Are You a Raceplanner? Or a Racecrastinator?

When it comes to racing, I've never been much of a planner. In fact, I've been known to sign up for a half marathon the week before the race. Unfortunately, a lot of races sell out quickly which doesn't work so well for my fly-by-the-seat-of-my-running-shorts approach to racing. So I've learned to compromise by planning ahead for some races and winging it for others.

When it comes to races, are you a raceplanner? Or a racecrastinator?

I am....

This week in yoga class, the instructor started by talking about labels. She asked all of us to remove the labels that others have given us as well as the labels we give ourselves. She introduced a Sanskrit mantra: "so hum", which loosely translated into English means "I am". We did some pranayama (breathing), using the mantra "so hum".

You know I love a good mantra and "so hum", or I am, is as good a mantra as they come. Repetitive use of a mantra helps quiet the mind by giving the user a focus. The mantra "so hum" has a much deeper meaning, but for the purposes of this class and this post, I chose to focus on the "I am", letting go of negative labels and focusing on seeing myself in a positive light.

I am _________.

My mind wandered, as it often does during quiet meditation. While I breathed and so hummed to myself, I thought about how I see myself and how others see me. I could think of a few not so flattering ways people might see me as well as some not so positive ways I view myself. Taking a more positive viewpoint, I so hummed strength.

I would say that I see myself as strong. I bet most people would say that is how they see me too.

I am strong.

Coffee Talk

It seems like lately that my life is on fast forward and I just can't catch my breath. There's so much going on--so much good--so much to share!

So let's sit down over a cup of coffee and get caught up. How do you take your coffee? I used to drink mine black until I was pregnant with my oldest son. Things changed for me--I could barely drink coffee with milk, much less black! As it turns out, my oldest was allergic to dairy and I took a liking to his chocolate soy milk in my coffee. I've never gone back to black. Would you?

So what's new?

Do you spy a cute little pup in the background?

Just Call Me Grace: The Not-So-Nimble Runner

It's happened more times than I care to admit.

I'm just running along, lost in my thoughts or my music, when all of a sudden my feet go out from under me. Maybe it's black ice or maybe a crack in the sidewalk. One time it was a sprinkler head, buried in the grass. Sometimes it's just been my feet.

Before I hit the ground, there's that moment when time stands still. Where the thought "oh, sh*t, this is going to hurt" crosses my mind.

Then crash! I land on my back, my knees, my face. Most of the time, when I have fallen, I haven't gotten hurt badly. Once after a particularly dramatic spill, a guy in a car stopped and asked if I was ok. Ashamed, I just waved him away. There was also that incident when I tripped over the curb on the way into Target and fell face first into the bike rack. That stunt bought me an ambulance ride to the ER, a concussion, and 5 stitches in my eyelid.

This winter, I've had a few close calls with black ice but each time I was able to stay upright. I was shocked every time. Was it luck? Or was it some kind of skill? Or am I becoming more nimble in my old age?

The Power of Positive Thinking

I woke up pain-free this morning!

Now as you runners know, "pain-free" is a relative term. But considering that I spent this week recovering from my recent flare of rheumatoid arthritis, I'd say that today I am 99% pain-free. I took a couple days off work to rest, recover, and process the changes in my treatment plan. I saw my rheumatologist on Monday. While I am going to continue on the same regimen I've been on for a while, including the steroids and methotrexate injections, she also started me on Humira.

The time off work gave me a lot of time to recover, but also to think. Once again, I am feeling overwhelmed. One step forward and two steps back. I have a stack of bills and medical statements to go through. I am worried about the cost of this new medication. I have a house that needs attention and a husband working 6 days/week. I have a marathon to train for. Oh, and I have a job that requires me to be healthy. It's all a bit much.

As the week went on, I started to feel much better, both physically and mentally. I made my workouts my priority. Worked on some blogging stuff. I enjoyed the sunshine. Hung out with the dog. Made dinner for my family.

And I focused on the positive.

Runfessions: February

Here we are again--it's the end of the month and that can only mean one thing. Yep, once again, it's time for Runfessions--that monthly clear the conscience and make things right in the universe again time.

Let's head into the runfessional, shall we?

