1. Running is starting to feel a little "normal" mentally lately. What I mean by that is that the honeymoon is over. I'm remembering that my relationship with running is a love/hate sort of thing, and that summer running especially is incredibly difficult and frustrating. Even while I'm absolutely thrilled to be running, it feels hard right now.
Reconsidering my choices after 4 miles over the bridge.
I'm glad the nice weather and my recovery coincided, because I don't think I could have dealt with Florida summer while being newly post-op.
2. I have a race on Saturday. It's the Sup and Run 5k I did in 2016, where I placed 3rd in my age group and managed to set a 5k PR. It's supposed to storm the day of the race, so I don't have any particular goals in mind. I know I won't be running anywhere near 26:xx this year; I'm excited to race it, but I'm also ready to take a little break from racing for the summer to focus on building stamina.
Walk breaks have helped balance my stamina, but I'd prefer not to rely on them.
I am struggling with modulating my pace lately. My first mile of every run is around 8:45, and then by the end of the second mile I'm totally tapped. When I slow down, my legs get achy and my gait feels clunky. I can build in walk breaks to help ease the issue, but I'd like to get control over my pace again. I might have to resort to some treadmill running to help retrain my legs!
3. Speaking of summer, I have eight school days left until summer break. I honestly can't believe how this year has flown by! Over break, Matt and I will be traveling to Washington state for Robby and Scott's wedding; I am beyond excited!
I mean, how cute are they?!
4. We have finally begun work on the house to fix the damage done by Hurricane Irma. Things were tangled up with insurance, but now they've been mostly untangled (or they're at least in the process of being untangled...) so we no longer have holes in our living room walls!
I learned how to install drywall...kind of.
Of course, we still have some major leaks in our roof and hurricane season has started, and it looks like it'll be ongoing for awhile.
"Indefinitely"...I am not amused.
I realized the other night that Irma has ruined me for enjoying storms. I used to love sleeping while it stormed outside, but all this week I keep waking up paranoid that the house was going to flood or we'd lose the roof. I think I have a mild form of PTSD.
5. I watched Nicole DeBoom (the founder of Skirt Sports) talk about her struggle with alcohol abuse and was reminded that "real women move" is as much about growing and moving from one mindset to another - mental fitness - as it is about physical fitness.
I'm looking forward to a weekend of racing and relaxing - my two favorite pastimes! Happy Friday!
This wasn't a great week because my calves were killing me and I felt mentally and emotionally distant all week. But I still managed to get some stuff done. Monday: Rest. I had my appointment at the vascular surgeon's office. After that whole ordeal, I didn't feel up to a workout.
Ultrasound fun.
Tuesday: I still was feeling pretty shell-shocked and down. I did some planks and arms, but nothing major.
Wednesday: Elizabeth and I did two Blogilates videos for arms, back, and abs.
Thursday: Another rest day. My head was just not in it.
Friday: A tough ab circuit with the KBC. This was the first day I started to feel good again mentally, and the plank variations and movement helped loosen up my calves, finally.
Saturday: My calves finally felt better! I did 30 minutes on the max trainer...
...and then...well, it was raining all day and I just couldn't say no, so I went outside and ran for two or three minutes. This was completely on a whim, so I didn't time myself or anything like that. I just went out to the golf course and ran down a path I'm familiar with so I could kind of estimate distance. I just wanted to remember how it felt and remember how much I love it. My calves felt a tiny bit stiff by the time I stopped, but it felt good to be out there.
It gave me hope.
(On that note, thank you all for your helpful and supportive comments on my last post. I have a list of doctors to contact this week so I can get working on getting a second opinion and a real diagnosis.
A few of you commented that this doctor was taking the easy way out...he was happy to leave me without a real diagnosis or treatment, and that's really just silly. What kind of doctor does that?! Once I wrapped my head around the fact that his dismissive advice is pretty much useless to heed, I began to feel better.
He's just one doctor. I'm going to find another and I'm going to get some answers!)
Sunday: 30 more minutes on the max trainer and some foam rolling.
My view is very motivational. It helps me remember what I'm working for and that it will all be worth it!
Monday: I have a love/hate relationship with PopSugar and the way it talks about fitness. There's a lot of garbage about cleanses and losing weight on their website, but their workouts are really great for small spaces and limited gear. I found this link to 13 5-Minute Workout Videos and they are exactly what I need for Mondays.
I only did the videos pictured above because I wanted to focus on my core and stretching, but the leg workouts look really good, too.
