More About Fall
I know what you’re thinking: “Jenny, will you PLEASE stop talking about pumpkins???” Well, I’ll try not to mention the “P” word, but I’m totally immersed in all things fall right now, thanks to The Girl Next Door Podcast that Stephany recommended. Every year, the girls- Erica and Kelsey- do a “Fall Extravaganza” episode, where they taste test fall treats, talk about their fall traditions, and take a deep dive into fall fashion, decorations, and general fun. When I first started listening, I thought, “This is fun, but it’s kind of silly. I’ll just listen to this episode and go back to my regular podcasts.” Usually I listen to shows that will give me information or inspiration- all about health, working out, running… and I felt like The Girl Next Door was kind of frivolous. But I ended up enjoying the episode so much, I’m now going back and listening to all the previous Fall Extravaganza episodes (there are nine of them.). And you know what I realized? What in the world is wrong with JUST HAVING FUN while driving around, running, or- gasp- even at the gym. I can listen to something purely because I enjoy it. Not that I don’t enjoy my usual podcasts, but there’s always a certain amount of “learning” involved. Screw that! (for now, at least.) There are enough “have to’s” in life- every once in a while it’s fun to say “I GET TO listen to this fun podcast.” One thing I especially love is that Kelsey and Erica live in Arizona, so their experience of fall is similar to mine. It’s not cold, the leaves aren’t changing colors, and we can’t go apple picking. People who live in hot climates have to create their own fall experiences, which is why I get so excited about my pumpkin bowls and scented candles. The other thing I realized is that, for people who live in places like Arizona and Florida, fall is a very festive time of year because it’s a celebration that we made it through the summer. Soon we’ll be able to open our windows and spend time outside without melting. It’s a joyful feeling- as opposed to when I lived up north and experienced actual fall. Then, fall just meant everything died and… sob… winter was coming. Not anymore! Fall is the beginning of our most beautiful time of year. In lieu of hayrides, trips to the apple orchard or pumpkin patch, I like to go “fall browsing.” The other day I went to Gifts and More, which is a great browsing store. The problem is, it’s pretty rare that we get to wear sweaters or sweatshirts this time of year. If these were tank tops, I would now own all of them. I also enjoyed smelling all the candles, and eventually came away with this little one: … which I lit as soon as I got home. Not bad for $2.50! My trip to Target was a little odd, as I was greeted by this sight: I mean… it’s never too early for Christmas (in my book.) But it does seem like we used to at least get past Halloween before switching over? Not to worry, because this meant the fall stuff was on sale! Why yes… I’ll buy some pillows at half price! I really had to restrain myself from buying a throw blanket for $10… but I might have to go back. Next up… a candle smelling trip to Bath and Body Works (how exciting!) In case you’re thinking, “What in the world does this have to do with running?” Never fear- on Friday it’s time for Runfessions, and I have a few things to share! Is fall a happy time for you, or is it an ominous prequel to winter? Do you listen to any “fun” podcasts? Header photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash
Weekly Rundown- We Made It!
