Loving...and Not Loving

This week ended on loving a spontaneous road trip to my parents' place in Northern Wisconsin! I have some time off work this week. While I planned on a staycation to get things done at home aka declutter, the lure of cooler temperatures and serenity were too hard to pass up. I'm hoping to avoid a repeat of my foot injury. I promise not to drink wine and go kayaking.

While I'm not loving the clutter, it can wait for a rainy/snowy day. It's summer and the living is easy...

5 Reasons to Love Running in the Heat

Hot enough for you? Everyone is talking about this summer's heat. Mother Nature has turned on the blast furnace in regions of the US that are usually more temperate. The media are out in force, reporting on the heat and giving advice. I'm sure there will be the requisite attempts to fry an egg on the sidewalk, bake cookies on the car dashboard, and videos of kids opening hydrants in the city.

Instead of complaining about the summer heat, I invite you to embrace the warmth. Because 6 months from now, we will be heading into the depths of winter.

If you are looking for advice on how to run in the heat, this is not that post.

A Runner's Gotta Do...

I came home from work Monday and told my husband I was "this close" to a nervous breakdown.

Life 1, Wendy 0.

How do non-runners deal with stress?

I'm pretty sure I have some ideas about that. All of them tempting. None of them healthy.

I've been dealing with this latest flare of PF by taking time off the road. This latest break has lasted 3 weeks. I did run that 10k a few weeks ago, but other than that, I've behaved myself.

Normally when I take time off from running for injury, I'm ok. But this go round? I'm struggling. Probably because this injury has lasted so long. On Monday, I hit critical mass.

Becoming Unstuck

I've been putting on a brave front these last couple of weeks but I'm finally going to put it out there: this foot issue has gotten me down. I try to keep things positive here on the blog. I'm afraid if I write about feeling blue, it will only exacerbate those feelings. Plus who wants to read about my pity party? When I post positive thoughts on the blog, it makes me feel happy. The interaction I have with all of my readers reflects that.

This week I really struggled. I had trouble staying positive. Kind of stuck in a rut, so to speak. It's been nine months dealing with this and I really want it to go away.

True confession: I've got that summertime sadness. I miss running. I really do. Reality bites.

But like the runner that I am, I dug deep and ended the week with some really strong workouts and a much better attitude. I am feeling better.

Just like pushing past mile 20, right?

So how was the week?

Book Review: Runners of North America: A Definitive Guide to the Species by Mark Remy

We are officially in the thick of summer. The dog days. Many runners are also in the depths of fall marathon training. Not this one, sadly. Damn you PF.

But I digress.

Long runs, speed work, tempo runs, fartleks, splits, yassos...GU, fuel, chews, hydration... compression, foam roller, Garmin...it's all running to me! Runners have their own language. Among other quirky things.

What do you think about on those solo long runs? Do you think about running? About other runners? That guy who just passed you? What kind of runner is he? Mark Remy thinks about other runners and over the years he's pretty much become an expert on running anthropology.  His new book, Runners of North America: A Definitive Guide to the Species is not only a laugh out loud read, it's spot on. Perfect light reading for this time of year.

You can purchase a signed copy here!
Or if you just want a cheaper, unsigned copy, you can buy that here!

Mark Remy is well-known to many of us runners from his humorous articles and now gone but not forgotten Remy's World column in Runner's World magazine. He is currently the proprietor of Dumb Runner, a website where he continues his amusing take on all things running. Remy recently published his 5th book, Runners of North America: A Definitive Guide to the Species where he shares his well-honed observations about all things runners.

I've Got A Feeling...

I've been told that I have great instincts. Intuition? Dumb luck? I usually have a second sense for things.

Not always, but for the most part, things pretty much seem to work out for me. I like to fly by the seat of my pants. You know my motto: trust the gut. And I do. Because when I don't...doh!

Today's Wednesday Word is visceral, and yep, I've got a feeling about this post...

Sole Food: A Week Off the Road

It's been a week of ups and downs. After facing reality and realizing that I needed to take more time off running than I thought to calm this latest PF flare, I immediately felt my willpower muscle start to atrophy. Maybe it's because I trained through injury all winter--who knows--but I'm just not feeling it right now. I'm not feeling sad or anxious or guilty--really, I'm not feeling much of anything at all.

If I had to pick a feeling, I'm feeling kind of free. In a footloose and fancy-free sort of way.

Like those pay-as-you-go wireless plans, I have no long term contracts. No commitments. No obligations.  Really, the only thing I'm working on is recovering from this injury. Yes, I need to maintain fitness, but there's something to be said about shutting off the alarm and rolling over to get a little more sleep. 

Yes, I did that this week. More than once.

I don't know this person but it feels kind of good. In spite of a less than productive week, workout-wise, I'm feeling pretty ok right now.

First, the lowdown on my workouts. Spoiler alert: there's not much to share.

Revising My Fitness Goals for the Rest of the Year

Oh 2016, I had such big plans for you! I was going to travel and run all over you. Even though I started off the year with that pesky foot issue, I worked through it and got to the start lines of my 2 bucket listers, the Sarasota Half Marathon in March and the Big Sur Marathon in April. I returned home from California full of hope and ambition! I felt euphoric and fulfilled. I set my sights on a few half marathons for the rest of the year.

Naturally, fate had other plans for me. My son broke his leg and we got a new puppy. I could roll with that, but after a fall on a rock last week, my plantar fasciitis flared badly. It has yet to calm down. As you read this, I'm getting an x-ray and spending the morning with my sports medicine specialist. No matter what the outcome of that visit, it's clear to me that a revision of my goals for the year is in order.