Tuesday: W/U .3 @ 9:40; 1 mile @ 8:10; 4x800 @ 8:19. Elizabeth and I did some speed work at the park. My plan was do mile repeats, but after the first I knew I had to adjust the plan. Whatever horrific cold I had a couple weeks ago has finally caught up with Elizabeth, and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. She didn't ask me to adjust the plan, but I could tell by her wheezing that it was for the best; I really didn't want her to keel over!
The change in color gradation was so cool! I love cloudy sunsets.
We ended up finishing the workout by doing half-mile repeats. We kept a really good pace and I felt pretty strong, but I probably rested more between them than I should have. Technology worked for us today, so that's a bonus.
Wednesday: We played around on the Blogilates website and chose a few videos to target our legs, abs, back, and arms. It's been awhile since we've done Blogilates so it was a nice change to come back to!
Thursday: The day before a race I usually rest, but I just felt like running. Elizabeth and I did a moderate 4 miles. My legs felt great, but the humidity is still really taking a lot of effort out of me. Even with a walk break around 3 miles, we were able to keep our pace sub-10, so I was happy!
It left me feeling both physically ready for Friday's race and nervous about the weather conditions.
Friday: Howl at the Moon 5k! This was a night race and the course was almost completely unlit. I had a great race - more details to come in the recap this week - and had zero calf pain! Downward dog is working!
Saturday: Rest! We slept in, then drove up to see my family for a not-really-but-kind-of Rosh Hashanah dinner.
Sunday: 9 miles with Elizabeth. I was absolutely exhausted. My legs felt okay but my body was just dragging. We kept a very slow pace and took some consistent walk breaks every mile or so.
I'm actually surprised our paces aren't more varied! It felt like we were all over the place.
It felt cool at the start (75 degrees) but the 89% humidity caught up with us, I guess. Can we have fall weather yet?!
This week I got in all my workouts as scheduled and felt really good! This was a solid one!
Monday: Elizabeth and I christened my "gym" with a nice pilates workout. After our 8-miler the night before, deep stretching and strengthening was just what we needed.
Tuesday: We did a bridge workout that felt particularly hard, maybe because the heat index was 102. I don't have much to say on this one except that it was tough and I was glad when it was over!
Even the sunset and sky look hot!
Wednesday: We tried a new workout video that I ended up really liking! This cardio boxing video kept our heart rates up and really felt like good work. We were both surprised by how much we liked this video, and I was totally satisfied at the end!
Thursday: The weather gave us a little break for our first easy run of the week. We tried a couple new paths on the golf course and kept a nice, steady pace in the mid-9s. It was overcast and very windy - there's a hurricane of some kind brewing out in the ocean and we're starting to see some effects of it already - so I think that helped.
Average pace: 9:37.
I'm always secretly worried we'll get in trouble for running on the course, but Thursday we finally seemed to get the "okay" from one of the groundskeepers. We had paused briefly for water at the driving range when he drove by and offered us cups (every evening they take away the paper cups at the drinking stations). He was super friendly and didn't tell us not to use the course or its amenities, so I feel like now we have tacit approval.
Friday: Unplanned rest due to storms.
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: I had a headache all afternoon, so I wasn't feeling up for a run or anything really bouncy. I did some easy, low-impact exercises - squats, pushups, tricep dips, lunges - and called it a day.
I'm unhappy with how this week ended. My runs were good but I only got two in. But I'm trying to remember that it's all about consistency over time, and one mediocre week isn't going to kill me!
Monday: Because I missed Sunday's long run, I ran Monday. I wasn't feeling it at all but forced myself to go out and do something before it was too dark on the golf course. I ended up enjoying a gorgeous sunset, three easy, happiness-inducing miles, and a new podcast. Glad I went!
Tuesday: Speed work day. I did six (I think) .3 repeats and upper body between (bicep curls, Arnold, and tricep dips). The duckling fiasco kind of took the wind out of my sails, but my rest breaks were shorter without Elizabeth with me and my repeats were faster (one was even 7:11!).
I left not feeling really great but glad I got something done. I think maybe I'm struggling with some burnout this week; it's hard to stay motivated in this heat! I may need to switch things up.
Wednesday: Rest.
Thursday: It felt really good to do some strength stuff, especially because my quads and hamstrings were sore from Tuesday's workout. I completed the ab/butt video twice with the arm video between.
