Sunday, September 24, 2006

BEAUTIFUL day

This morning when I got up, I was almost upset that I had told a friend that I would meet her for breakfast because it was so beautiful out that I just wanted to go rollerblade. I went right after breakfast, and it was a much slower roll than usual. It has been raining a lot lately, and because it's fall and the leaves are coming off the trees, the trail was rather slippery. There were a few really nice areas, where it was quite nice, and they made the trip worth it.

I thought it was neat that on my way back, I saw my cooperating teacher running. I've never seen someone I know on the trail, so it was fun to go by her.

After my rollerblading, I decided to go on a run too. I ran a mile, a very slow mile because legs don't work after rollerblading for very long, and then I walked a mile back. It was just so wonderful of a day to go out. YAY!

Exercise: Rollerblading/Running/Walking
Distance: 12.19 miles/1.2 miles/1.2 miles
Time: 11:00 am, 1 hour 32 minutes/12 minutes/15 minutes
Temperature: 64 degrees (I heart fall!)
Humidity: 65%
Visibility: 10 miles
Wind: from the W at 10mph
Pressure: 29.88 and falling

Thursday, September 21, 2006

I'm...running...for...Randy...

A lot of things came together for me today, in that I've been finding it harder and harder to make time to run because I'm so busy, but on my run today I realized just how much I love it. I had to drag myself out the door; I kept making excuses for why I didn't need to run, namely that I work too hard during the day to have to run. Once I got out the door, I started thinking that it was tolerable, and then remembered a strategy that the teacher I work with told me. She read an article that said to help make long runs more tolerable you can think of a phrase repeatedly and tap it out with your fingers while you're running. A few minutes into my run I started thinking about why I started running, and it was to run with a friend of my brother's after my brother died. I made my phrase "I'm running for Randy" and got it into my head, and just ran. And it was amazing.

I took a new route, and after a bit I looked at my watch...23 minutes, and I wasn't even a bit tired! I ran for a bit more, and then decided I needed to quit because it was getting dark and I don't live in the best of neighborhoods. I ran for 26 minutes total, and then walked for 4 to let my legs loosen up. I've never been so happy about what I accomplished.

I love that my motivation all comes from my brother, whether directly or indirectly. My initial running started so that I would be able to do a one mile memorial run with his friend. I called her after my first few runs, and she was so incredibly supportive, and told me to start this whole blog. Now she's doing a marathon for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society, and blogs about it. The blog is so motivational for me that it's the reason I went running at 9:00pm on Tuesday and that I went for my run today. Sometimes you just need that example.

I started running as a stress reliever because things were going so wrong...and now I'm running because everything is just going so right.

Just keep running...

Exercise: Running/Walking
Distance: about 2.5 miles
Time: 7:00 pm, 30 mins and 41 seconds
Temperature: 63 degrees (fall is here! :) )
Humidity: 50%
Visibility: 10 miles
Wind: from the SE at 8mph
Pressure: 29.97 and falling

Sunday, September 17, 2006

If it wasn't for the wind...

I was going to do it today...I was going to go past the farthest spot I've gone blading...but shortly before I got to where I park, I saw the flags, and realized that they were completely outstreched, and weren't even wavering because it was so windy. I turned around. When I got back, I looked, and the wind was 9 mph, with 20 mph gusts. I think it's good I didn't go because one way would have been horrible.

I did go yesterday, and went farther than before, and it was great. I like going on little adventures, so getting to go on the detour was great. The trail was rough where the detour started, but it was still fun. I got to see bunnies and geese. WOO! Maybe I'll keep going! :)

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Back to 'Blading

I went on my first Rollerblading excursion since before I went to Hawaii, and it was wonderful. The weather was great, there weren't too many people on the trail, and it was all around amazing. The thing that was saddest about it though, was that none of my rollerblading friends are living here this semester, so I had to go all by myself. Someone new needs to step up to the challenge of rollerblading many miles with me...

Overall, it was great to get back to rollerblading.

Exercise: Rollerblading :)
Distance: about 8.5 miles
Time: 11:00, 1 hour and 2 minutes including the wait time at intersections
Temperature: 82 degrees
Humidity: 41%
Visibility: 10 miles
Wind: calm
Pressure: 30.06 and falling

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Running in a zoo?!!?

First of all, I'm feeling much much better. My eyelid is still a bit swollen, but it's redness is gone, and the swelling has gone down significantly. MUCH better.

Now for the good stuff:
I went to DC for the weekend to visit one of my old roommates who is interning there. We walked around SO much that had I not run, I would probably have exercised enough to last a lifetime. We decided to go on a run, though, and we decided to go through the National Zoo. We did a really good job of running out because it was all downhill, but on the way back, she and I decided to get distracted by the animals so that Frat Boy wouldn't keep running. Basically, it was the most amazing "run" i had ever been on because I ran for a good 15 or 20 minutes, and then saw aminals on the way back! Oh so great! I heart zoos!