The race is 30 days from today. Sheesh. I've been working pretty hard. I ran 7 miles today up on the course and that went pretty well. Yesterday I ran 3 miles around the neighborhood and did a short hill run up to the first gate at Lucky Peak. The 3 miles were harder than the 7 miles. I did an 8 mile run up at Robie on Sat. and that went pretty well too. It's so funny how 8 miles can be easier than 3 miles. But somehow I'm able to find a rhythm and really get into a groove in those long runs.
Today the weather has FINALLY made the big turn into spring. It felt so good. The sunshine is a huge boost and makes me WANT to get outside and run. I get antsy and it's just too nice to be inside.
I've been pretty much able to decide my own running schedule each day. Douglas had a contract that abruptly ended (through no fault of his own) so he's been around quite a bit. The kids have sure enjoyed that and so have I. If it's raining I don't have to get out for a run. I can go a little later (or earlier if it's supposed to rain). It's nice having him be flexible...although the decrease in finances isn't really quite so nice. But it's only been a few weeks and we'll manage. He'll find something. He's always taken such great care of us.
This weekend I'm planning to do a 10 mile run up on the course. I think it's supposed to rain then. I'd complain but I'm pretty sure the next few days are supposed to be perfect. I guess every day can't be paradise!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Gulp
I guess you just jump right back in when you haven't written in ages and ages, right? I've been a bad blogger lately. Well more than lately for this blog. It's easy to say that life just gets in the way and well...it just does. Three year olds keep things pretty entertaining and the less they nap the less time I have to play on the computer!
And I've added a few other activities to my free time as well. In the last year we've travelled a really, really ridiculous amount. Last year we spent pretty much the months of July, October and December in South Dakota. Not to mention the last 3 weeks. That's a lot of schedule disruption! But we really do like to travel and it makes coming home even that much sweeter.
I feel like we're at a really great age with the kids. They are all potty trained, they can communicate what they want (although it's usually what they DON'T want that I hear most about) and in general they are just a ton of fun. It's been great sharing our kids with our family back in the midwest for so much time this last year. The kids loved it, the family loved it and I loved it too.
I'm constantly cracked up by the kids. They make me laugh so much and I have SUCH a hard time staying upset with them. They are like little sponges and they just soak up so much of me. It's amazing.
Each year I'm a mom I find myself more secure in who I am and what I'm doing. I'm sure that will all change when the day I watch my sweet babies climb on the school bus for the first time. I guess each job has a learning curve and I feel finally that I've settled into my groove. I may not be a groovy mom but at least I've got a groove.
That's not to say that this isn't challenging. That there aren't days that are SO hard I'd rather have a root canal. But the majority of my days are pretty good now. I feel healthier, stronger and more positive about life, family and myself. I guess those are good things.
I've spent a lot of time reading this last year. Long road trips are great for that! I've always been a nerd with my nose buried in a book and it's been great to make time to read again. Even if it's just for an hour or so before bed. Maybe that's because I finally am able to get my kids to help me pick up the toys...or because I just don't care if that basket of laundry gets folded tonight.
I've added a couple of new hobbies too. I taught myself to crochet this last year. Well actually I taught myself a slip stitch and made a few things (a scarf for Leona and a blanket for her Snoopy). After spending some quality time with Jen P. I discovered that what I was doing wasn't actually crocheting! So after we got done laughing I did a little more learning. I've now mastered scarves. This year maybe I'll branch out and see if Jen will teach me to do hats. They can match the scarves that everyone got for Christmas this past year.
For my 30th Birthday my dear sweet hubby gave me a beautiful acoustic guitar. I plunked around on it but really had absolutely no clue what I was doing. We started Prairie West a couple of months after that so we were being pretty conservative with our money for a while. Then we did a whole bunch of traveling.
My 30th birthday was in August of 2008. So after 18 mos of not doing anything on the guitar I knew what my 2009 New Year's Resolution would be: Guitar Lessons. Santa had also tucked a few green bills in my stocking this year so this made my decision a little easier. I've had just a handful of lessons since then and I've gotten pretty good at popular crowd favorites like Skip to My Lou and Shoo Fly. I run with a pretty rough crowd. Sam's favorite song is "Meatballs on My Zghetti" a.k.a. "On Top of Spaghetti". They are really enjoying it and I'm enjoying doing something musical again after many years.