It will never cease to amaze me how much these videos hurt even though on the surface they seem ridiculously easy!
Friday: A little more than 3.5 miles before dark. I wish the golf course had lights of some kind because I really wanted to do 5, but ran short on time. This it totally my own fault because I should have started earlier, but there are golfers out on the course until about 7:15pm. I'd rather not get hit by a stray ball, so I usually wait until after they're finished to start.
Saturday: A few minutes of intense abs (I just did my own thing - no video or circuit) and some stretching. My hamstrings and quads were still kind of achy, and my calves were a bit tender.
Sunday: Rest. I worked with Matt in his studio to get it ready for its GRAND OPENING on the 4th of July. We were there late and then his mom came to pick up Milo (her Yorkie, who we've been watching for her while she was in St. Croix visiting Scott).
Is it weird that I start my workout recaps on Mondays? I guess I just consider the long run my last workout of the week, not my first, because everything builds toward it. A different perspective could be that the long run starts the week and everything else is just recovery from it...
Anyway...
Monday: Elizabeth and I did a Blogilates video and then did some dynamic planks. Blogilates is no joke, but we were laughing at how little we could keep up. But at least we're trying new things and strengthening our cores! The plank workout is one of my favorites; by the end, my shoulders and core were burning!
Tuesday: 8x.3 repeats in the park with Elizabeth. The summer heat is definitely here - it was in the 90s and super humid during our run - so we thought we may just do 6 repeats if things got hairy. We did tricep dip-kicks and bicep curls during recovery and ended up doing all 8 repeats, so we felt pretty awesome afterward.
Dying...but happy about it. (Right, Ron?)
We had free PDQ (teachers ate free that day!) afterward...the perfect reward for a hard workout!
Wednesday: Rest. Usually we rest Thursdays, but this week we just felt we needed it early.
Thursday: We created a leg circuit that was absolutely killer. We were going to do it three times, but decided to go for four. My quads were on fire!
Mm...apples and melted PB is the best post-workout snack!
The circuit was 30 seconds each of: walking lunges>squats>pulsing squats>jumping jacks>right-lunge-squat-left-lunge (a rotation from T25)>wall sits (these hurt SO badly)>jumping jacks>low squat walks>adductor twists>squat kicks>jumping jacks. We rested for one minute between each round and did four rounds.
Friday: Five miles at an easy pace. The weather cooled down a little and I felt unstoppable. I tried cocoa UCAN for the first time and mixed in some coffee, too; it seemed to do the trick - I was so energetic and the run felt effortless! My quads hurt from Thursday's workout but my energy and breathing were perfect. I did keep the pace a little easier for Elizabeth, but I'm feeling really confident lately about what my "easy effort" pace looks like.
So consistent! We dropped the pace in the last half mile to the 9:30s.
I can't say enough about this run. I felt like I was flying!
Saturday: Rest! My left calf cramped up a little in my sleep and my quads were sore, so I finally broke out the foam roller for the first time in months. I guess you could count the heels I wore to a friend's Derby party as cross training!
Sunday: Elizabeth and I met up early despite Saturday's party for "8-10" miles. It turned out to be 10! I was really pleased with the pace and consistency (that seems to be the word of the week), and I felt really good. Florida gave us a sunny, 58-degree morning to start with, and so it felt like we shouldn't waste the last cool-weather long run we'll have for months.
10:30s and negative splits at the end? I can't complain about that!
I hope you had a great week...and of course, I hope you mother-runners out there have a fabulous Mother's Day!
Monday: Core work while I waited for a 5pm meeting to begin. I changed into workout clothes, did my stuff in my classroom alone, then wiped down with baby wipes and put my work clothes back on. Success!
I'm really pleased with how defined (for me) my arms are starting to look! (Forgive my TERRIBLE form in the bottom picture; this was near the end of my workout and I was tired!) Also, I can't get enough of the Free Love print from Skirt Sports.
Tuesday: .66 mile repeats. This was an increase day: more mileage per repeat and I upped my reps with the dumbbells to 15 from 12. I felt so strong. The paces felt almost easy and my breathing was awesome - just tired in my legs. Elizabeth was exhausted and I was going to cut it to 5 but she made us finish the last repeat. We make a good team.
6 x .66 miles at the following paces: 8:50; 9:00; 9:00; 8:55; 8:45; 8:35.
I keep telling Elizabeth we're aiming for 9:30s and then I keep holding us at sub-9s. Oops.
