run was great!

4/112

Arms. You use them more than you know when you run. I've never really been that coordinated with sports. Mostly I'm quick but not so much with my hands or feet. But, I CAN put one foot in front of the other and move in a forward direction and progress along a straight line. And that's why I like running. But, there is still so much to think about. So today, as I did my arm strength training, I though about why my arms hurt so bad, and I just don't have an answer. It might be the way I've slept for the past few years, with a baby (or pillow) propped in the crook of my arm. Or it might be how I hold all my tension in my arms. It could be that I don't stretch them or that they're weak.  So I'll focus, step back and work on posture, and send my breath to the parts that don't quite work like they should.

3/112

First tempo run: and it was cold!

1x.5@8:56

1x.5@8:46

1x.5@8:36

2x.5@8:26

1x.5@8:36

Recover@ 9s, Total 6. 

Feeling good with a slight complaint from my right hamstring...

When you run faster and harder you have less time to think. All I could think about was a liar and I've got to get it out of my head. It's not my job to expose her. 

1/112

 I welcome you to join me if you care on my journey for the next 112 days. I expect highs and lows, tears and smiles and perhaps a few things of unexpected happenings.  I'm not a writer but I used to write and when things happen I like to write. Therefore I am a writer. One time in my past I said I wasn't a runner and now that is the thing that sometimes defines me the most. 

Sometimes when you're alone with your thoughts for hours you want to know that someone else can hear you. Deep inside your head. I figure some people may be interested and maybe we can share together on this journey. 

Typically I run alone. I'd love to run with my life partner but he's my number one babysitter so when he's around I get to run. Sometimes my running partner and I don't tell the universe and we get a chance to run together. Once in a while their special moments when I get to run with special people in my mouth never stops moving. But most of the time it's just me. And these runs are without without music since Feb. 1, 2014. The silence is therapeutic. 

I finally feel like I'm back. After what I can only describe as a hippie hiatus in which I ran with the wind, when I felt like it and when I could. Following no plan no set guidelines just whatever happened happened. But the time for a plan has returned. The time of structure and routine and checkmarks in little boxes. 

Running is about numbers. 

So today I mark off my first box. Box one of 64. With the number 6 and a check mark. 

Head up, Shoulders back, eyes open

And so it begins. day 1/112 and 6 miles are done.