3 Things Thursday

1. Humbled... I really enjoyed the stories y'all shared with me earlier this week about being humbled. As always, I just can't say enough how much I appreciate your continued support through all of this. You guys are the best!
   
   
2. Illinois Bound... Tomorrow I'm headed southwest to visit my cousins and have a much needed girls night out. I see lots of dancing in my immediate future, dance floor be warned.
   
   
3. MIAMI... But what I'm even more excited about for this weekend is the Miami Marathon!!! My Boo, members of my beloved BRA, Jess, Greg, and the other Greg are all headed south to get their run on and I am so freaking excited for them I can hardly stand it. I made B.o.B promise me she'd get someone, anyone to text me her finish time as I will be en route home from my cousins and therefore unable to track her on the website. I hope everyone Miami-bound has a great race this weekend! Don't forget, when the going gets tough, take a moment to remember how awesome you are and keep on, keeping on!!!
   

Humbled.

Today I ran two miles. Two entire miles, without stopping. These mileage milestones bring a smile to my face each and every time they happen, and that smile stays with me for each run after until it's time to up the mileage; then it gets bigger and brighter all over again.

.25 M walk / 2 M RUN! / .25 M walk

Lately I've been thinking about how when I first started this blog I was just getting in to running, or rather, running long distances. The first ten months I spent writing this blog were full of mileage milestones; starting with me having just run my first 10 miler to topping out with my first 26.2. So much excitement, anticipation, frustration, etc. were poured into those moments and here we are almost three years later, full circle and building up in the miles again, only this time from scratch.

For months and months I dreamed of being able to run again and I can honestly say that it feels just as good to be back at it as I thought it would. Yes, some days it is hard. Yes, I am slower. Yes, I have a long way to go before I am back to the kind of runner I was before. But you know what? I'm not discouraged and I don't feel like I'm missing anything. There is something to be said about experience and this time as I build up the miles, I know what I need to do so that I don't find myself sidelined again. That desire to not be injured again, more than any temptation to go faster or farther, rules my return to running right now. I'm sure at some point down the road I will find myself wanting more but right now I'm ok with being slow(er) and mileage challenged. Furthermore, not having any pressure from training for a distance event allows me to enjoy every step, every moment I'm out there doing what I love, even two short miles, and that more than anything else makes it all worthwhile.

Injury, and returning from an injury, are humbling experiences and this redhead has been sufficiently humbled.

When was the last time you felt humbled and what was it that caused you to be?

11 Randoms

Marlene tagged me for "11 Randoms" - The rules (copied verbatim):

1. Post these rules
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 Random Things about Me:

• I have very vivid dreams that I can usually recall in full detail.
• I love wearing really ugly, fluffy socks in the winter.
• I took prenatal vitamins for years because they made my hair and nails look so awesome, but it was kinda weird explaining that to people...
• I lust over a Dyson. I think Spike is more threatened by that than my lust of 'Raylan Givens'
  
• I hate that I can never make scarf's look awesome on me.
• My swearing has gotten worse since working with mostly men. It's really effing ridiculous.
• I realized recently that I don't actually miss Florida as much as I used to. GASP!
• In general, I think my ankles and knees look weird.
• I have Siri envy and can't wait to upgrade my phone.
• Sometimes I like to just stop everything I'm doing, look over the pics of family and friends I have on my wall at work, and smile over how lucky I am to have all of these people in my life.
• If there were a legitimate medication to take to hinder ones ability to cry I would take it on my wedding day because I know I'm going to be a blubbering mess.
  
  
  

Questions from Marlene:

1. What is your favorite pair of non-running shoes? - Either pair of my boots.
   
2. What are you wearing right now? - Lots of layers! It's freezing out!
   
3. What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery? - Pay off my student loans!
   
4. Are you named after anyone/anything? - Not that I'm aware of.
   
5. What is worse – being too cold, or being too hot? - This is tough I've been both and neither are very fun. Being too hot makes me sick and being too cold is painful!
   
6. What is hanging on your walls at home? - Various paintings.
   
7. What is the last thing that you took a picture of? - This:
   
   
   
8. Who is the last person you spoke to on the phone? - My good friend Rach down in Florida.
   
9. Where did you go on vacation as a child? - When I was 10 I won a trip to Florida and we went a few mores times after that but one year we went "up north" to northern Michigan and I was pissed about it. I was also 14 and hated everyone/everything.
   