Wednesday: We tried something new with dance workouts! Elizabeth and I did three 10-minute videos from Keaira LaShae on YouTube. This one was great! Wednesday is usually leg day but we were really tired from Tuesday, so we looked for something different for total-body and core.
Thursday: I was supposed to rest on Thursday, and I told Elizabeth I couldn't wait to leave work and just do nothing. But the minute I got home, I didn't want to sit and do nothing. I wanted to move. So I convinced Elizabeth to come over and walk the golf course with me. We did ~1.9 miles at a leisurely pace and it was just what I needed.
I accidentally set a "goal" of 25 calories on my walking app, so our walk was 326% above our goal! Go us! haha
Friday: A brisk, moderate-effort run over the bridge. On the first ascent my quads were screaming, and they were fatigued the rest of the run, but I pushed through and we kept a really decent pace. I was proud of myself at the end of this run, and it felt good to feel genuinely tired after an "easy" run.
I celebrated this run with a reuben from Jason's Deli. The sauerkraut really hit the spot!
Saturday: Rest. For real this time! I laid out on the lanai and did laundry and dishes; that was the extent of my heavy-lifting!
Sunday: 8 miles with Elizabeth. This was actually a virtual 10k I was running, so I'll do a separate write-up on it this week, but the bottom line is that I felt awesome and my splits were crazily even. I could have done 10 if I'd felt so inclined. I haven't had such an effortless run in awhile, and it really boosted my confidence!
Overall, this was another fantastic week! I'm really beginning to feel like I'm reaping the benefits of consistent speed work and cross-training; it's the best I've felt in awhile, honestly.
Obviously all but one of my workouts this week were with a buddy; Elizabeth and I are "accountability partners" at work so we've been really taking advantage of that title and have been helping each other workout and eat healthfully. It's definitely keeping me on track, which is the whole point!
I'm looking forward to another great week to kick off May!
How was your week? Do you truly rest on rest days, or do you do light exercise? ABK
Taking the personality quiz at 16personalities.com satisfied a curiosity I've had for awhile because I'd never done a personality test before and all my friends seemed to know their type and reference is fairly often. (Is that weird?)
It's funny that a week or two after taking the test, and shortly after sharing my post, I saw this post on SciBabe's Facebook page. I watched the video (after sitting through an excruciatingly long commercial for the Squatty Potty) and found it really interesting.
Don't let the name fool you - Yvette d'Entremont is a legit scientist.
The argument is that the MB test is totally pointless. Scientists and psychologists agree that the results tell us very little about what we're actually good at (career-wise) and the methodology is based on pseudoscience.
Having taken the test mostly for fun, this doesn't discourage me. But it does make me wonder about people who take the tests really seriously. And it also made me think of Hanna, who mentioned in her comment on my original post that tests like this determine what we prefer but not really how we act - and if how we act is who we are, then really, preference is a moot point.
I thought this was a fun addition to my self-exploration, so I wanted to share! I still think my type's description was accurate in describing me, but I was never planning to let that type truly define who I am or the actions/careers/decisions in my life, so I guess it was a fun 10 minutes wasted, and now I can go on my merry way!
I know some of you took the test after I posted about it. What are your thoughts?
Do you buy into the MB test, and tests like it? Do you like science?I always say, if I hadn't gone into English, I would have majored in biology. It's my second love. ABK
There's no rhyme or reason to this post; there are a few things swirling around in my head right now, so today HtGR is going to take on a diary-esque feel. Sometimes I just need to let a brain-dump happen!
1. I have no shame about being completely and totally devastated by both David Bowie and Alan Rickman's deaths. When I first heard about Bowie, I immediately went into denial mode, and since Sunday I've been listening to his music nonstop. Growing up, my siblings and I watched Labyrinth literally hundreds of times - anytime my parents had a date-night, that was the movie we put on. Of course my parents were big fans of his music (our first dog was named Bowie, in fact) so he was a big part of my childhood. His willingness to try new things and test boundaries was always something I admired, and his artistry is unmatched in the musical world.
(Bowie released his final album as a parting gift to the world, and this song is just haunting. Below is a favorite from Labyrinth. Fun fact: the album from Labyrinth was my first CD.)
Likewise, Alan Rickman has always been a favorite of mine. I was in the middle of teaching when I received my sister's text that he had died, and I literally stopped mid-sentence (this is the one con of wearing an Apple watch - I got the text and saw it immediately, rather than waiting to check messages at lunch like usual) and had to check for confirmation.
