Running... again

I took an unplanned break from running... and blogging. Somehow my extremely busy school schedule managed to correlate with the busiest week at work yet. I had 30 pages of papers due + 2 presentations in a matter of 3 days, keeping up with consulting, as well as HUGE projects due at work with tight deadlines. I didn't stop running and blogging by choice, my life just did not allow time for it.

But now... I'm living again. I'm free of school (at least until September 4th), work has calmed down as much as possible, and I'm actually able to do all the things I love about life.

Like weeknight dinners + dates with my boyfriend. Yes, we live together and yes, we work in the same building but I swear from May-last week, it was like we didn't see each other. He was in bed by the time I got home from class, and he leaves in the mornings as I am coming downstairs for breakfast. But this week we've had amazing dinners every night, that we've helped each other cook. I love bonding over cooking and trying new things too (I let him look at recipes on Pinterest).

And after dinner, we've gone for runs together. Now, I know I complain about him not running as fast as me, but running together makes me so happy. I love having him by my side. Especially with this amazing whether we've been having. My dogs are pretty happy too with the fact that they have their exercising buddy back!

I am relaxed (although I could still use a massage) and literally have no worries about what I have to do after work or before class.. it's an amazing feeling. I could totally get used to this life!

Running... and what I actually look like.

So by now.... everyone has seen this photo floating around Facebook:

Well, this past week, I got photos from the last run that I did and I was able to create one of these for myself. Trust me, it's equally as amusing: 

The photographers for races must have a great time in the office on Mondays when they're reviewing all the shots. Seriously, 1/10 is a "good" race picture, the rest are hideous (as evidenced above).

Thought this was also an appropriate time for this picture since I'm clearly dressed out as a member of Team USA and the Olympics started this week.

Running.... in silence.

Sometimes I want my music blaring... sometimes I need Lady Gaga to push me through that extra half mile, sometimes.... but other times, I want to run in silence. I want to be alone with my thoughts. I want to escape whatever is happening in the world and just run.

Today, I wanted to work out without my iPod on, I just wanted to bust out a quick 20 minutes on the treadmill, 10 on the stair stepper and 15 minutes of abs/core. That was my plan...

Instead, I was preached at, and had gospel rap (if that's possible) screamed at me while I was attempting to have my peaceful morning workout. The entire gym was staring at this 30-something meathead who was at first pacing the cardio machines and preaching at us (I say at because he was yelling). Then he decided that the best way for him to get his message across would be to join me on the treadmill. I tried to block him out, listen to the music that the gym was playing, and get into my own zone but that was next-to-impossible. The girl on the opposite side of him went to complain to the guys at the front desk who politely asked him to keep it quiet.

Whew.... now I can work out in peace.

Wrong! He turns to me and starts yelling, asking why we are embarassed of God, why we are ashamed of God, why we don't want to hear about it.

My response was, "SHUT UP." Plain and simple, shut up. How incredibly rude to go to a place and disrupt what everyone else is doing. That is in no way going to get you a favorable response. He continued on and I finally explained that we are not embarassed of God, or ashamed, yet annoyed by him. Even after my comments telling him he was being disruptive, rude and annoying, and both people (including myself) leaving the treadmills on either side of him, he did not stop. He floated around the gym to the areas that were the most crowded and continued his ranting.

I believe in God. I was raised going to church every Sunday (like it or not). I am Christian. However, when I want to work out, I just want to work out.

Am I wrong here, people? Tell me your thoughts on merging Sunday Service with your interval session, kill two birds with one stone? Fact is... now I need another work out to de-stress from the first one.

Running thru July!

It's July? What? When did that happen and where has this year gone? I feel like it was just March a few weeks ago. I've been a busy bee with my new consulting gig, a full-time corporate marketing job and 2 summer grad school classes. My days start at 6 and end at 9:45 when I get home and crawl into bed. This will all be worth it in the end... that's my mantra right now anyway.