10. What is your favorite TV show? - The Walking Dead!!! ZOMBIES!!!
    
11. How many pieces of jewelry do you wear regularly? - Six; earrings (4), necklace, engagement ring. Every now and then I throw on a bracelet if I'm going out.
    

Tag, you're it!
(First 11 people to comment on my last post, skipping those that were already tagged by Marlene)

• Shannon
  
• Rose
• Holly
• Chris
• Running Ricig
• Ali Mc
• Adam
• Lazy Runner (Yes I know, I owe you a LR story!)
  
• Lauren
  
• Brent
• Kandi
  
  

My Questions for the Tagged:

1. What is the last thing you took a picture of? (I'm keeping this one, could be interesting.)
2. What finally made you decide to write your blog?
   
3. If you had to listen to one song on repeat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
4. What's one item on your 'bucket list'?
5. If you could be on any TV show, which would it be?
6. If you could start your own race, what distance would it be?
7. What would you name said race?
8. If you were forced to eat like something other than how you eat now, which would you choose? (Vegetarian, Vegan, Paleo, Pescetarian, Kosher, Cannibal, etc...)
9. If you could rid the world of one social application, which would it be?
10. If you could choose just one person to train with for a training cycle who would it be?
11. If you were a guest at our wedding what would you bring as a gift based on what you know about Spike and I? (Ha ha, this could get very interesting...)
    

TGIF PEEPS!

3 Things Thursday

1. Not a Spin Bike... So for the last year+ I've been leaving comments in the suggestion box at my gym about how desperately a spin bike (and row machine) is needed. Well you can imagine my excitement when they announced on their FB page that they just got in "new spin bikes." I arrived at the gym Tuesday to find two of these:
   
   
   
   
   This is not a spin bike.
   
   

   

   For reference, this is.
   
   

   I still managed to break my lady parts all the same but I repeat, the bike in the first picture is NOT a spin bike!
   
   
   
2. Running, Running, and Running, Running... Another week of running is just about in the books and I have to say, the novelty has still not worn off. Slowly but surely I am starting to feel more and more comfortable out there. The other day a friend asked me if I was jealous of Spike training for a Spring marathon and I didn't even blink before responding, "Absolutely NOT! I am so happy for him and quite frankly, a marathon is so far out of my realm and capacity I don't even think twice about it. I'm just happy to be out there running what I can!"
   
   
3. Writer's Block... I feel like a bad blogger lately, I haven't had much to say and you can tell with my lack of posting anything other than a "3 Things Thursday." There's just so much you can say about running a mile or so, mostly on a track. Next month will offer far more excitement around here because B.o.B is coming for a visit and I'll be tackling my first real attempt at a 5k in over a year.
   
   Anyone else short on content these days?
   

3 Things Thursday

1. I'll Take Boring for 200 Please... It's official folks, Spike is trying to change me. How exactly is he trying to change me you ask? He's trying to make me love obnoxiously bright running gear. He thinks I haven't noticed that the stuff he's so lovingly bought for me lately has started trending brighter but today he took it a touch to far and came home with these from the Playmakers annual sidewalk sale:
   
   
   
   He claims he couldn't decide which pair I would like best.
   

   
   

   He said I could return whichever pair I didn't want, but suggested I really think about it first. Then he showed me the pair he bought for himself, the loudest pair of bright orange running shoes I have ever seen.
   
   

   I WILL NOT BE CHANGED! I AM NOT A FLASHY SHOES TYPE OF GIRL THANKYOUVERYMUCH. (Unless they are pink. Then I'd be all over them.)
   
   
   
2. Olympic Trials... How excited are you guys for this?!?!? We will definitely be cheering for our Mitten favorite, Desi! Did I ever tell you guys about the time Spike got to congratulate her on her Boston second place finish last year because she was on the same flight home as us?!?!?
   
   
3. Bumping Up... Today is my last one miler before I bump up to 1.5 miles! The last lap is no longer kicking my butt, which means I'm ready to move it on up. I've decided to continue bumping up every two weeks until I hit three miles, after which I'll bump up every week as my doctor prescribed. I really want to ease in to my return for my own piece of mind, despite the doctor's assurance. I guess you could say I'm feeling a bit gun shy, but let's be honest, wouldn't you?