The nuance in his acting in everything I have ever seen him in was just brilliant; I'd forget I was watching an actor, even though I loved the actor, and that's really the highest compliment I can pay. Of course, he also brought one of my favorite book characters to life as Severus Snape - that's one complex and complicated character, and he portrayed Snape convincingly, honestly, and compassionately. I love watching Rickman play conflicted characters - his role as Harry in Love, Actually is simply gorgeous. He brought a lot of depth to a movie that is, at its heart, just a rom-com.
My biggest gripe about the HP movies is their casting - the older characters (from Harry's parents' years at Hogwarts) should have been in their 30s. But I could forgive the mistake with Rickman, because he was literally the perfect Snape, even if he was twenty years too old.
More importantly, Rickman was an outspoken feminist and activist. As wonderful an actor as he was, I appreciated his character - not those he played - the most.
2. We've been having July weather in January this year, and for us, that means hurricanes (or hurricane-like weather). Florida isn't known for tornadoes, but we've had those, too. Our district announced that Friday would be an excused absence for any students who missed school because the weather looked bad, and sure enough, school was interrupted twice for tornado watches. I guess those drills we practice paid off; our kids were well-prepared and the teachers kept our cool.
One of our most popular half marathons was canceled due to the storms...this is the race course right now; it's completely submerged.
One tornado hit thirty minutes from us, and Sunday morning four hit my parents' city. They're okay, and so are Matt's parents, but there were casualties and our most famous beach was hit pretty hard.
We don't get these kinds of storms in winter. It's disconcerting, to say the least.
3. After the storms cleared, it was still crazy windy all day. No more 60 mph gusts, but doing my long run in 21 mph winds was...challenging. Still, I got it done. My right leg felt like rocks this weekend, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to treat it! (It feels like when you've done a million crunches and your muscles are just super fatigued and you have lactic-acid buildup, but it's been feeling that way within the first mile, and it didn't go away until mile 6 of my long-run Sunday.)
Midway through my run, I tried to figure out where my mind is on A1A. I know I don't have to decide yet, but next weekend is my 20-miler, so I need to at least decide if I'm interested enough in possibly running the full to do 20. If my leg feels like it did today, I don't think I will; it was not good. But if I can rest and recover nicely this week and nail my 20, then the full is still a possiblity.
Why do hats make me look so weird?! Anyway, Elizabeth conquered her longest run ever: 9.1 miles! It was weird to start this run at 3pm. I'm definitely not a fan of evening long runs.
4. I've been binge-watching The West Wing this weekend. I was going to watch Labyrinth but Matt wanted me to wait until he can watch, too, so instead I chose another old favorite. TWW reminds me of my dad; watching it with him was what introduced me to politics, and I always liked that it was something we shared.
I love that, despite being 10 years old, this show was so on-point! It covers abortion rights, Islamophobia, war in the Middle East, gay rights, mandatory minimums, assisted suicide...you name it...and it's funny! I guess it just goes to show that politics is always the same old argument rehashed over and over again.
Another timeless, perfect moment.
5. It's been cold. Finally! I hope it lasts!
What's on your mind this week? Any tips for my leg situation? Are you a Bowie fan? ABK
It never fails that once I finally get into relaxation mode (meaning, the school-related dreams have ended and traveling for the holidays is mostly over), my immune system takes a break and I get sick. It's nothing major, but I've had headaches from the minute I wake up that last all day, I've been really lethargic, and my throat has been hurting.
I haven't been running because my energy level is just shot. But I have been doing some other workouts that I thought would be easier - meaning, no bouncing that will hurt my head. Not easy, because they definitely aren't!
The first is this workout from Blogilates that Helly linked on her blog a couple weeks ago. I thought this looked "easy" and about two minutes into it was like OMG NO. I didn't feel sore immediately after (I did during), but DOMS set in the next day and I'm still walking like a robot.
I also got myself Alexa Jean's workout "books" when they were on mega sale around Thanksgiving. (I don't usually pay for workouts but they were so cheap, I couldn't say no.)
My original plan was to do the 30 day challenge after the marathon (and put running on the back burner for awhile), so I've been doing these fairly diligently. I like that they're quick and seem easy, but then you really start to feel them after a couple days. And honestly, I do think I'm seeing results pretty quickly, too.
On the relaxation front, I decided to undertake the task of watching all six Star Wars movies before we went to see The Force Awakens. I've never seen them before! We watched all six over break and I wrote reviews/reactions on Facebook, which ended up being pretty fun.
