Thinking Out Loud: A Break from Running

1. I have Friday off work. A huge benefit of where I work is a lot of vacation time. In addition to having time to take a big vacation, weekend trips, and time off around the holidays, I can also take about every other Friday off in summer. I've reached my seventh work anniversary so will be getting five more vacation days in August!
2. I don't like the word "hate." You will never see a post on my blog about what I hate, and I'll try hard not to even use that word. There is too much hate in the world, and I don't want to contribute to it. Besides, the only things I truly "hate" are people and companies who abuse animals. Other things are those that I either "don't love" or "strongly dislike."
3. I hate strongly dislike hot weather running. You know I ran outside all this bitter cold winter and never uttered a peep of complaint. But I reserved the right to complain about summer (which started at the beginning of May for us) running, so here goes. I avoid the sun like a vampire. I boil and melt in the heat. I would rather poke my eyes with pencils than be in high humidity. My husband and I plan our main vacation in September, partly to avoid the summer weather (my husband and dog are also heat haters non-lovers.) And that's just being out in it. When I have to run in it? My insides boil, my stomach hurts, and I feel like I'm being tortured. The only good thing I can think about summer running is that it makes (might make? hopefully?) fall and winter running feel easier. Oh, and the cute clothes (of course)!
4. I tried something new--a run commute. I usually only run in the early mornings and don't like running any other time of the day but this week took the bus into work and ran home. That was when it was like 85F out. You can guess how well that went (see #3). I won't be doing that again!
5. I'm taking a break from running. See #3. Running in the sun, heat, and humidity lately has sucked all the energy out of me, left me feeling miserable and exhausted, and made me hate not love running. This is the first time I've felt this way since I started running. I'm taking a break, starting now. This will be a very light week, and I'll still do my 5K on Sunday. But for the next two weeks, I'm only going to be doing a few easy, short runs and only when it's cool and I feel like it. I'm going to focus instead on strength training and walking.
6. I can't wait for the 4th of July weekend! I have a five-day weekend, and my husband, greyhound, and I are going to one of our favorite places--wild and wonderful West Virginia. We rented the same house we rented last year. It's very secluded on 40 private acres, with little hiking trails in the property that are great for short dog walks, plus a fenced-in yard off the deck for him. We will be doing lots of hiking and then soaking in the hot tub afterwards.

   Hiking in Dolly Sodds Wildnerness in West Virgina last 4th of July

7. We are planning our big vacation in September. We still don't know where we want to go! Our top choices are the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks area and Vancouver. I may be doing the SeaWheeze Half Marathon in Vancouver next year, though, so maybe we would save Vancouver for then, but we're not sure. We need to decide soon!
8. This was the last year for cherries on our cherry tree. We got SO many cherries this year--way more than we can possibly pick and eat. But, our tree has gotten much too big for our city lot and is messing up our retaining wall and patio. We had a landscaper out, and he recommended either getting rid of the tree completely or cutting it down to just the trunk. It's a beautiful tree that provides a lot of shade and privacy screening from our neighbors so I hate to see it go, but I don't think we have a choice.

   So many cherries!

9. I finished Stephen King's Under the Dome. I never got to watch the TV series so decided to read the book. I enjoyed it. I just started The Girl on the Train based on Gretchen's recommendation.
10. I love the new issue of Runner's World magazine. A big focus of the issue is on runners who finish last in races and how it's an accomplishment for every runner to finish, no matter their place. I love the race directors who give out special awards for last-place finishers or who form a "tunnel of love" and get everyone there to hold up signs and cheer loudly for those coming in last. The article on marathon training was also great. I love this quote from a running coach: "'I tell my athletes that phenomenal performances are a combination of a really good training plan, really good execution, and the alignment of the planets,"' [Janet] Hamilton says. The reality of the marathon is: You will be training for at least a few months for a single day. It is unlikely that everything will come together perfectly."

Labels: thinking out loud