There are no festive holiday photos in this post.

We had a fantastic Christmas. I have no real photographic proof so you’ll just have to take my word for it. One of the very best things was that about a week or so before Christmas, Brant landed a full-time, salaried job. After a year of awesome, yet sporadic part-time work, we are REALLY excited about this new opportunity. And to make it even better – it’s in his chosen field (solar/operations management) and with a company that’s doing really exciting stuff in the solar industry. We are so grateful.
Also, I learned to make cinnamon rolls from scratch this Christmas. I used the Pioneer Woman’s recipe and they turned out great! Her recipes are amazing. Haven’t had one let me down yet. The recipe made 9 pans of rolls!

I didn't eat ALL of them. But almost.

Someone gifted us a Costco sized box of Reses Peanut Butter Cups, so between those and the cinnamon rolls (and gingerbread cookies at work) I am riding a sugar high I’m terrified to come down from. Today is my first day off the sugar wagon. My goal is just to not eat any candy bars today. Or pancakes.  If you don’t hear from me again, you know what happened.
There hasn’t been a whole lot of running happening this past week or so. I busted my buns (literally) with some hills/sprints and had to take almost a week off to let things settle down. But I’m back to normal and ran an easy 4 on Saturday morning with Gordon. 

I know this post is full of randomness, but that’s what I have today. Here’s some more:

Sunset from our house.

Beach Day!

 

 

Christmas Rainbow

JFR* is the best motto ever

 

I got to the four way stop where I usually turn left, and instead found myself turning right. Propelled by the spark of the unknown flashing before me. Surprising (but not), because right is uphill, windy, and a road I had not run before. For most of my adult life, I’ve considered myself a planner, a creature of habit, and someone who is uncomfortable with change and/or surprises. Lately I’m learning that some of that rigidity is just a way for me to (seemingly) maintain control, and that there is actually huge joy to be found in giving up and giving in to adventure. 

 

I’ve always liked the adventure of running a new route, so that didn’t surprise me last night, but the hill did.

As a runner, I’ve often backed away from the hard stuff. Speed. Hills. Whatever in the moment my brain considers ‘too hard.’ So I rationalize walking, or running a slower pace, or fewer miles, or an easier route. And it’s fine really, because it’s all been my journey thus far. You start somewhere, you go somewhere. And now I am here.

 

 

And I feel this building momentum in my heart that 2014 is the year I push back against the hard stuff. The year I run faster. The year I tell my brain to be quiet when it starts setting limits.

I want so see what my limits really are.

Last fall, I ran two marathons and one 1/2 marathon all within 40 days. That is something I never fathomed I would do. But then I did.

And like crazy things do, it made me look at myself and running differently. It made me wonder. It made me want more.

So here I am. Last night I turned right instead of left. Up the unknown hill.

And it was great!

*JFR = just f-ing run. Some running store in Austin, TX has started a movement called Just F-ing Run, and I love it. Read about it here.

What do you hope for in 2014? Running or otherwise

At this moment I am……

Sitting on our garage-sale loveseat, feet propped up, and feeling good after a 6.2 mile run this morning. I got to run with one of my favorite running buddies, Gordon, and we ended up setting a PR (for me) at that distance. 1 hour, 2 minutes, 45 seconds. 10:08 average. I can definitely tell it is winter in Maui – I ran in a short sleeved shirt, took no fuel, and only drank a few sips from my water bottle. As opposed to summer/fall running in Maui, where even a singlet feels too hot, salt & electrolytes are necessary, and dehydration is always around the corner as the sweat just pours out.

Full from hitting up the Whole Foods hot bar on my way home. Bacon, eggs, biscuit, gravy. Delicious.

Thinking about cleaning my house today. It needs it real bad. But the beach sounds like way more fun.



Also thinking about this wall hanging I saw at Pier One yesterday. I’d like to hang it in my studio.



Looking forward to the new year. The last two years have been doozies, and my heart is full of this feeling like we are rounding the corner into a new season. Which makes me very excited.

Feeling my stomach burn. And I don’t think it was the biscuit and gravy. I notice many times after I run longer, at a harder effort, my stomach burns/hurts for most of the rest of the day. I know our digestion slows as we run and blood/energy is diverted to other body parts needing it more, so maybe it has something to do with digestion starting up again? Or not eating the right thing (or soon enough) after running? I notice it feels better when I eat, but then after a bit it starts burning again. And it’s not a hunger pang. I don’t know. Does this happen to anyone else? Maybe the answer is bagels? Bagels solve many things.


Gearing up mentally to ‘train’ the next 6 weeks or so for the Maui Oceanfront 1/2 Marathon. And by train, I basically just mean get my mileage in. Since my races in October, I’ve been running when I feel like it – no schedule – and the only agenda being to push the pace and break out of the long/slow rut I found myself in. It has been awesome. I love just winging it. But I think it’s time to make sure I get 3 –4 runs in a week, till the 1/2.       I miss mileage.

What’s going on with you, at this moment?

Goats & Miles. But not miles of goats.

 

Last nights run was brief and beautiful.

2 miles.

Mile 1 – 10:10

Mile 2 – 9:42

I stopped a couple times to catch my breath because, whoa, my lungs are not with this sub 10:00 business yet. Too many previous miles spent in the 11:00 range, feeling all comfortable. But the lungs will come along eventually. That’s what I tell myself when I’m sucking air anyway.

 

Like I said…..beautiful.

 

Go ahead and hate me, if you are running in crazy-cold winter weather. I would hate me.

These goats don’t hate me though.

So this blogging thing………I’m going to try and stick with it this time. I’ll probably mostly write about running, but maybe with some other stuff thrown in too. I don’t have any particular goals for this blog…..I just wanna have a record of my runs and maybe meet some other runners along the way.