While we were in South Dakota I registered for the Race to Robie Creek. I'm not even sure how I got a number. I made it all the way to the screen where I put in my credit card and then I kept getting a lovely screen saying "the server was busy. Please try again". I got frustrated with that after 20 minutes and then checked my e-mail and sure enough there was my completed registration.
In January I was doing pretty good with running. Before we left for all of our travels I did a 7 mile run that went pretty well. Also I'd been doing some speed training so my average times were running quite a bit faster (closer to 8.5 or 9 minute miles with some 8's thrown in for real challenges). While we were in Florida I didn't get any running in but I walked and walked and walked. And then we walked some more. Good exercise. I wasn't too worried.
Then we spent a week in South Dakota. Where it was FREEZING. And then one week turned into ANOTHER week sadly when Doug's Grandpa George passed away. And it was still FREEZING.
So today I finally went for a run. 3 miles. Flat miles. Easy miles. And they were still HARD. But I'm really hoping that my muscle memory comes back quickly. Very quickly. At least this year I know what I'm doing. Or at least that's what I'm going to keep telling myself even if it is a tough pill to swallow! Gulp!
And I've added a few other activities to my free time as well. In the last year we've travelled a really, really ridiculous amount. Last year we spent pretty much the months of July, October and December in South Dakota. Not to mention the last 3 weeks. That's a lot of schedule disruption! But we really do like to travel and it makes coming home even that much sweeter.
I feel like we're at a really great age with the kids. They are all potty trained, they can communicate what they want (although it's usually what they DON'T want that I hear most about) and in general they are just a ton of fun. It's been great sharing our kids with our family back in the midwest for so much time this last year. The kids loved it, the family loved it and I loved it too.
I'm constantly cracked up by the kids. They make me laugh so much and I have SUCH a hard time staying upset with them. They are like little sponges and they just soak up so much of me. It's amazing.
Each year I'm a mom I find myself more secure in who I am and what I'm doing. I'm sure that will all change when the day I watch my sweet babies climb on the school bus for the first time. I guess each job has a learning curve and I feel finally that I've settled into my groove. I may not be a groovy mom but at least I've got a groove.
That's not to say that this isn't challenging. That there aren't days that are SO hard I'd rather have a root canal. But the majority of my days are pretty good now. I feel healthier, stronger and more positive about life, family and myself. I guess those are good things.
I've spent a lot of time reading this last year. Long road trips are great for that! I've always been a nerd with my nose buried in a book and it's been great to make time to read again. Even if it's just for an hour or so before bed. Maybe that's because I finally am able to get my kids to help me pick up the toys...or because I just don't care if that basket of laundry gets folded tonight.
I've added a couple of new hobbies too. I taught myself to crochet this last year. Well actually I taught myself a slip stitch and made a few things (a scarf for Leona and a blanket for her Snoopy). After spending some quality time with Jen P. I discovered that what I was doing wasn't actually crocheting! So after we got done laughing I did a little more learning. I've now mastered scarves. This year maybe I'll branch out and see if Jen will teach me to do hats. They can match the scarves that everyone got for Christmas this past year.
For my 30th Birthday my dear sweet hubby gave me a beautiful acoustic guitar. I plunked around on it but really had absolutely no clue what I was doing. We started Prairie West a couple of months after that so we were being pretty conservative with our money for a while. Then we did a whole bunch of traveling.
My 30th birthday was in August of 2008. So after 18 mos of not doing anything on the guitar I knew what my 2009 New Year's Resolution would be: Guitar Lessons. Santa had also tucked a few green bills in my stocking this year so this made my decision a little easier. I've had just a handful of lessons since then and I've gotten pretty good at popular crowd favorites like Skip to My Lou and Shoo Fly. I run with a pretty rough crowd. Sam's favorite song is "Meatballs on My Zghetti" a.k.a. "On Top of Spaghetti". They are really enjoying it and I'm enjoying doing something musical again after many years.
