Top Ten

I have a love/hate relationship with recovery weeks. My legs love the time to rest and feel so much better the next week....but, it is a little bit boring and feels unproductive. Don't get me wrong, I know that it is important and, in the end, makes me a faster runner (not to mention reduces the risk of injury). But...the thought of running my 4 easy miles this afternoon is not enough to get me excited. Ergo...my decision to start incorporating a little extra cross training into the routine. I LOVE running but my body is saying that I need to start adding some more core and upper body strengthening into the mix. I am pretty excited to share about how that path goes, but I am a little nervous about not being able to move my arms tomorrow (I have a tendency to go to hard and make myself super sore-competitive much?).

Not much in the way of excitement last night. AMAZING dinner of pork chops and quinoa with spinach, bell pepper and onion mixed in. So good and it got Ken's stamp of approval ;-)

Soooo....I thought I would do something a little fun and different.

The Top Ten Reasons Running is AWESOME:

At least to me

10. The super attractive, sexy attire. Okay, that was meant to be a little sarcastic. Sure, in the summer it is possible to look cute when running (and sometimes I luck into that). But during the winter in Colorado, it is all about survival mode! Fourteen layers later and you look like you weigh 50 pounds more than you actually do. Yes, I know that technology is amazing and I have some fabulous Pearl Izumi winter tights...but have you tried running in -8 degrees with wind? Not to mention the face mask. I am pretty sure I scared some people with my outfits. But guess what?! I was still out there running and it was great!

9. The food. I LOVE to eat. That is just a fact. Now, I am not talking gross fast food, yucky processed garbage. No thank you. But, homemade bagels and bread and steak and tacos and (good for you) cookies and muffins.....oh my, I just drooled on my keyboard. Oops. And if I need to eat a little extra to recover from a 1300+ calorie workout, I have no problem doing that  ;-)

8. Fitting in my jeans. First off, I do NOT run to be skinny. I run to stay healthy! If I ran to be skinny, that would be silly (seeing as I have gained about 5 pounds as of late). But...running keeps my muscles toned and lean and my clothes just fit better. 

7. Being outdoors. I am NOT a treadmill runner. I live in a state that has a real winter. Cold, ice, snow...the works. And you know what? The only time I ran on a treadmill was when I went to Chicago for a conference and was a little sketched out by the surroundings and didn't want to run outside by myself. I LOVE being outdoors and experiencing the awesomeness of my surroundings! Whether it is trail running or on concrete trails (love Colorado) it is just great to be outside!

I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to run outside here: (and yes, I am excited for warmer weather!)

6. Alone time. The world is a crazy, hectic, noisy place. I love my friends and family and my husband (very much, hehe) but sometimes it is awesome to just out and pray and think and be by myself-or with Jasper, but he doesn't count (see: he can't respond when I am crazily talking to myself out loud-and he doesn't judge). Note: I only run with music about 1% of the time I run, so I get a lot of quiet.

On the flip side (and because I have run out of numbers)-it is super fun to run with friends or in a group too! So many options with running!!

5. My Garmin. I may have a little obsession with this device:

I literally want to run because I am excited to see my data. There is nothing wrong with that, right? I have not run without it since I got it (maybe a little unhealthy). It is total sweetness. Last summer I had NO IDEA how far I was running, now I can tell you how far and what my pace is and everything! It makes me happy :-D

4. Quality time with this guy: (how I love that face!)

Please take me running!!!

3. Stess relief. Some people are able to hit up yoga or journal or meditate. Not this girl! When I have a rough day, the first thing I want to do is grab my running shoes and hit the pavement. There is just nothing quite like the rush of pounding my feet into the ground and covering miles when the rest of my world seems to be spinning in 30 different directions (except maybe downing a half gallon of Cookies and Cream ice cream).

2. Goals/Racing. Up until this year I have never really set goals with my running. I decided to go big and attempt the Rock and Roll Denver Marathon in October. Say what? The longest I had run when I decided to do this was about 8 miles. I may be a little nuts, but that is besides the point. In the course of this year I will run a 5k, a 7k (done!), a 10k, a half marathon and a FULL MARATHON. I am super stoked on this year!

One of the greatest parts of running is going from the PAIN (oh yeah, it hurts!) of training:

Oops-that's not me!

To the utter joy of finishing a race:

 

Awesomeness!

1. Confidence. Running makes me feel GREAT. Physically, mentally, emotionally! LOVE IT!!

Plus, seeing as Ken is a super ridiculous cyclist....

running gives me something to do while he is out training. It is a win/win!

Love your workout today!! No matter what you choose to do :-)