I'm Springing For Prana! #spring4prAna

It's no secret how much I love prAna's line of casual clothing. From yoga clothes to everyday gear, I have quite a few pieces of their stylish, comfortable items. prAna uses sustainable materials and fair trade products so you can feel good about what you are wearing.

I was fortunate to receive several items from their spring 2017 line to try out and review for my blog! Our unseasonably spring-like weather put me in the mood to head down to my favorite running path for these pictures. I'm #springing4prAna!

If You Give a Runner a Genie...

If you were granted 3 wishes...3 running wishes, what would they be? Long-time readers probably can guess mine, but when I saw today's Tuesdays on the Run blog prompt, I thought, how fun!

My only problem...just 3 wishes? Ok, then, I'll have to be careful what I wish for!

Practicing Kindness

On Wednesday at yoga class, the instructor came around as we prepared for savasana, which for you non-yogis, is that final resting pose at the end of class. She asked if anyone needed some extra grounding. She walked around the room, distributing sandbags to people who asked. Without me saying a word, she placed a sandbag across my thighs. That extra pressure on my thighs helped me relax. Her thoughtfulness made me feel so good.

The theme for the class was Ahimsa, which we take to mean practicing kindness. The Sanskrit definition, which is non-violence, is much deeper. The instructor's simple act of kindness inspired me to write today's post to reflect back on acts of kindness I observed and practiced this week.

Book Review: My Marathon: Reflections on a Gold Medal Life by Frank Shorter

Frank Shorter, the self-proclaimed "father of the modern distance running movement", achieved greatness in long distance running. In his book, My Marathon: Reflections on a Gold Medal Life, Shorter shares his running stories and the motivation behind his victories.

Running, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Share 9 Ways that You May Not Have Considered

Why do we love to run?

Some of us run for fitness or weight loss, some for stress relief. Others run because they love to race or to collect bling. But there might be other reasons to love running that you may not have considered.

For Valentine's Day, it seemed appropriate to share my love for running. Besides the obvious reasons, I've got a few others that make running hold a special place in my heart.

Trusting the Process: On and Off the Road

I turned a corner this week. I ran well, I held my balance poses in yoga, and I lifted 89% of my max doing deadlifts with Becky.

I am feeling good. If I didn't know I had rheumatoid arthritis, I wouldn't know I had it. Does that even make sense? As I continue to wean off the steroids, my aches and pains are barely noticeable. I have more energy. My mood is good. Most importantly, my sense of humor is returning!

Becky always says it and my rheumatologist said it too: Trust the Process.

5 Songs That Will Make Your Runs Happy

As part of my resolve to stay more positive, I've been deleting some of my so-called angry music from my running playlist and adding more positive, upbeat songs. No worries, I don't have any elevator music on here. I've always run to rock and I need songs with a good beat to push me forward. I don't have any pop songs, either, I'm all about a strong melody and a motivating message.

Here are 5 of my latest additions to my running playlist. These songs make my heart and my sole happy!

4 Reasons You Should Reward Yourself With a Destination Race

Unless you live in a warm, tropical climate, you've probably grown tired of winter. Although our winter this year hasn't been bad, the gray and browns are wearing on my senses. I continue to run outside, knowing that spring will come and I'll be rewarded with that pop of color that comes with the change of seasons.

I'm not a patient person and so I like to do some traveling in the spring. I like to tie in a race with my trips if I can. It's fun to run in a new place! I look at it as my reward for training through the toughest time of year to run.

The Group Run: It Was Time

Instead of life turning me upside down as it has been threatening to do for the last couple of months, I've taken charge. I'm making some pretty major changes in my diet, eating beets and kale and all kinds of foods I wouldn't have allowed past my lips just 2 months ago. I'm listening to more positive, upbeat music instead of the angry rock that has fueled my runs all these years.

This week I really pushed out of my running comfort zone and met up with a running friend and her tribe for a Saturday long run, which I hope was the first of many more to come. It was time.

When Steph asked me to join her and her friends for their Saturday long run, I didn't hesitate. Me, the runner who craves the solace of the long run? Who am I? I blame my boldness on the steroids I'm currently taking. Actually, I'm blaming everything on the steroids, but that's a topic for another blog post.

5 Ways Runners Can Beet Inflammation

Full disclosure: that is not a typo in the title.

I'm eating beets.

