Runner's High

Even though I have raced triathlon for over too many years to admit, running is my love. Its what helped get me in shape during off season volleyball back in college days in Oregon,
brought me to the sport of triathlon and has been my strength…. and ….my weakness in too many triathlons too count.

Yep Im going to catch that guy

Today running is my sanity.   I love to bike, and I love to bike hard. I love cyclocross and getting muddy on dirty trails.  I love biking with boys faster than me.  Swimming ok and logistically challenging and I am proud to say I haven't jumped into the water for over a year now. 

But running is always there. It's so easy to put on your shoes and head out the door. It's the easiest when you have to travel or are short on time.  It's the easiest to go race. A bib number and your running shoes is all you need.  As a single mom, working full time and managing a house and a 12  year old who loves to be in sports,  running has been helping me keep my head on straight and help me start the day off fabulous, even when I only have a 30 min window.

Game face, even for a 5k

On my runs I can:

- plan the day
-solve all the problems at work
-re-arrange my house
-pick out paint colors for household upgrades
-landscape my backyard
-figure out dinner
-problem solve and coordinate a 12 year olds summer schedule while I'm at work
-daydream about being on beach somewhere hot and sunny
-zone out and listen to naughty music
-push myself when I want to stop

my yard is looking so Fab

Sometimes a short run feels long, and sometimes a long run feels like it just started and thats a runners high. Today it was cold windy, and grey. I didn't have a specific workout, major goal or any planned effort. But I just went and ran. I wanted to stop and go home because ……why.  But after a certain point I just ran for the love of it and kept going and ended up being my longest run since the 1/2 marathon in Feb.

its always worth it in the end

I did enjoy an amazing Memorial day weekend in Colorado.  I packed my running shoes, but didn't really run because I was having too much fun. I did find myself on the top of some mountains short of breath and smiling. 

I heart Colorado trips

Smiling in Colorado

Oh and this one is 12 now, good thing he is an amazing kid. 

Jack at age 5

Lots of more running miles to come this summer and fall.  

R.A.T.-S….Random Acts of Training

Typically in the past by now i would have done a big race,. This year I haven't even signed up for one yet.  My current training plan is called: RATS, random acts of training …Springstyle!

Even though i might not be as triathlon strong as I was when I was qualifying for world championship events and training mega hours per week, this spring I am feeling stronger than I have ever been inside and out.  Even on my weakest most overwhelmed day when I wonder how I will fit it all in, I feel stronger than ever. Ive been loving my new normal which is at times challenging, but I'm getting better at it.  Im hitting break through efforts at running this house and  even making upgrades,  getting to work everyday and fixing people (who seem quite happy  when they can get back to running or their sport ) working in my yard,

and….yes managing to squeeze in some workouts. I'm not Martha Stewart, even though I try,  I'm not the fastest in my age group right now, but am getting enough spring fitness back that I can think about finding a race.  

Right now is the longest I have ever gone without a coach.   Last year Jen Harrison coached me and did an amazing job of directing me and coming up with the perfect workouts when was crawling out of a dark time,  all over the board and unfocused with what I wanted to do. This year,  I want to do a lot of different things, but can't focus or pick something and am so busy can't sit long enough to even register if I knew what I wanted to do.  But , I do get up and push myself every day. I get up and see what I have time for and make up a workout as I go and how my body feels.   Its unstructured and random and don't recommend it if you are training for some big goal race or event.  Right now its working for me.  I have some fun ideas bouncing in my head along with a million other thoughts,  but have to see how my world goes, and keep looking for some new and exciting events that are fun challenging and different.   In the meantime I've been riding head on into that crazy wind ( its getting  a little easier) running hills,  or the track and hitting the gym to get stronger.  I've been loving my local gym Pound for Pound these days. When its warm and sunny they pull up the garage doors and let the sun in, plus occasionally I flip some tractor tires, and swing a sledgehammer. 

Finding some fast

wind makes you strong

Jack is in rugby this year, for a spring sport instead of lacrosse.  He chose to do this on his own saying it will help him to get better for football. This week when I was fixing him dinner he told me he wants  to play football, wrestle in the winter, and do track and rugby in the spring, so in high school he can try out for fullback. I stopped in my tracks and realized he on his own was coming up with a long term plan to work towards a goal he wants. Hmmm,  reminds me of someone, but glad at least one of us is focused right now . And its funny because watching him run the ball in rugby he looks just like my brothers did running the ball as a fullback.

Shiny new hair always helps you feel strong and fast too.

I saw this somewhere and it was really the cute red coat that caught my eye and thought I needed to shop for one, and I don't feel alone because have so many amazing friends and family, but I do appreciate a new type of strong Ive found.