I liked being able to discuss such culturally significant movies with my friends who are big fans; it was funny to see how many people told me to "just enjoy them." Like, the entire point of my watching them was to analyze, react, and review!
#EnglishMajorProblems, right? I keep trying to tell people that analyzing movies is how I enjoy them!
I have a ton of work-related stuff I need to get done before school starts again Monday. Midterms are the week we get back, so I need to get mine printed and copied. I have a PD I need to write and prepare for that week, too, and I still have tons of grading to finish. But I'm glad I took the first week of break to just relax and enjoy time with family and friends.
Sometimes we all need that mental break in order to come back sharp and be able to continue doing our jobs to the best of our ability. Teachers especially, since we work with kids and need to be compassionate and patient at work, need this time to just veg out.
Have you seen the Star Wars movies? When you take a break from running, what kinds of workouts do you do? Have you ever tried Blogilates? ABK
Does everybody's hunger feel the same? How do people seem to assuage hunger with something as small as yogurt?!
I've been enjoying using Matt's Indo Board lately. I fell off once and skinned my elbow, but it's a nice little full-body workout if you do it right!
This is harder than it looks, I swear!
I could seriously watch Forensic Files and Dr. G: Medical Examiner for hours straight. Thanks, HLN.
At what point do TV shows cross the line from adorably/ironically corny to totally lame?
I'm looking at you, Bones. (I like that David Boreanaz is totally like, what us?, in this pic.)
I've signed up for paperless billing and statements; why do I still get so much mail from my credit card and insurance companies?!
How the heck did we have a cold front on May 1st?! No, no...don't look a gift horse in the mouth here.
I hope this lasts until tomorrow morning and I can enjoy my first "long run" in cool weather!
I wonder if those teens from last weekend got found out...I wonder what their blog post about the incident would look like?
Is it better to count down to summer including or excluding weekends?
There are this many days left. That's all I know.
Why does my internet work for every device in the house except my laptop? (I am constantly using my hot spot to get online!)
I do not "meal plan" but this week I did a great job making extra food so we could have leftovers all week. Go me!
Salmon, shrimp, peas, and yellow rice. Yum! I also made a week's worth of chicken on Sunday night.
I know that changing your mindset is the first step in getting healthier, but how do I get my taste-buds on board with that theory?
Oh this is dangerous...I can buy things off Amazon using accumulated credit card points?! That makes it FREE!
Running is clearly the fountain of youth!
Have you tried this robot yet? It guesses your age...I've gotten everything from 27 to 37! I apparently looked really rough after my marathon and while we were camping.
I'm trying to figure out how to download Instagram videos to my computer so I can make a playlist of fun at-home workouts.
A video posted by Alexa Jean Brown (@alexajeanfitness) on
Finally, I don't realize how much I'm not myself leading up to my TPE/follow-up meeting, and then when it's over, I feel totally weightless! I suddenly feel so happy in my classroom again!
The Space Coast Marathon is right around the corner! Truth be told, I'm feeling pretty good. Despite having to take almost a full week off due to illness and not running a long run in about two weeks, I feel a sense of quiet certainty that I will cross that finish line. My goals (which I've kept private) have changed a bit due to my sickness and the weather, but I absolutely know I'll be a marathoner come Sunday.
This Thanksgiving, I'm giving thanks for the amazing, unconditional support of my family and friends as I tackled training. They have had to sacrifice right along with me, and they did it without grumbling or whining. (I think I backed out of plans approximately 100 times during this training cycle and everyone was incredibly understanding.)
Social life? What social life? If you don't run, I probably didn't spend much time free with you over the last few months.
I'm grateful for the roof over my head and the pillow beneath it. I'm grateful for my job, my students, and my colleagues. I'm grateful for my health; I'm particularly grateful that this damned cold is finally gone.
I'm grateful for my legs.
You all have probably seen this amazing video making its rounds on the internet this week. If not, take the time to watch it. It's worth it.
Things like this remind me that I ought to work on my gratitude. I'm not a natural runner, and I do have things working against me, but I'm not overcoming anything as debilitating as MS. Not even close.
I love when ESPN focuses on uplifting, motivating, beating-the-odds videos for any sport, but especially running. Today, I'm asking that if you have a favorite motivating video that comes to mind, you drop a link in the comments.
I'm looking forward to watching them Saturday evening!
.jpg)
