Bit By the Bug Yet Again

Perhaps admitting I was in a funk was the cure to getting me out of the funk.  Or perhaps I just admitted I was in one on the tail end of it.  Regardless, no more than a week after admitting to my running friends that I was burned out, and likely taking 2012 off from any marathons, I found myself entering two lotteries....

Nike Women's Marathon

New York City Marathon

The way these things work, is that I'll either get in to both, and have to start selling my body to afford the trips (jk mom!  kinda...) or I'll get in to neither.  And I'm kind of ok with both options.  At the same time that I was being wreckless with my precious monies, I was starting to l-o-v-e running again.  In my second to last week of school of the sememester, I found myself caught up on projects, and even ahead of the game.  Combine that with Kyle being out of town for almost two weeks, and I have SO MUCH FREAKIN' TIME ON MY HANDS.  I've been contemplating doing double days just for funsies (and then I remember that I break... a lot, and put that idea on the back burner).

And as if on cue, my hip hurts this evening after penning this post this morning.  Go figure.  Perhaps some ice cream will cure it.  BRB rehabbing.

Running Mojo, Where Art Thou?

Monday night I headed home from work with a pocketful of motivation.  Don't ask me where this motivation came from, but I'll run with it.  Mission:  spring cleaning!  As you may have noticed from my hoarder nostalgic shoe post, I tend to hold on to things because they have a special meaning to me.  Guys, I must confess, almost everything has sentimental value to me.  It's ridiculous.  I'm a pack rat to the nth degree.  I've been reading The Happiness Project (which I *highly* recommend btw) and one of the portions was about how the author did a major overhaul on her stuff to toss/donate/etc.  I decided I would take on my apartment with this same approach.

I managed to make it through almost my entire bedroom (closet included!) before dwindling into a pile of exhaustion.  Some gems of my purging process are the following:  Life to Do List (generated in Stats class 10.22.05), Qualities (a list of 42 qualities that I would like a mate to have)*, as well as future children's names, meanings and origins (wtf Jerbear?).

Guess what Life List Goal is going to be knocked off the list May 16th?!?!?  You betcha. :)

After filling up two garbage bags of things to take to the Goodwill (and filling up my trash with things to toss) it was off to the gym for my easy 7 miler.  I grabbed a couple of magazines and read along while I plodded the miles away.  A chica next to me was running the same pace (roughly) so I just zoned in on our legs hitting the belt at the same time and our pony tails bouncing back and forth in unison (via the window's reflection).  The run was really nothing to write home about, which is a bummer because it seems like all of my runs lately have been awesome! fantastic! 5 gold stars! worthy.

I did the 7 miles in 1:06:28 for a pace of 9:30.

Tuesday I just could not bring myself to run.  I was tired and my body was all sorts of creaky/achy/painy.  I did up some yoga to loosen up the muscles and calm down the mind.  Small highlight:  I was able to hold crow's pose longer than I have ever been able to before!  Yay me.  But I was kind of freaking out:  Where the heck is my running mojo???

When I woke up Wednesday morning I clearly had the answer:  blech.  I'm sick.  No wonder my body is achy.  No wonder it's taking longer to recover from my runs than normal.  No wonder I don't feel like running.  My body is trying to use every extra ounce to get healthy.

*Yes, when compared to the infamous "list" N stacks up quite well.  His failing points:  #2 Lefthanded.  #5 plays guitar. #13 NOT a Vikings fan. #14 Preferably a Packers fan.  38 for 42 isn't *too* bad I guess. ;)

How do YOU stack up to "the list"?  That is...if you can read my crazy handwriting... :p