Famous Last Words

OK, so I've been vowing to blog more, and I have not followed through... I don't have time for the details now, but I have a lot of new stuff going on in my life - good stuff. Mainly, a new job that is physically demanding and leaves me exhausted at the end of the day, with no energy for blogging! BUT I've still been running pretty faithfully, with the exception of last week. Erin and I ran on Tuesday morning at 5:15 a.m. (with a headlamp strapped to my head because it's so dark!), but we skipped Thursday. Erin had something planned that morning, and I was just in need of a break. We skipped today because our husbands were camping together with our older kids, and I had no one to watch my 2-year-old. We have another scheduling conflict this week, but we should be back on track by Thursday. I did go to an outdoor yoga class yesterday, which was awesome. If I had more time, I could easily get addicted to yoga. It was a good workout - different from running, of course, but I still broke a sweat - and I felt so calm afterward (but am sore today).

I still have some running issues - a lingering Achilles heel soreness along with ankle soreness. It's so annoying. I love running now, and I don't like to take time off because of soreness. A lot of what I get out of running is mental, and I really feel it when I miss too many workouts.

The Heat Is On ...

... but we're still running! I haven't posted in a while, but I've still been running three days a week (5 miles each time) with my trusty running buddy, Erin. I've only missed a couple of times this month when she was on vacation or when my husband was on a trip. So I'm feeling pretty good about our tenacity in the face of 100-degree heat and wilting humidity. Seriously, folks, it is soooo humid in Tennessee right now. An excerpt from a local TV station's weather report:

"Temperatures for most of middle Tennessee are expected to be in the mid to upper 90s this weekend. High humidity levels will produce heat index values around 105 degrees. Dangerous heat levels will occur for those who are outdoors, especially during the afternoon and early evening hours."

That's why we're running at 6:30 or even 5:30 a.m. during the week. Today we ran at 7:30 a.m., and - despite thunderstorms last night - it was hazy and hot and almost hard to breathe. Erin said her knees were sweating. We were soaked.

On the bright side, we're still doing it. And let me tell you, I need to run. I missed one day this week, and I could tell in my mood, my attitude, my (lack of) productivity, sleep - everything. Running clears my head and puts things in perspective somehow.

There's also the sense of accomplishment I feel at the end, when I'm finished, drinking hot coffee and relaxing, and I still have the whole day before me.

On Sundays there's usually a big breakfast waiting at the end.

Indulging without guilt = priceless.

Morning Moment

I went running solo today for the first time in awhile - just four miles. I saw a sweet sight on the trail: A rumpled, unshaven, tired-looking dad was walking along the trail with his little girl, who looked to be about 3. As I passed them, I saw the dad was holding a teeny-tiny newborn baby asleep in the crook of his arm. I knew immediately that the mom was home catching a few moments of peace while the dad got the kids out of the house.

Ah, I've been there. Sweet.

Limping Along

Hello, running blog. I am still here! I think the last time I posted was two weeks ago... yikes, I am slacking. But hey, it's summer. And I mean really summer in Nashville, with temps in the 90s and wilting, oppressive humidity.

I was out of town last week and didn't run a bit. I ate and drank and didn't think about running. :)

I came back home yesterday, though, and Erin and I ran at 7:30 a.m. It was already hot; we ran 3.5 miles and walked 1/2 mile. My heel feels pretty good, and I'm just working on hanging in there. Did I really run 13 miles just two months ago??

Hot!

We started out early for a Sunday run - 7:30 a.m. - and it was already about 85 degrees and steamy with the sun beating down. We ran three sweaty miles before deciding to walk the last 2.5. Erin was feeling queasy, and I didn't mind the slowdown since my Achilles was sore (I thought that pain was gone but no!). Did I mention it was really hot?

Maybe Tuesday will be better. At least we got out there - that did feel good.

And the big news that I can't believe I haven't posted: The trail is open again! It's all intact but not nearly as shady since so many big trees were uprooted and washed away. Still, we are just glad to be on a nicer route with some shade and a river view.

Taking a Break

I've had a little break from running, since Erin has been on vacation for about a week. My family has been doing some traveling of our own, and it's been nice to give my ankles and Achilles heel a little rest time. The soreness seems to be gone, which is a relief! (Yes, I could run on my own, but I made the executive decision to embrace rest and sleep so as to avoid burn-out.)

I hope we'll start up again Sunday with a short run to get back into the routine.

Still Going

This past week we ran Sunday (about 5-6 miles) and Thursday (around 5 miles). There's plenty of light at 5 a.m. now, and it's already pretty warm - even that early in the day. Not too bad yet, though. Erin found a new route that takes us out of that boring loop, so that helps keep us going.

My main problem at the moment is that my ankles are sore - both of them. I'm not sure why it's happening now, when we're not running very intensely at all. So I'm wondering ... do I take a break or keep it up?

I don't want to take a break from running - I'm happier and more productive when I run, and of course I'm still eating as if I run 25 miles a week - so I'm just taking each run as it comes and trying to work through the soreness.