While we were in South Dakota I registered for the Race to Robie Creek. I'm not even sure how I got a number. I made it all the way to the screen where I put in my credit card and then I kept getting a lovely screen saying "the server was busy. Please try again". I got frustrated with that after 20 minutes and then checked my e-mail and sure enough there was my completed registration.
In January I was doing pretty good with running. Before we left for all of our travels I did a 7 mile run that went pretty well. Also I'd been doing some speed training so my average times were running quite a bit faster (closer to 8.5 or 9 minute miles with some 8's thrown in for real challenges). While we were in Florida I didn't get any running in but I walked and walked and walked. And then we walked some more. Good exercise. I wasn't too worried.
Then we spent a week in South Dakota. Where it was FREEZING. And then one week turned into ANOTHER week sadly when Doug's Grandpa George passed away. And it was still FREEZING.
So today I finally went for a run. 3 miles. Flat miles. Easy miles. And they were still HARD. But I'm really hoping that my muscle memory comes back quickly. Very quickly. At least this year I know what I'm doing. Or at least that's what I'm going to keep telling myself even if it is a tough pill to swallow! Gulp!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Bunions are for Grandma's!
I think I've mentioned in the past that if I run for a while my right foot hurts. I thought this was just a problem from over training with all the downhill running I did when I ran Robie Creek. Well it hasn't gone away and while it hasn't been horrible it's annoying.
I went into one of my favorite running stores yesterday while I was out running some errands. I explained the problem to one of the sales people and we had this conversation.
Me: "When I run my right foot hurts here at the base of my big toe. What am I doing wrong? Is it my shoe? Is it my stride? What do I need to do to fix this?"
Salesgirl: "Well with that bunion there when you do longer runs you're putting more pressure on it and it's going to hurt."
Me: "Wait a minute...WHAT BUNION?!?!"
Salesgirl: "See how your foot has this bone bump out on the side? That's a bunion."
Me: "Isn't that just how my foot is shaped?"
Salesgirl: "Nope. That's a bunion."
Me: "I thought only grandma's get bunions?"
Salesgirl: "Nope. You've got one too."
So as I stare at my foot with a confused look on my face as I try to wrap my brain around the remote possibility that this could actually BE a bunion I was given some suggestions. Apparently inserts can give you some extra cushioning and help with the bunion pain.
We stuck an insert in my shoe and I ran around the block. Fortunately I didn't wear a skirt for errand running day. That would have been quite a sight. Everything felt okay so I took my new inserts, my lighter wallet and my new found bunion home.
I went for a run last night and the first mile felt pretty good. Nice cushioning on these insert things. But after a while things didn't feel so good. My lovely bunion felt fine but the arch of my right foot felt like someone was driving a stake into it with each passing step. By 4 miles I had had enough!
I took the insert BACK to the running store. Apparently THAT insert is great for people who need lots of stability while they run and have a pretty high arch. I have almost NO arch so no wonder that didn't feel great. I now have a new insert and hopefully a new way to run...even with a bunion!
I went into one of my favorite running stores yesterday while I was out running some errands. I explained the problem to one of the sales people and we had this conversation.
Me: "When I run my right foot hurts here at the base of my big toe. What am I doing wrong? Is it my shoe? Is it my stride? What do I need to do to fix this?"
Salesgirl: "Well with that bunion there when you do longer runs you're putting more pressure on it and it's going to hurt."
Me: "Wait a minute...WHAT BUNION?!?!"
Salesgirl: "See how your foot has this bone bump out on the side? That's a bunion."
Me: "Isn't that just how my foot is shaped?"
Salesgirl: "Nope. That's a bunion."
Me: "I thought only grandma's get bunions?"
Salesgirl: "Nope. You've got one too."
So as I stare at my foot with a confused look on my face as I try to wrap my brain around the remote possibility that this could actually BE a bunion I was given some suggestions. Apparently inserts can give you some extra cushioning and help with the bunion pain.
We stuck an insert in my shoe and I ran around the block. Fortunately I didn't wear a skirt for errand running day. That would have been quite a sight. Everything felt okay so I took my new inserts, my lighter wallet and my new found bunion home.