Since my recent diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis, I've started incorporating some changes in my diet. I am not a dietitian, nor am I an expert on nutrition. But I've done a lot of reading about anti-inflammatory foods and I'm pretty amazed at how much certain foods can really affect us. Including beets.

Not only for people with RA, runners can benefit from an anti-inflammatory diet as well. Eating foods that are known to curb inflammation can help with recovery from a tough run or injuries.

Plantar fasciitis anyone? Iliotibial band tendonitis? Pain in the assitis?

Anything that ends in -itis?

It's all inflammation.

Staying on Track

Isn't it funny how we can just go through the motions of life without stopping to really take stock of what's going on inside? Initially, when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, I was sad but I was motivated. I was going to take charge of this disease. I had a good doctor with an aggressive treatment plan. She told me I could still run. I figured that once the pain subsided, I'd be good to resume my regularly scheduled life.

The dust has settled and the overwhelming, jarring reality of having RA has set in.

Cruise Control

After completing the lululemon/strava run challenge on Sunday, I dialed back my miles. It's nice to be "just" running again. Between some personal stress and our new president, I need my runs to help me sort things out. There is some prep work to do as I gear up for marathon training in March, but for now, I just get to run. I've got some mental fitness to work on and it's nice to have the freedom to do that.

No gears, no heart rate training, no goal paces. I've got it on cruise control.  

Runfessions: January

I can hardly believe it's the end of January, but yep, there it is! And just in time for Runfessions. I've been saving them up and I have a few...nothing too earthshattering, which in my book is a good thing!

Pull up a chair and have an anti-inflammatory smoothie.

Let the 'fessing begin...

This one's got cocoa, blueberries, banana, avocado, cinnamon, and oatmeal!

It's my Blogaversary!!!!

Taking the Long Way Home is 3 years old!

Today's Tuesday's on the Run topic is "how different are you since you started blogging?" and since it really is my Blogaversary, I thought it might fun to take a look back at the blog and how far I've come!

Winterlude

I wear my winter miles like a badge of honor. Snow? I'm out there. Polar vortex? The cold never bothered me anyways. Ice kind of scares me--I had an encounter with black ice this week that scared the cr*p out of me. But overall, I'm outside, putting in the miles and avoiding the treadmill as much as possible.

On Saturday, the sun came out and the temperatures skyrocketed to the 60s. When you make plans to run with blogger friends, conditions must be perfect. Wouldn't it be great if that was how things really worked?

For this January weekend, Mother Nature gave us her very best effort.

Book Review: The Endurance Diet by Matt Fitzgerald

How many of us runners struggle with nutrition? I know I do. Over the years, I've made adjustments in my diet based on experiences--good and bad--while training for endurance events. I think I've found what works for me, but could I be doing things differently? Probably. There doesn't seem to be a lot of agreement on what is the perfect balance of carbs, proteins, and fats needed to sustain an endurance athlete.

In his new book: The Endurance Diet: Discover the 5 Core Habits of the World’s Greatest Athletes to Look, Feel, and Perform Better, running expert and sports nutritionist Matt Fitzgerald shares the research behind the diet that he says fuels the majority of the world's elite athletes.

Staying Upright While Running on the Ice

Yesterday, I had one of those runs. Of course, this post isn't actually about the run. Because running gives us so much more than just a run.

You know that run. This was a good one. My pacing was on point, my effort was easy, and I felt like I could go forever. That's how this run felt. For the first time since my diagnosis with RA, I felt like myself again. I'm sure the relatively warmer temperatures (40F) helped too.

As I neared the final half mile of my planned 10k run, I was lost in thought. Almost done, I was contemplating the day ahead.

Suddenly, my legs started to fly out from under me. Ice!

With the warmer temperatures and the overnight rains, the roads were wet. There were a lot of puddles, but I hadn't seen any ice.

Until now. I was running downhill and in that brief moment, my feet were moving faster than the rest of me.

It happened so fast. There wasn't time to panic. Instead of fighting the slide, I let it happen. I prayed. I shuffled my feet. I pumped my arms. The icy patch felt like a marathon.

