October Runfessions
WHERE did October go??? And why do the days speed by so alarmingly this time of year? Slow down, time! Well… it’s the last Friday of the month, which means we’re joining Marcia for Runfessions! I’ve got a few things to share… My biggest runfession is that after dithering vaguely for the last several months, it’s come to my attention that I’m running a 50 MILE RACE in February. ACK. Last week Lisa asked me two questions- what shoes am I planning to wear for the race, and what my longest long run will be in training. Um… great questions, and I didn’t have any great answers. For the shoe part, I’ve had my Altra FWD’s for a week now and I still love them. They’re not a trail shoe and my race is a trail race- but Florida trails aren’t that technical. For my race last year, I remember thinking trail shoes would have been nice, but I was also perfectly fine running that race in road shoes. I’ve thought about going back to REI and trying on some trail shoes, and I particularly want to try the Altra Lone Peaks- but on the other hand, if everything is going well, do I really want to start messing around with zero drop shoes now? I don’t know. So, how long WILL my longest long run be? Well, I’m not following a specific training plan. So far I’m doing the same thing I did last year while training for my 50k- three shorter runs a week and one long run. My long run topped out at 25 miles for that race. For this one, I’m going back and forth on doing back-to-back long runs. Some people recommend it, and some say it’s not necessary. I think it would be easier on my body to do a 20 mile run followed by a 10 mile run the next day, rather than one 30 mile run. The problem is, I don’t have two days off work in a row. I’m going to have to do some tricky maneuvering, but I think I can manage two back-to-backs. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day will work (boy, I’ll be the life of the party!) and I’ll figure out one other one. So that’s the plan… such as it is. Now that we’ve got that figured out (er, somewhat) I have one more runfession to share. Last week I ran 15 miles on my favorite trail, which is about a 25 minute drive from my house. This trail happens to be near a Trader Joe’s- and it’s a rule that anytime you’re near a Trader Joe’s, you have to go, especially during pumpkin season (everyone knows that!) My only complaint about this trail is that there’s no bathroom. So after my run I just wiped myself down and changed clothes in my car. I felt a little grubby, but figured I was fine to just pop quickly into Trader Joe’s. I whipped through the store, grabbing my favorites- almond butter, nuts, sparkling water… but when I got to the checkout and cashier asked if I found everything I needed, I had to tell her that I couldn’t find my soymilk. This led to a very involved discussion about the Trader Joe’s soymilk, why it’s better than any other soymilk (the only ingredients are organic soybeans and water) and when it might be back in stock. We ended up going over to the computer at the customer service desk to look it up- and somewhere during this conversation I realized I had no idea what I looked like. I could have had a huge smear of dirt across my forehead, or a branch stuck in my hair for all I knew. I got very self-conscious and got out of there as quickly as possible, so I could get in my car to look at myself in the rear-view mirror. Phew. No dirt on my face, and although I wasn’t exactly having a great hair day, there were no branches in there. Note to self: next time, at least take a quick glance in the mirror! Well, that’s it for this month. Have you tried the new Altras? Do you ever wear a zero drop shoe? Do you ever do errands after a run but before you shower? – I’m not a fan of this, but I’ll do it if I have to!
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???