I went for a run last night and the first mile felt pretty good. Nice cushioning on these insert things. But after a while things didn't feel so good. My lovely bunion felt fine but the arch of my right foot felt like someone was driving a stake into it with each passing step. By 4 miles I had had enough!
I took the insert BACK to the running store. Apparently THAT insert is great for people who need lots of stability while they run and have a pretty high arch. I have almost NO arch so no wonder that didn't feel great. I now have a new insert and hopefully a new way to run...even with a bunion!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Jello Queen
Last Friday I was busy doing lots of preparation for the kids big birthday bash. The party was a Mickey Mouse themed party. I had ordered a cookie cutter shaped like Mickey Mouse. My goal: Jello Jigglers in the shape of Mickey Mouse. Lots of fun colors. Lots of fun to eat. I was quite pleased with my plan. How hard could that be? Jello is easy. There are only 2 ingredients. Water and the lovely powdered package of artificial flavorings and colorings. You can't screw up Jello.
So I bought many boxes of Jello. I made 5 pans to start with. I put them in the fridge. 4 hours later I took them out. Sure enough they were Jello. But something wasn't right. When I put my cookie cutter in the middle the Mickey Mouse shape didn't hold. There was no jiggle in my jello.
I dug through the recycling bin and pulled out the Jello boxes to read the instructions again. I had put a 4 oz serving box for each 2.25 cups of boiling water. The directions said to use 4 4 oz serving box for each 2.25 cups of water. They need to make it say "Use FOUR 4 oz serving boxes for each 2.25 cups of water. YES FOUR BOXES OF JELLO!!!". If it would have said this on the box I would have been fine.
At 10 PM I headed to the grocery store to get MORE Jello since I sure didn't have FOUR 4 oz boxes (YES FOUR!). The lady at the checkout gave me a funny look as I bought 20 odd boxes of Jello. I'm not sure if she believed me when I said it was for a kids birthday party.
Before bed I made a few batches of Jello. It was late. I was tired. But I used my FOUR boxes. Douglas was in the kitchen as I slowly poured one of the Jello packets into the boiling water. As I poured the mixture bubbled up and almost spilled over. He got all excited and started giving me a lecture on boiling points, salt content and sugar levels. I gave him a look and told him only really geeky nerdy engineer types payed any attention to that crap in Chemistry class.
I was getting so tired and my last batch before bed I forgot to pour slowly. The bowl was near the edge of the counter and Jello bubbled up, out and over. On the counter tops, down the cabinets and into the drawers. Jello is sticky. Hot, sticky, orange Jello all over the kitchen I had just spent a good hour cleaning. Nice.
On Saturday morning I decided I finished making the last few batches of Jello. In my haste to get 2,743 done that morning...I quickly poured the Jello packet into the boiling water. Once again Jello went cascading onto the counter tops, down the cabinets and into the drawers. Didn't I JUST do that the night before?!?!?! Isn't the definition of insanity something like "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."? Apparently Jello will make anyone Crazy.
But the Jello turned out great. They were jiggly. They looked like Mickey Mouse. The kids loved it. There was enough Jello to feed an elementary school and I guess if I ever HAVE to get a job I could be a cafeteria lunch lady. I better get back to working on those Sloppy Joe's.
So I bought many boxes of Jello. I made 5 pans to start with. I put them in the fridge. 4 hours later I took them out. Sure enough they were Jello. But something wasn't right. When I put my cookie cutter in the middle the Mickey Mouse shape didn't hold. There was no jiggle in my jello.
I dug through the recycling bin and pulled out the Jello boxes to read the instructions again. I had put a 4 oz serving box for each 2.25 cups of boiling water. The directions said to use 4 4 oz serving box for each 2.25 cups of water. They need to make it say "Use FOUR 4 oz serving boxes for each 2.25 cups of water. YES FOUR BOXES OF JELLO!!!". If it would have said this on the box I would have been fine.
