On the runway

I think the Airport 5K is officially my favorite race ever. When else could you run on an airport runway without getting arrested by homeland security? And we got some pretty sweet swag, including snacks, water, t-shirt and coupons for free stuff.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but after the longer runs I've been doing lately as part of my half-marathon training, 3.1 miles seemed to fly by. It was a fast race (no hills - score!) but I felt good the whole way. I think I was just happy to be at the airport, one of my favorite places.

I'm so much more relaxed now than I ever was during high school or college cross country. I'm definitely having more fun. And I think I might actually be getting faster too.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

Lyric of the moment: "This time baby I'll be bulletproof..." (I saw the music video today and La Roux's hair rocks. Very Flock of Seagulls).

The road less travelled

Sometimes I wonder what my future holds if it doesn't necessarily include marriage and most definitely doesn't include children. The answers I've come up with so far: A) My future can be whatever I want it to be and B) I'll find out when I get there.

I just want to keep reading and writing and running and laughing and learning and going new places and trying new things and meeting nice people and enjoying life. And breathing (very important).

Eric Baloney said my life will arch continually upward. I can only hope.

Sometimes every step feels effortless. Sometimes every step feels impossible. But I just keep going. And there is more awesomeness around every corner.

Maybe I will never know what I want to be when I grow up. But I'm starting to have an idea of who I want to be.

The best possible version of me.

Lyric of the moment: "And it's something quite peculiar. Something that's shimmering and white. Leads you here despite your destination. Under the milky way tonight..."

The many loves of some kind of robot

I love it when someone I haven't heard from in a while unexpectedly pops back into my life.

And I love how we just pick up as if no time has passed.

I love weird, random conversations with friends and strangers.

I love how something that seems bad can have the most delicious silver lining.

I love mornings and Fridays and other moments that are bursting with possibilities.

And I love Florida's Natural Au'some Fruit Nuggets. Best. Fruit snacks. Ever.

I love running. Because when it's good, it's fantastic, and even when it's bad, it's still good.

I love it when I hear the right song at exactly the right moment.

I love my thinking spot, on a castle wall across from the lake.

And I love Cobb's Hill in the morning.

I love those moments when I'm laughing so hard it hurts.

I love how some of the things I used to hate (change, mexican food, dresses), are now some of my most favorite things.

I love reading on the porch (or at a coffeehouse or in a hammock - I totally wish I had a hammock).

And I love how this ordinary robot has been given such an infinitely awesome life.

Lyric of the moment: "Life ain't nothin' (la la la la-aah) But a dream (la la la la-aah) Relives it (la la la la-aah) As it seems..."

A journey of 13.1 miles begins with a single step

So I went to the orientation and first group run of the half marathon training program this week. The people seem nice but I was a little nervous after the orientation. The head lady was talking about how we should get fitted for shoes designed for our individual running stride, how we should be wearing high-tech fabrics instead of cotton, how GPS watches help you keep on pace and how you should never share something called "Body Glide" with another person. It all sounded very expensive. Granted, the program is run by a running store, so I understand that they'd promote the things they sell. But one of the things I like about running is that it doesn't require any special gear. I can just throw on some shorts, a t-shirt and sports bra, grab my sneakers and go. I know that running longer distances requires some extra preparation and gear (water, gels or other workout fuel, etc.) but I've been running for 14 years and I've never been fitted for shoes or worn fancy GPS gadgets or tricked-out sports clothes. Maybe I will look into some of that, but my goal is to improve my endurance, not empty my wallet. I guess like everything else, I will listen to other people's advice and then do what works for me.

The first group workout was this morning. I'm in the 10:00 minute mile pace group (the groups range from (9:00 – 12:00 minute miles). You're supposed to run at a pace that feels easy so you can go farther and not get injured. I'm glad there are pace leaders because I can never tell how fast I'm going unless I'm on a treadmill. Today's workout was only 5 miles, and I felt really good afterward, like I could have gone farther, so I'm hoping that feeling continues. Tomorrow we'll get the list of workouts for the next week or two, so we'll see how that goes.

Lyric of the moment: “I get my loving on the run...”

And I am bursting at the seams of all my wildest dreams

I'm so happy it's summer (technically it's not officially summer yet, but it's headed in that direction). I love the sunshine and warm weather and getting to wear all my summer clothes. I feel like I'm practically bursting with excitement from all the things I want to do during the 3 months of the year when I'm not perpetually cold. I just want to spend time outside and go exploring and read and stay up late and have long conversations with interesting people and eat ice cream and frozen chai.

I hope that summer is full of more awesomeness than I can handle. I have sunscreen and I'm ready.

Lyric of the moment: "I'm a lot like you so please, hello, I'm here, I'm waiting. I think I'd be good for you and you'd be good for me..."

What better place than here? What better time than now?

For some reason, I signed up for a half marathon training program. It starts next week and will hopefully prepare me for the Rochester half marathon in September.

I thought of all the reasons I was afraid of running a half marathon...
*Less is more. Running 3 miles is good. 13 miles, not so much.
*What if it hurts?
*What if I get injured?
*What if I don't finish?
*What if I am the slowest person there?
*What if I am the fattest person there?
*What if I don't make any friends in the group?
*What if I have to wear spandex or one of those belts with the water bottles on it?
*What if I have to pee during the race? What if I have to pee like 10 times during the race?

No doubt, it is a risk. There is the definite potential for failure. That's why I decided to do it. Anyway, I already paid for the training program so it's too late to back out now.

On one hand, I could die (not very likely but people have died while running before). But on the other hand, if I can do this, I can do anything.

Sometimes you might wonder what you've gotten yourself into. And that's how you know you're in the right place.

Live through this and you won't look back.

Lyric of the moment: "I'll write you a postcard, I'll send you the news, From a house down the road from real love. Live through this, and you won't look back..."