Hooray! Once again, we made it through a South Florida summer. I didn’t die, or lose my mind and move to Alaska. We had an amazing cool down this week, which lasted for… two whole days. Now we’ve warmed up a bit, but it’s always like that in October. We go back and forth, but 80s are still better than 90s. Thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting the Weekly Rundown! Let’s get right into it. Monday It was the eve of our big cool down, and we were treated to temperatures in the 60s early in the morning. Yes, please! I ran 3 miles, and then did a leg day at home. I’ve had to admit that two “heavy” (ahem, heavy for me, that is) leg days at the gym are too much for me now that my long runs are getting longer. I did Runner’s Touch, tibialis and calf raises, Bulgarian split squats, and squats with a 35 pound dumbbell. Since that’s lighter than I squat at the gym, I focused on getting REALLY low, with my butt almost touching the ground. Tuesday Well, we woke up to this: Tragically, this was not a running day for me (but my day was coming!) I did upper body strength at home- I got out the pull up bar right away (before I could talk myself out of it) and did negatives, assisted pull ups with a band, and some extra hanging from the bar (trying to increase my grip strength.) Then overhead dumbbell press and core- deadbugs and planks. I’m making an effort to do core every day this month for “Coretober.” Wednesday Oh yes. A 15 mile run on my favorite trail. Wow. It was upper 50s when I started, and SO MUCH EASIER to run in the cooler, drier weather- now I remember why we live in Florida. I really enjoyed this run. Later in the day, I went to REI and got myself a little something… Thursday Yes! I got the FWD Experience, Altra’s new non-zero drop shoes (they have a 4 mm drop.) I knew beforehand- from watching a YouTube review- that Altra, for some bizarre reason, made the toe box a little less wide for this model (NOOOO! WHY???) If you’re used to Altras, you would think they were kind of narrow. But coming from a traditional shoe they still feel wide. I felt like I was doing them a disservice, taking them out for the first time the day after my long run. My hips felt tight, but my feet felt GREAT. I walked a mile and ran 3 miles, and it was actually a pretty good run. Friday It felt weird that I hadn’t been to the gym all week! It was time for a serious leg day, starting with sled pushes and pulls. Then squats, deadlifts, heel raises, Runner’s Touch, and core. Saturday Second run in the new shoes! It was 65 degrees (as opposed to 90) and this 5 mile run felt great. I hope this won’t be like my last two shoe experiences, where I initially liked them but ended up hating them (Hoka Cliftons and New Balance 880s.) Right now I’m loving these shoes. I also saw a bunch of pretty cool-looking trail shoes at REI… so I’ll be going back to try those on. Sunday On tap for today- sleeping in, pancakes, and watching football. I know- I’m diverging from my usual waffles for one week. Pumpkin pancakes are calling my name! How is your weather? – Last week I was too miserably hot to hear it, but now I’m ready to hear about beautiful fall weather again! Any trail shoe recommendations for me? I think I’ve made it abundantly clear that I need a wide toe box.
The Thinking Mind- Friend, or Foe?
A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves. -Marcel Proust As I’ve mentioned, we had a wonderful break in our miserably hot and humid weather this week. When I headed to the trail for my long run, it was in the upper 50s. 50s!!! This was completely different from our recent “feels like” temperatures of 90 degrees at 5:30 am. When I got to the trail, I felt a surge of excitement and thought, “I can’t wait to explore!” That was odd, because I’ve done many, many long runs on this trail- but I’ve never done one in this weather. It really did feel like a different trail. It was definitely a different experience. Usually my whole run is about managing the heat- stuffing ice in my bra and pouring cold water over my head. This time I could just… run. I recently read an article on Raptitude called “How To Make Your Mind Maybe One-Third Quieter.” The suggestion was to go for a walk with the intention of noticing rather than thinking. Thoughts will still crop up, but the idea is to let them go and listen for the next sound. “Be interested in how things look and sound. A good way to frame this practice is that you’re looking at and listening to the world as though it’s saying something to you.” Well, this was lovely! The trail is beautiful, and there was plenty to notice. Most of the trail was pretty clear, but there were parts that were overgrown… This didn’t bother me too much- it just reminded me that I’m running through the wilderness. Trails don’t appear on their own; someone had to clear this and then keep it maintained. It’s probably hard to keep it all clear in the summer, because things grow so fast here in the rainy season. Thank you, kind people (whoever you are) for keeping this trail clear! Oh wait- I’m not supposed to be thinking. Back to noticing. But do you know how many times I had that same exact thought (“Trails don’t clear themselves! Someone is maintaining this trail, etc.”) Oh, about… 1000. Okay, I get that thoughts will creep in- but why do we think the same thoughts over and over again? This sentence from the article stood out to me: “The world is a lot less repetitive than the mind. The mind goes on about the same stuff forever.” Honestly, I was so bored thinking that same thought, it was a relief to put my headphones in after five miles. Don’t get my wrong- I loved this run. I loved being out in nature and I really did appreciate the trail and the weather. But doing that exercise made me aware of just how repetitive my thoughts are. I was curious about why we do this, so I looked it up. But all the articles I found dealt with ruminating, negative thoughts, and anxiety. What if I want to stop repetitive good thoughts? If I’m going to think, why does it have to be the same thing over and over again? Since the goal, according to the article, is to make your mind “maybe one-third quieter,” maybe I have to keep noticing- listening and seeing what the world has to tell me- and hope that I only think the same, boring thoughts two-thirds of the time. That seems like a doable goal, although still a tedious waste of two-thirds of my time. Well… baby steps! Do you notice your repetitive thoughts, good or bad? Anyone found a way to STOP DOING THIS???