At 10 PM I headed to the grocery store to get MORE Jello since I sure didn't have FOUR 4 oz boxes (YES FOUR!). The lady at the checkout gave me a funny look as I bought 20 odd boxes of Jello. I'm not sure if she believed me when I said it was for a kids birthday party.
Before bed I made a few batches of Jello. It was late. I was tired. But I used my FOUR boxes. Douglas was in the kitchen as I slowly poured one of the Jello packets into the boiling water. As I poured the mixture bubbled up and almost spilled over. He got all excited and started giving me a lecture on boiling points, salt content and sugar levels. I gave him a look and told him only really geeky nerdy engineer types payed any attention to that crap in Chemistry class.
I was getting so tired and my last batch before bed I forgot to pour slowly. The bowl was near the edge of the counter and Jello bubbled up, out and over. On the counter tops, down the cabinets and into the drawers. Jello is sticky. Hot, sticky, orange Jello all over the kitchen I had just spent a good hour cleaning. Nice.
On Saturday morning I decided I finished making the last few batches of Jello. In my haste to get 2,743 done that morning...I quickly poured the Jello packet into the boiling water. Once again Jello went cascading onto the counter tops, down the cabinets and into the drawers. Didn't I JUST do that the night before?!?!?! Isn't the definition of insanity something like "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."? Apparently Jello will make anyone Crazy.
But the Jello turned out great. They were jiggly. They looked like Mickey Mouse. The kids loved it. There was enough Jello to feed an elementary school and I guess if I ever HAVE to get a job I could be a cafeteria lunch lady. I better get back to working on those Sloppy Joe's.
Eight is Enough
I've been bad about running lately. I'll have a good week and then get busy and miss several days in a row. Normally if I'm NOT running every other day I'm pretty cranky. So yesterday when it was suggested by my wonderful husband that I go for a run...I went.
It had been a while since I had gone for a long run. I did 7 miles a few weeks ago but otherwise I've been hovering around 5 miles as a general run. It's a great distance for me. But then I feel like I'm not doing enough and I should challenge myself more. So I either run up the big stupid hill behind our house or I put in a longer run.
It was a very nice cool overcast day yesterday. Nice light breeze. Perfect for summer running so at naptime I headed out for a long run. I have lots of routes I like to take and I hadn't run this particular one in a while because there isn't a lot of shade on the route. No problem since it was cloudy.
Well a few miles into my run the clouds disappeared and the sun came out. Around the same time the wind died down. Not great but things were going well. I was carrying water and feeling pretty good. I had a nice pace going. Not too fast, not too slow.
Before I left I had decided that I would do a 8 mile run. I have to kind of decided that mentally in my head. Well I had been feeling pretty good so I did an extra half mile before turning around which would make this a 9 mile run. Around mile 7 I started struggling. Really struggling. I was stopping every quarter mile to take a drink of water and take a quick break.
At mile 8 my body gave up. I puked. I'm not a puker. I hate to puke. It wasn't pleasant. I've never done it before while running. I really hope not to do it again.
I was still a long hot mile from home. I walked for a bit and then brilliantly thought I should run again. It would get me home more quickly, right? Well I did about a quarter of a mile and almost puked again. So I walked home. I don't walk. It has to be bad for me to walk. It was pretty bad.
I felt fine by the time I got home. I changed into my swimsuit and took a very refreshing dip in the pool which felt fantastic. And drank a lot of water!!! That's a performance I'd really like NOT to repeat.
It had been a while since I had gone for a long run. I did 7 miles a few weeks ago but otherwise I've been hovering around 5 miles as a general run. It's a great distance for me. But then I feel like I'm not doing enough and I should challenge myself more. So I either run up the big stupid hill behind our house or I put in a longer run.
It was a very nice cool overcast day yesterday. Nice light breeze. Perfect for summer running so at naptime I headed out for a long run. I have lots of routes I like to take and I hadn't run this particular one in a while because there isn't a lot of shade on the route. No problem since it was cloudy.
Well a few miles into my run the clouds disappeared and the sun came out. Around the same time the wind died down. Not great but things were going well. I was carrying water and feeling pretty good. I had a nice pace going. Not too fast, not too slow.
