Okay, Winter has arrived in Tucson

Cold run! I ran with Nancy, Sheryl, Laurie, and Sue this morning - about 15-16 miles. I used my hydration pack and it was so cold that the drink in the hose was slushy. Brrrrrr.........
It was below freezing when we started, but I warmed up quick because I was wearing a lot of clothes (two pairs of gloves, two earwarmer headbands)! It always amazes me how much my body will warm up when I run. I typically overdress, but I am slowly learning not to.

Renee, Laurie, Sue and Sheryl. Nancy is taking our picture.

We ran through the Ft. Lowell Park area, so we got in a little wash/trail running, in addition to a little road running. I felt pretty good and really felt like I could keep running forever (had the 'runners high'). I love those days. Total mileage for the week - about 40.

I'm worried though - my right foot is bothering me badly. The outside bone (not the arch). I'm praying I don't have anything serious....

I'm not running for two days, and then I'm going to try and do trails only the next few weeks and see how that goes.

We saw a Great Dane along the way, who weighed more than we did! I think it really liked me. :) Don't tell Dixie or Cracker.

We did our Christmas gift exchange after our run, and the gals were very generous. Lots of great running stuff from Nancy, Sheryl and Sue, Laurie framed some great pictures of us, and Sue made us some pretty ornaments. Thanks ladies! You all are the best. We all talked about our friend Lisa, whom we miss greatly. She moved to Bend, OR less than a month ago and so we are all adjusting. We love you Lisa!

"I believe in the runner's high, and I believe that those who are passionate about running are the ones who experience it to the fullest degree possible. To me, the runner's high is a sensational reaction to a great run! It's an exhilarating feeling of satisfaction and achievement. It's like being on top of the world, and truthfully... there's nothing else quite like it!" ~ Sasha Azevedo

Skirt and Sock Review!

Yes, a new skirt. They are all I ever run in! I now have enough that I can go 2 weeks of running without doing laundry! This one is from Skirtsports and is called 'Roller Girl'. It has 'girl shorties', which are just a little more substantial than underwear and have two pockets to put things in. I took the picture from the back, because it is so cute and flouncy in the back! The waistband is silky, and the skirt is all mesh. I wore it on my 12 mile run today and it was very comfortable and I received lots of complements from the running girlfriends (thanks gals, you all make me feel great!). Nancy, Lisa, Laurie (who will be running the many Tucson trails with me starting in November!), Sue and I ran out East today along Old Spanish Trail and through some neighborhoods that were all dirt roads (yes, yes, dirt is good!!!). My body always thanks me for running on trails, sand, or dirt roads. If I had more access to them, I would run trails every day! Tomorrow, I'll be heading out on the Douglas Spring Trail towards Bridal Veil Falls. Can't wait!
I also tried out some Injinji running socks. They look so funny! Yes, like the toe socks from the '70's! Anyone remember those? And of course, they were PINK, so I couldn't pass them up. The fabric was wonderful, and though I was skeptical at first, because my toes felt funny, I forgot I even had them on until I took my shoes off after my run. I'll try them again for my trail run tomorrow - they are supposed to help with blisters, which I don't have too much trouble with, but we'll see what else they can do! Check out this article on the founders of Injinji - very interesting. The article says that the name Injinji comes from the founders' chance meeting with someone who is a drummer. The article quoted the drummer as saying, "...drummers like to achieve a certain level of performance called injinji. It's that pinnacle moment of a traditional drum circle where the dancers and the rhythm of the music become one. Like a trance or acrescendo. You're not thinking. You're in the moment."

And that is one of the best things about running. I'm in the moment. Not thinking about the problems of the day. Present. Alive. Connected.

"When we look back, we realize that the things that came to us when we put ourselves in God's hands were better than anything we could have planned." ~ Bill Wilson

So true! I can relax and take it easy today. Have a good day, ya'll!

Guess what? Nobody will ever believe it - I went running today! I ran a little over 14 miles with Sheryl, Lisa and Sue. I braved the rain (well, okay, it wasn't raining that hard) with my new Patagonia rain jacket. Don't I look fashionable? I'm standing next to my trusty '95 Toyota 4-runner. I got up around before 4am (I was actually awake around 3:30am!). I remember a time when I was young when I used to go to bed at that time (or later)! We had a great time, and were blessed with a light rain shower, wonderful cloud cover, and a slightly lower temperature.

I remember when doing a half marathon (13.1 miles) seemed like a very long way to run. Now, I run that distance regularly!

Just goes to show you, where there is a will, there is a long distance run!

Yet another Saturday long run with the Chiclets et al! Those running with me today were Sheryl, Nancy, Lisa, Sue and Laurie, who I had never met before. Nice to meet you Laurie! Since Nancy and Lisa are marathon training, they each bought a Nathan 'Intensity' hydration pack, just like mine! It is made for women, and has plenty of space for gels, lip balm, camera, etc. They needed the extra water to do their increasingly longer runs. Here we are, all matchy-matchy, modeling our packs. :) I ran about 11.5 miles - we ran through the Canyon Ranch area of Tucson, which is always pretty. Cloud cover the whole time - who could ask for more?

I added up the miles I have run/hiked this past year (I keep a daily log of miles run and track the mileage on each of my pairs of running shoes - yes, I am definitely an accountant!), and here is the approximate tally:

Run - 1,465

Hiked - 111

I averaged over 4 miles a day! I wasn't running as much last summer or over the winter as I am now, so I think that is pretty good! I think keeping a log prevents me from overdoing and inviting injuries into my running. It has worked! I also know when it is time to say adios to a pair of shoes that are past their prime.

Definition:

Corker (n.) A remarkable or astounding person or thing. This is my husband's nickname for me!

Saturday morning run with the Chiclets!

We ran about 14-15 miles around town today. Lisa and Nancy are training for the Chicago marathon in October, but me and Sheryl are joining them in some longer runs just for fun! You have just got to get out there TODAY and live life, because you never know what tomorrow holds. Good job on the long runs gals! We are a sturdy group of women, I'll tell you. It was hot out there!

Kenny is now in Colorado for the summer. I miss him a lot! I'll be keeping busy with a lot of projects (I always find lots to do-I will never ever be bored!) One thing I'm doing is creating window frame art (yes, accountants have a small streak of creativity in them!) using fabric and flowers and old window frames. They are a lot of work but they came out really nice, I thought. I'm always proud when I get done with each one. You have to take pride in your work!

Here are some of the pieces I have done:

This one was my favorite. I love the little pink roses. I'll probably make another one just like it for myself. :)

This one was Kenny's favorite.

This one has some very interesting 'crackle' fabric that I found.

I'll be doing more of these, but these were all I sent with Kenny to Colorado to put in his art studio. I hope they sell! At any rate, I'm not quitting my day job. :)

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." - Friedrich Nietzsche