Six weeks ago I ran a half marathon. It didn't go well. I mean, I finished uninjured, so it went fine, but even factoring my low expectations, it wasn't the race I wanted. On the elevation map, the hills looked gradual enough where I didn't take them seriously. As a result, I was massively underprepared. … Continue reading An Object in Motion
Posts
Back on Track
Tomorrow I run a half marathon - my first of the year, and my tenth ever. The race is a silly Halloween event, and I've already made my peace with not setting a PR. It's just a fact that I won't be as fast or as strong as I was a year ago. Last year … Continue reading Back on Track
One Step at a Time
I've been awfully quiet lately. I haven't been running as much and I haven't been writing as much, and I certainly haven't been writing about running very much at all. Priorities changed a few months ago, and recently everyone's been focusing (correctly) on calling our senators daily and marching for our lives. Amidst all this, … Continue reading One Step at a Time
Humble Re-Beginnings
I fell over in yoga today, and it wasn't even that tough of a pose. I'm slowly getting back into a routine of exercising, and it isn't going all that well. This is stuff hard. Really hard. Not that long ago that I was super strong at all this -- I could run really far! And balance … Continue reading Humble Re-Beginnings
Hurts So Good
I run a marathon tomorrow. I know it's going to hurt, but I'm not worried. If there's one thing my Midwestern background taught me, it's how to suffer. I grew up enduring 100 degree summers with humidity and mosquitoes, followed by bone-chilling winters with blizzards that just won't quit. I cheered for sports teams that will … Continue reading Hurts So Good
Unprofessional
A friend and I had an argument recently. I had set an early curfew for myself to be rested for my run the next morning, but when I started to leave my friend said, "You're not a professional, you know. You don't need to be this strict about everything. It's not like you're gunning for … Continue reading Unprofessional
Fresh Start
A new year practically demands introspection. As runners we tend to be focused on the road ahead of us, but it's nearly impossible to begin a new year without looking back on the old one. 2015 was The Year of Significant Life Changes, and running kept me sane through the worst of it. During the past … Continue reading Fresh Start
Heart Healthy
Running is good for the heart -- this isn't groundbreaking news. Running helps the heart pump stronger and more efficiently, it lowers the the production of glucose which can lead to diabetes, and it helps prevent heart disease. But most people think of benefits in strictly biological terms. Running is good for your heart, but not just with regard … Continue reading Heart Healthy
The Optimist
I don't consider myself an optimist. Chipper affirmations are usually met with a wince and a heavy amount of side-eye. What may be intended as positivity is received as trite, simplistic, and belittling. Oh you have a problem? Chin up, sunshine. Everything happens for a reason. Life doesn't just work out because we smile and … Continue reading The Optimist
Best Laid Plans
Plan A is lovely. Plan A is preferred. Plan A is the best intentions of our best prepared best self. There's a reason it's at the top of the list. There's also a reason why we usually end up on plan B (or C or D...). Life is too messy for Plan A. The A … Continue reading Best Laid Plans
Racing the Hare 