Before I left I had decided that I would do a 8 mile run. I have to kind of decided that mentally in my head. Well I had been feeling pretty good so I did an extra half mile before turning around which would make this a 9 mile run. Around mile 7 I started struggling. Really struggling. I was stopping every quarter mile to take a drink of water and take a quick break.
At mile 8 my body gave up. I puked. I'm not a puker. I hate to puke. It wasn't pleasant. I've never done it before while running. I really hope not to do it again.
I was still a long hot mile from home. I walked for a bit and then brilliantly thought I should run again. It would get me home more quickly, right? Well I did about a quarter of a mile and almost puked again. So I walked home. I don't walk. It has to be bad for me to walk. It was pretty bad.
I felt fine by the time I got home. I changed into my swimsuit and took a very refreshing dip in the pool which felt fantastic. And drank a lot of water!!! That's a performance I'd really like NOT to repeat.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Sunset, Moonrise
I just came back from a late evening run. As I've said before I'm NOT a morning person. And it's HOT in the afternoon. I went for a run yesterday at noon. It was 88 degrees and I could barely do 4 miles. Not because I couldn't run any more but because I hadn't charged my iPod and it died part way through my run. So I couldn't run anymore. That's what I'm telling myself anyway.
But the evenings are beautiful here in the summer. I ran about 7 miles tonight and it was a lot easier than my 4 mile run yesterday. Part of my route was along the canal (we have irrigation canals that are as big as many rivers in some cities) and chased the sunset. Amazing pink and orange colors filled the sky. When I hit the turn around point I could not help but gasp. The moon was just rising and I don't know if I've ever seen a moon so low, so big and so beautiful. I really wish I would have had my camera with me tonight.
I had another critter sighting this evening and fortunately it wasn't the creepy, slithery kind! I had a fun game of chase with a raccoon on my path. He would stop and look at me and as I would approach he would run ahead. We did this 4 or 5 times before he scampered off into the trees. I also saw a family walking the most adorable Siberian Husky puppy. Oh my goodness was he adorable!!! I don't mind sharing the path with those kind of critters! Anytime you can chase a sunset and catch a moonrise it's a pretty good night!
But the evenings are beautiful here in the summer. I ran about 7 miles tonight and it was a lot easier than my 4 mile run yesterday. Part of my route was along the canal (we have irrigation canals that are as big as many rivers in some cities) and chased the sunset. Amazing pink and orange colors filled the sky. When I hit the turn around point I could not help but gasp. The moon was just rising and I don't know if I've ever seen a moon so low, so big and so beautiful. I really wish I would have had my camera with me tonight.
I had another critter sighting this evening and fortunately it wasn't the creepy, slithery kind! I had a fun game of chase with a raccoon on my path. He would stop and look at me and as I would approach he would run ahead. We did this 4 or 5 times before he scampered off into the trees. I also saw a family walking the most adorable Siberian Husky puppy. Oh my goodness was he adorable!!! I don't mind sharing the path with those kind of critters! Anytime you can chase a sunset and catch a moonrise it's a pretty good night!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Moving to Ireland
I finally went for a run on Saturday. It had been TWO weeks since I had been able to get out for a run. That's just WAY to long for me. The first week we were gone on vacation. I had really hoped that I would be able to get a beautiful run on the beach when we were in California but there just never seemed to be any extra time. I did manage to get a wonderful bike ride in with my handsome hubby along the beach. I also was a pack mule down to the beach with the kids and there were of course the very LONG days wandering around Disney.
One of the reasons I didn't get a run in this last week was the lovely sunburn I had on my legs. I am quite obviously affected by a horrible summer condition. Sunscreen Amnesia. It's a horrible affliction that causes either the complete forgetfulness of sunscreen application or the inability to adequately apply sunscreen to ALL areas of the body. This results in beautiful bright red splotches in random locations throughout the body.
So I finally got back out there and did a nice 5 mile run...Well most of it was nice. The weather was nice. The route was nice. I did a pretty typical route through a local park. Part of the area that I ran through was technically closed because they are eventually going to build a big ole bridge near there. I don't know why but it always seems like my favorite routes are quite often closed. I didn't find any park rangers this time though!