Miraculously, I stayed upright. When I got to the bottom of the hill and the end of that ice, when I realized I was safe and on pavement, I slowed my pace to let my heart calm down.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

This week was full of ups and downs for me, emotionally. The newness of being diagnosed with RA has worn off, and frustration with still having symptoms is settling in. I was really optimistic when I started on my medications--hoping that I'd be symptom-free by now. I had no idea what an RA flare was all about. I also didn't realize how tired I'd be. A few weeks ago, I asked for a small reduction in my hours at work. This week, I was granted that schedule change but it didn't come without a struggle. That too wore me down.

Running was the one positive spot this week. My runs went well. My legs felt fresh and light, and the miles passed without a problem. Maybe slowing down isn't going to be such a bad thing after all?

Kicking that Bucket List: 5 Races I'd Love to Run

Did you know that I ran the Big Sur Marathon last year? I hardly ever miss a chance to mention that I fulfilled a dream when I crossed that finish line! But today's Friday Five 2.0 topic got me thinking. What's left for a runner after she does her dream race? Well, I've been thinking about this a lot. Since running from here on out is all about fun for me, I've picked 5 races that I want to add to the bucket list.

By the way, did you know the term "bucket list" comes from the saying "kicked the bucket"? As in, things you want to do before you die. I'm not planning on crossing over to the other world anytime soon, so I figure I've got a few years to knock some of these races off the list. The races I'm eyeballing are all in the US.

Why Run if You Hate to Run?

I receive fitness and running articles from the New York Times on a regular basis. Recently this article by Jen Miller appeared in my inbox: What if I Hate Running?

This struck me as kind of odd. Why would you run if you hated running? Why does this article even need to be written? There are so many other activities you can do to stay fit--why do one that isn't enjoyable to you? 

Frost on My Running Shoes

 It's been a cold one here at the old TTLWH headquarters. Every morning, I vowed to run on my old ancient treadmill, but once I saw the sun starting to rise, I bundled up and headed outside into the polar vortex for my runs. 

Every damn time this week. Because the sun makes me feel warm, even on the coldest mornings.

It's been a good week of running!

Coffee Talk

I'm starting off the new year with a new coffee cup, thanks to Shutterfly and my #holottafun memories. This mug puts a smile on my face with every sip of coffee. Do you have a favorite mug? What kind of coffee do you like? Cream and sugar? Or straight up black?

Mine has chocolate soy milk. The mug is warm in my hand.

Let's talk. Pour yourself a cup, get comfy. It's time for the Ultimate Coffee Date with our hosts Coco and Deborah! I'm shifting gears for this post--no running talk and no arthritis talk! Because...coffee talk! What would you tell me? What's new in your world?

New Year, New Dilemma: Why I'm Not Setting Running Goals This Year

One month ago, if you had asked me what I had planned for 2017, I would have told you that I had a marathon and a half marathon already on the calendar. That I had already talked to Becky about my marathon training plan. I wanted a similar plan to my 2014 Chicago plan, with twice weekly sessions including CrossFit intervals and strength training. Before we embarked on my marathon training plan, Becky had a strength cycle planned for me for January and February. Everything was going to fall into place.

I even confided in Marcia my super secret goal. I swore her to secrecy. I'm going to share it here because it's unlikely to happen: I had hoped to BQ at this year's marathon. I turn 55 this year, and my BQ time is now 4:10. My marathon PR from 2014 was 4:17. A 4:10 was totally within reach for me, if all the stars aligned and everything fell into place. As Marcia told me, I could do it if I learned to "find my gears" and hold back on my pace at the start of the race.

In the blink of an eye, all that has changed. I've done a lot of soul-searching over the past 3 weeks. I'm still planning on running those races, but no longer am I reaching for the stars.

2016: The Year in Numbers

Happy New Year!

Wow. Can you believe it's the start of the new year? 2016 was a tumultuous year for many of us. You probably know how my year ended. I'm looking forward to the fresh start that the new year promises.

But it wouldn't be the new year without the yearly rewind! Because this is a running blog, I'm going to rewind my year in running! I've already recapped my year in bling. Today's post is all about the numbers. I'm also going to review the goals I set a year ago at this time. On Wednesday, I'll share my goals for 2017.

I was fairly surprised when I added up my miles for the year! So close to my yearly goal of hitting 1000 miles! That made me super happy. How did I do with the rest of my goals?