I don't have to tell anyone that July is HOT, but it's especially hot in the South and even more so than normal with that extreme heat wave we just had. My family in Virginia was without power for a few days and in 100+ degree temps. So completely miserable. Luckily, North Carolina missed the storm part of the heat wave, but we got all of the heat, including 3 days of 103 degrees. I tried running at 7 am and 7 pm and both were equally as hot and miserable.

I've shared my hatred for treadmills in the past, but I did have to use one last Friday when the heatwave began. It was too sticky in the afternoon to go for a run and I was babysitting the most adorable 1-month old nephew in the evening so I sucked it up and busted out a 5k in 24:31 on the machine. Unfortunately, this did not prepare me at all for my 4-miler on the 4th.

It was a "new" course according to Run For Your Life, but I've done parts of it in other 5ks and 8ks. There aren't a lot of hills, but they ones that are on the course are long hills, quad-killing hills. It was not my best time for a 4-miler, still under 10 minute miles and I said beforehand that I wasn't "racing" but using the run as my workout for the day. It was still disappointing that it was 4 minutes slower than my last 4 miler. Even though it started at 7:30, I was still a sweaty, sticky mess at the end. July races are not going to be my forte.

Planning for our August 5k, looks like it might be the NC Rock & Run at the Music Factory. Would be my first time for this race. Anyone done this before?

Running ... and dreaming!

"And then the dreams break into a million tiny pieces. The dream dies. Which leaves you with a choice: you can settle for reality, or you can go off like a fool, and dream another dream." - Nora Ephron

Running... and high hopes while hiking!

Wednesday was my 3-year anniversary with my boyfriend. However, I had class so there was no celebrating to be done on Wednesday. So yesterday, my boyfriend told me he had a day o' fun planned for us... starting with hiking at Crowders Mountain. And hiked we did.... 5.2 miles... 5.2 miles that make your ass sore kind of miles.

 We got all the way to the top and I was thinking to myself... THIS would be the perfect spot for a proposal. Sitting on top of the world, peaceful, together... but no. I won't drag it out because it's simple.. it didn't happen. Although, he was super sweet up there telling me how much he loves me and how great our 3 years together has been... still no ring.

All hope was not lost, because we had a delicious dinner reservation at The Fig Tree and that too, could be the perfect place for a proposal. Romantic dinner in a darling little house set in Elizabeth... we were dressed up so pictures would be amazing afterwards. So we had appetizers and salads and entrees and dessert and coffee (and some libations)... and the night was winding down. I was pretty sure when the check came that it wasn't going to happen there... and THEN...

He suggested we go for a walk in the park across the street. Meanwhile, my friends are texting me/blowing up my phone asking if anything exciting has happened. Of course I agreed to the walk in the park, which lasted all of 5 minutes before he suggested we go back home and watch a movie in bed.

There you have it folks, I'm still "single" by all legal definitions. I'm still just the forever, live-in girlfriend.  I still don't get to start planning my happily-ever-after because for all I know, it's never going to happen.

Maybe I should just start running... and see where it takes me.

Running...a trail run on accident!

I signed up for a 5k spontaneously.... as evidenced by the 30 minute drive from my house to its location. My boyfriend said he preferred to run it with me than to stand at the finish line, so he signed up as well. We got to the park where it was being held and I didn't see pavement anywhere... odd for a road race, I thought, but somehow still assumed that the run would be on asphalt. WRONG... dirt/gravel/sand was our terrain... along with some hills and a backside that had been washed out. My quads are screaming at me right now, wondering what the hell I was thinking running on trails for the first time in my minimalist shoes without training. Quite the surprise....

I finished 8/26 in my 20-29 age group, so not too bad, but my time was definitely not what I expected for this supposed "fast" 5k that I had signed up for. Oh well, live & learn. Now we know we CAN run trails but somehow still prefer the feel of asphalt and hardness under our feet. 

Now to go put Biofreeze on to get me through the day at work...."OMG - ouch my glutes."