The thing about running in summer weather is the fact that you don't really run alone. In winter everything is frozen. I might see some deer. That's pretty much it. In summer there are critters. And creepy crawly things. Slithery things.
I hate snakes. They make my skin crawl. They make me hyperventilate. I'm not kidding. Mice don't bother me. Rats aren't a huge deal. Spiders are no problem at all. But snakes. Eek. Just the sight of snakes makes me completely flip out. It's not pretty. Douglas and I were walking once in this same park having a lovely conversation as we strolled along. At one point he said "Don't step on that snake". I saw the snake pretty much at the same time he said that. He claims his ears are still ringing.
Growing up I rode horses pretty much my whole life. I remember distinctly one time when my horse got spooked by almost stepping on a snake. I got dumped off because I wasn't paying attention and almost landed ON the snake. Then MY screams spooked my horse and it took a while to catch him. I didn't share that story with my mom. She probably would have never let me ride again.
So on a few of my recent runs there have unfortunately been a few snake sightings. This is problematic when I'm running for a few reasons. I HATE being surprised like that. When I'm running I'm in my own little world with my own rhythm. Then I see a snake. The snake is intruding on MY tranquility.
Once I've seen a snake I'm freaked out for the rest of my run. Every shadow I see I think is ANOTHER snake. This park has trails through a pretty wooded area. So there are lots of sections that go in and out of sunshine with strange shadows that look like potential snakes.
When I'm running my heart rate and breathing levels are already elevated. Then I see a snake which causes me to hyperventilate. I'm already working hard enough. I don't need to add THAT too it.
So obviously these running paths are NOT big enough for both me AND the snakes. They had better leave...or I'm going to have to move to Ireland.
One of the reasons I didn't get a run in this last week was the lovely sunburn I had on my legs. I am quite obviously affected by a horrible summer condition. Sunscreen Amnesia. It's a horrible affliction that causes either the complete forgetfulness of sunscreen application or the inability to adequately apply sunscreen to ALL areas of the body. This results in beautiful bright red splotches in random locations throughout the body.
So I finally got back out there and did a nice 5 mile run...Well most of it was nice. The weather was nice. The route was nice. I did a pretty typical route through a local park. Part of the area that I ran through was technically closed because they are eventually going to build a big ole bridge near there. I don't know why but it always seems like my favorite routes are quite often closed. I didn't find any park rangers this time though!
The thing about running in summer weather is the fact that you don't really run alone. In winter everything is frozen. I might see some deer. That's pretty much it. In summer there are critters. And creepy crawly things. Slithery things.
I hate snakes. They make my skin crawl. They make me hyperventilate. I'm not kidding. Mice don't bother me. Rats aren't a huge deal. Spiders are no problem at all. But snakes. Eek. Just the sight of snakes makes me completely flip out. It's not pretty. Douglas and I were walking once in this same park having a lovely conversation as we strolled along. At one point he said "Don't step on that snake". I saw the snake pretty much at the same time he said that. He claims his ears are still ringing.
Growing up I rode horses pretty much my whole life. I remember distinctly one time when my horse got spooked by almost stepping on a snake. I got dumped off because I wasn't paying attention and almost landed ON the snake. Then MY screams spooked my horse and it took a while to catch him. I didn't share that story with my mom. She probably would have never let me ride again.
So on a few of my recent runs there have unfortunately been a few snake sightings. This is problematic when I'm running for a few reasons. I HATE being surprised like that. When I'm running I'm in my own little world with my own rhythm. Then I see a snake. The snake is intruding on MY tranquility.
Once I've seen a snake I'm freaked out for the rest of my run. Every shadow I see I think is ANOTHER snake. This park has trails through a pretty wooded area. So there are lots of sections that go in and out of sunshine with strange shadows that look like potential snakes.
When I'm running my heart rate and breathing levels are already elevated. Then I see a snake which causes me to hyperventilate. I'm already working hard enough. I don't need to add THAT too it.
So obviously these running paths are NOT big enough for both me AND the snakes. They had better leave...or I'm going to have to move to Ireland.
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