Vacation goals

These days, my head is a swirling jumble of reminders, to-do lists, and activities.  I'm trying to maintain a delicate balance between family, marriage, work, volunteer positions at church and school, friendships, my kids' blooming social calendars, and running.  Looking at that list, the rational side of my brain shouts at me to let something go.  Drop a commitment or two and feel liberated from the overburdened life.  But as I read through the list again and again, the only item I could realistically drop is running, and that isn't going to happen.  Running is the singular thing I do for myself most days (well, I shower and brush my teeth, too, but those are more for the greater good of those around me than for personal enjoyment).  Though it adds one more thing to my already full plate, running keeps me balanced and grounded and makes me better able to tackle the rest of the items on my docket.

Because running is not optional, I'm determined to log some miles while on vacation next week.  I'm looking forward to exploring a new area on foot - a statement I couldn't have made a month ago.  No longer burdened by new route phobia, I'm truly excited about running along unfamiliar terrain.  And the idea of cooling off in the pool post-run (and replenishing lost carbs with a beer or two) sounds absolutely delightful.  Perhaps I will give pool running another try, too.  While not my favorite form of cardio, it might be a fun way to change up my exercise habits and take advantage of vacation amenities not available to me at home.

Insert my sisters and me here.  Post-run recovery poolside; does life get any better?

I've never successfully run on vacation before, so this is a new challenge for me, but one that I look forward to tackling.  Are you a vacation runner?  What is your favorite aspect of running while on vacation?

Back in the Saddle

I ran for the first time today since July 3rd, and though it wasn't effortless and it certainly wasn't pretty, I am happy to be back.  We spent the last 10 days in sunny Florida where I did some pool running, but mentally and physically, I needed a complete break from road running.

During today's run, which had to be on the treadmill, my legs felt strained from underuse over the past several weeks, and I had to use every ounce of willpower to complete the miles I had planned.  (Full disclosure: a promise of post-run Cheetos and Diet Coke may also have helped motivate me to finish.)

While I appreciate my treadmill and all that it does for me, the hamster wheel concept rings true.

I think I will take a break from my running log for a bit.  I need to reconnect with my love of running and not feel encumbered by counting my weekly miles and studying my average heart rate.  As a self-declared nerd, I love analyzing those statistics, but for the moment, I think I need to run with my heart rather than my brain.  I'm looking forward to running my local outdoor routes this weekend.  How I have missed those roads!

Lake Running

I've read about pool running but have never had occasion to give it a try.  While spending the weekend at my parents' lake house, however, my mom and I tried running in the lake.  And boy was it a great workout!!

Sandy beaches and peaceful water at the lakes of Innsbrook.

We ran laps in waist-deep water.  Between the wind, the wake we created, and the sandy bottom that kept sucking our shoes, it was an intense 30 minutes.  I definitely got my heart rate elevated very quickly; it felt like a good hill workout.  After running our laps, we tread water for still more cardio work.  My mom is far superior at treading and did an interval of hands-free treading.  I, on the other hand, had to use my hands in order to stay above water.

All in all, it was a great workout and a nice deviation from my regular routine.  I hope to do more lake running throughout the summer!