It’s Fall! Florida Style.
Throw open the windows! Today we woke up to this: After months of heat and humidity, it feels like heaven. My favorite day of the whole year is the first time we get that fresh blast of cool, dry air. It reminds me of the first spring-like weather after a winter up north. Anything is possible! The world is my oyster! I am invincible! And running… it feels like we’ve been running with ankle weights that have suddenly been removed. I have a long run planned for tomorrow and I CANNOT WAIT. After all my grumbling about the weather, now I remember why we live in Florida. Just in time for our fall-ish weather, I’ve been listening to a podcast Stephany recommended, The Girl Next Door annual “Fall Extravaganza” episode. It’s not the style of podcast I normally listen to, but by the end I was feeling such strong fall vibes that I’m listening to last year’s Fall Extravaganza episode as well. The two hosts live in Arizona, and they talk about the differences between fall in the desert and fall in the midwest. I wonder if people who are transplanted out of traditional fall climates to places like Arizona and Florida have a special attachment to the idea of fall? I know the thought of colorful leaves, chilly weather and fires in the fireplace makes me nostalgic for my childhood. Whatever the reason, I go all out for fall, which you’ve probably noticed if you’ve been reading for a while. In addition to the pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin waffles, and pumpkin pasta I’ve been enjoying, here are some of my other fall favorites. Apples I know you can get apples year-round. But the variety now is incredible, and Sprouts has been having a sale on organic honeycrisp. YUM. My daughter always has fruit with her breakfast, and she’s been especially happy to have a honeycrisp apple (and I munch on a few pieces while I’m getting her breakfast together.) I also made this apple cake from Nora Cooks. You guys. I didn’t eat this myself, but it smelled amazing and my husband and daughter LOVED it. Highly recommend!!! Fall Candles This pumpkin clove candle from Anthropologie is my favorite candle ever. Mine is from last year, but I assume the new ones are the same (if they changed it, someone should be shot.) Even when I don’t have it lit, I catch a whiff of it every time I walk past and it makes me so happy. Fall deodorant Remember last year when I bought the Native Spiked Eggnog deodorant and bitterly regretted it? Well, I’m much more careful nowadays- no sweet scents in my deodorant! I figured I’d be safe with this one, and I was right: The funny thing is, they also mentioned this on The Girl Next Door Fall Extravaganza! I’m not the only one who likes it. You can tell I’m really into fall scents! Gretchen Rubin has an online quiz to discover your “most neglected” sense, and mine definitely is NOT smell. But taste isn’t far behind. Here’s another fall-ish meal I’ve made recently- Bean and Beer Chili. The recipe calls for one cup of beer, so I happily sipped the rest of the can while I cooked. Oh, those chips? Not exactly fall-related, but now that I’m (mostly) eliminating harmful oils from my diet, I’ve discovered these: They’re good! The bad news is they’re expensive, but I guess that’s also the good news. I don’t need to be eating chips all the time anyway, so I limit myself to a bag a week. And, in case you think all I care about are smells and tastes, let’s not forget about cozy socks! I have about… six pairs of Halloween and fall-themed cozy socks. These are my latest favorites: How about you- are you embracing all things fall? Do you like scented candles? How about cozy socks? And, very important question- apples or pumpkin?