What's a runner to do?

It isn't as if I haven't been in these shoes before. Literally and figuratively. Does it even matter what's wrong with my foot? No matter what the diagnosis, I'm still going to have to take some time off. Again. So I took a look at the goals I set for myself this year and made some alternative goals that will keep me in shape and ready to run once I can hit the road again.

This or That....Juxtaposition in Running

For the past year or so, I've been participating in a weekly blog prompt hosted by Deb Runs. Every week for the Wednesday Word link up, she gives us a word to write about. Because I write a running blog, I am tasked with the challenge of using the prompt to write about something running related. Some words are easier than others. Last week's word, delirious, was a bit of a challenge for me but I made it happen.

This week's word? Juxtaposition. Does anyone use this word in everyday conversation? And how do I tie it in with running? Well, never one to back away from a challenge, I wracked my brain to come up with a post for this one.

Stampede 10k Race Recap

Another 10k? Why not? I'm embracing these shorter races where I can find my need for speed! Since this race takes place in the town where I live, I've run this one multiple times. I signed up a couple of weeks ago and made plans with my friend Sara to meet up.

And then disaster struck.

My Flow....My 5 Plank Flow

June has come to an end and so has Marcia's plank challenge. We started off in May with planks. There weren't any rules save for a daily plank and a post to Instagram. Some folks planked for time and others (ahem, me) got all creative with their planks.

Because does it really matter what you do as long as you plank? Planks are the single best exercise you can do for your core. Oh sure, planks are great for the upper body, but if done properly, there is no better activity to strengthen your core.

There was some good-natured banter between Kim from Running on the Fly and me, and a few other blogger friends joined in. There were planks with dogs, planks in dresses, and we even upped the ante with planking in different settings. It was really fun!

In June, Marcia proposed a push-up challenge. The goal was to get to 100 push-ups by the end of the month. And really, since a push-up is really a plank, a lot of us continued to post plank pictures. I hit my goal of 100 push-ups last weekend while I was on vacation. I won't lie--it was hard. But I'm glad I did it.

For my final day of planking this month,  I did a 5 plank yoga flow. I wish I could take credit for the series, but that goes to my yoga instructor. He had no inkling that I was in need of a fresh idea for the end of the challenge! We did this flow in class Wednesday and I headed to the park to recreate it. It was the perfect ending to a really fun challenge.

What Makes You Happy? Deliriously Happy?

What makes you happy?

Not just happy...but so happy you feel delirious? High? Euphoric? Living a dream?

I can think of a few things.

Ben and Jerry's Karamel Sutra.

Kayaking with my son this past weekend. Listening to music on my car stereo that my oldest son installed. Actually anything with my sons at this point!

Sunshine and a warm breeze. Time on the water. Toes in the sand.

An unexpected thoughtful gesture from my husband.

Petting the fur of my new little pup.

And a great run. In a beautiful place.

Although I've had a lot of runs that felt easy and joyful, my most memorable runs, the ones that have brought me that feeling of joy, that runner's high, have been after crossing the finish line of a marathon or a half marathon. There's something about running hard for a long period of time that makes me feel so complete.

Most recently, my most joyful race was that Big Sur Marathon. I know I keep referring to it, but Big Sur was THE marathon for me. It was a lifelong bucket list race. I fought so hard through my training--dealing with plantar fasciitis--to get to that start line. When Kristina and I crossed the finish line I was overcome by emotion. I didn't feel that euphoria immediately. It wasn't until later in the day after my husband took me out for lunch and a yummy victory beer that I started to realize what I had accomplished. That amazing feeling of savoring my accomplishment lasted for a long time after the race. I still smile when I think about the whole experience. In fact, today someone just asked me about Big Sur and it was like I was transported back to that day.

Pretty sure I was one of the happiest people there.

Ahhhh. The euphoria washes over me just writing about this. It's not like I ran fast or won the thing. But I sure felt like I did.

How often do we get to feel like this? Getting to live a dream come true?

This feeling of delirium, as it relates to running, feels almost like falling in love.

We do fall in love with running, don't we? Not the training so much, although I look back on all my marathon training journeys with fondness. There's such a sense of accomplishment to working so hard for 12-20 weeks, culminating in a big race.

What sticks with us, though, is the feeling of crossing the finish line.

Although I've run quite a few half marathons, some very memorably, crossing the finish line of a marathon is a feeling unmatched by almost everything in life.

Not only Big Sur but after crossing the finish line of last fall's Chicago Marathon, I walked around the marathon village in a daze. A happy, euphoric daze. I felt somewhat delirious. Sure, I just ran 26.2 miles in the heat. But that wasn't what made me feel delirious. I chalk it up to beating down those negative naysayers in my head that told me to quit.

Sometimes finishing is winning. And having your teenage son come to your race? That's winning too.

I can't ever get enough of this moment.

It feels amazingly good to have those races under my belt.

At this point, I am satisfied with my accomplishments. I am happy.

Deliriously happy.

What makes you feel happy? Have you ever done anything that has brought you that feeling of "deliriousness"? If that is even a word...

I'm linking up with Deb Runs for Wednesday Word, which is delirious! This was a tough one!

Also Wild Workout Wednesday! With Annmarie, Nicole, Jen, and Michelle!

And Coaches Corner! With Debbie, Rachel, Lora, and Susie!