Irene

I've had a crazy couple weeks between vacation, travel, a hurricane, and a subsequent power outage, and I really haven't been out on the road much. I was finally able to get out last weekend for a nice 15 mile run and was shocked by some of the devastation left behind by Hurricane Irene. I had a tree come down in my yard but - thankfully - it did not hit my house and didn't cause any lasting damage. Several homes I saw on my run did not fare as well. I took this photo at about mile 11 when I was starting to tire. Then I saw this. The backyard was basically cleared of all its trees and the residents were hard at work clearing the debris. It definitely shifted my perspective and instead of feeling tired on the last 4 miles of my run, I felt grateful.

Beach Run

I'm on vacation at the beach this week, and this morning I went for a nice, slow 4 mile jog. The run was punctuated by the sound of waves crashing, the smell of salt, and the feel of sand under my shoes. Pretty much perfect.

Of the Same Mind

Just a few hours after I posted my last entry, I had someone come to my house for a Freecycle pickup. This guy wanted the DirecTV dish that came with my house when I bought it - and which I've never used - and had come to deinstall it and take it home.

He noticed the 26.2 and Tri stickers on the back of my car and asked me what races I'd done. Turns out his wife is an endurance athlete too, and has done a bunch of tris and marathons but in the last few years has gotten in to ultra marathons. She now regularly does 50- and 100-milers. (Side note - I am in AWE of people who do ultras.) We started talking about why she's chosen running over tris. Number one reason? Too much gear involved in biking. I'm pretty sure she and I would be friends if we ever met! :)

The Simplicity of Running

One of the reasons I love running is that it's an easy-entry sport in terms of equipment you need. This is actually one of the main reasons I started running a decade or so ago. I didn't need to invest a lot in a bunch of stuff, and I could practice my sport anywhere. All running really requires is a good pair of shoes and some decent clothing (which is becoming much more accessible and a whole lot cheaper with good options available at Target, Kohl's, and even places like TJ Maxx and Marshall's).

I did my first triathlon last year and was overwhelmed with all the gear I had to get for my bike: The bike itself (which was not cheap even though I bought a pretty unsophisticated ride), helmet, pedals since the ones that came on my bike weren't good for racing, water bottle cage and bottles, frame pump, floor pump, an 'emergency kit' in case of a flat, a bike rack, and a lock. Phew - I'm exhausted just from typing that list! And I'm still not done - now that I'm getting a little more serious about riding, I need to upgrade my handlebars and my pedals (again) and get new shoes. With running I don't really think about the equipment. I get new shoes every 200-250 miles and buy the occasional new pair of socks or shorts or a shirt (though now that most races give technical shirts as premiums, I hardly ever buy one outside of a race).

Running is simple - from the gear to the actual act of doing it - and simple, to me, is good.

Photo: My neat little gear pile in the gym locker room

A True Inspiration

I was just reading about Diana Nyad's attempt to swim from Cuba to Florida. That's 103 miles! And she's 61! She had to abandon her efforts after 29 hours in the water but I am still in awe.

When I was reading about her today a few things stood out to me:

1) her training - it consisted of 10-15 hour swims, 100 mile bike rides, and insane amounts of strnegth training

2) her mental confidence - she thought she could do it. I firmly believe that having the right attiude when facing an endurance event is just as important as being physically prepared for it

3) her attitude when she had to come out of the water - did she cry or lament the face that she didn't complete her goal? Nope. She simply said, "I am not sad. It was absolutely the right call."

Color me impressed, amazed, inspired.

This Old Tree

I run by this old tree almost every weekend. I am amazed that, as hot as it's been lately, it manages to stay green and lush. Strength and beauty under difficult conditions? I think there's something I can learn here.

Secret Stash

Before a long run, I set water and Gatorade out at various intervals along my route. But I'm always terrified that someone is going to drink, steal or, um, sully my supply. So I stash the bottles as far from view as possible. The only problem? Sometimes I hide them so well I lose them. Luckily that wasn't the case on this particular run.

Gone Fishing

I took this photo one Sunday morning. I had reached the halfway point of my run and had turned around to head back home. The view of the early morning fishermen is so serene and peaceful to me. I'd like to think that fishing is to them what running is to me.

Scene from a Run

"So what is it that you do when you're out there running?" I get this question a lot when I tell people that I'm a runner. Most people understand the 3-mile, I'm-doing-this-just-to-keep-in-shape run, but for many, marathon running is anathema. First, the fact that I get up at the crack of dawn (literally) most weekend mornings to run is something that a lot of people find--at best--fascinating and, at worst, ridiculous. Second, I run alone. I know a lot of people who have running groups or friends that they train with, but I've always preferred the solo run. I've done group training (thank you, Team in Training for getting me through 3 marathons!) and it can be great. But for me, the solitary run is something I really look forward to.

So what do I do out there? Well, my weekday schedule is busy, often bordering on chaotic, so I really value the time alone to think. Sometimes I think about work, sometimes I think about the next big project I want to tackle at home, or about my family, or what the rest of my weekend will bring, or "Lordy, I am never going to make it up this hill!" I also pay a lot of attention to my surroundings--what's in bloom, what animals are out and about, what's different from the last time I ran that route.

I decided to start this blog not really to offer profound thoughts (for all my thinking I don't have many of those when I'm on the road), but to have a place to document my running. It's something that's really important to me and something I spend a lot of time doing, so I thought it deserved some space. I'm especially excited to share some of the photos that I take when I'm out there. (Thus, the title Scene from a Run.) Since I started running with my iPhone about a year ago (both for safety reasons and for music), I find myself taking a lot of really cool pictures--which then sit on my phone unshared.

Also? The next time someone asks me what I do when I run, I can look back on what I've posted here and have a better response than, "Um, you know, I don't know, I, like, run, I guess."