Remembering

Yesterday's prompt for NaBloPoMo was:

Wordsworth called memory the "inward eye." Are your memories more sight-based, or do they concern sound, taste, touch, or smell? 

My memories are definitely more sight-based. For example, when I think back on this day 11 years ago, my memories are filled with sights. I remember seeing the trail around Lake of the Isles where I was running that morning. I  remember seeing the golden color of the tall weeds. I  remember seeing the blue skies.

I remember feeling how something just felt a bit off - not with anything related to my running, but just in general.

I can still see my apartment and my ragged old couch and the endless TV coverage. I can see the mostly empty bar at TGI Fridays where I was covering a shift, watching more endless coverage that night.

What's missing from all these memories are the sounds, the smells.

I wonder why that is. Do I not pay enough attention to these other senses? Do I focus too much on my sight? I wonder if memories can be shaped to include other senses.

What better way to try and test this than by planning a dream fitness vacation!

One of my bucket list life goals is to run a marathon or half on every continent besides Antarctica, so why not start with Australia?

I'd start my dream vacation off with a race. I'd arrive about a week beforehand to acclimate to the weather and do any finally tapering. I'd really focus on taking in the feel of the sweat on my skin, the smell of my surroundings hopefully not too much of the other runners, and the taste of the post-race food. Of course my eyes would be wide open to see the beauty of the course.

After the race, I'd spend a week relaxing at a yoga retreat. I figure this would be a great way to stretch and relax my muscles to aid in a healthy recovery.

Next up would be to the Red Centre, where I would hike through some of the national parks. Maybe go for a camel ride.

And to finish off this dream fitness vacation, I'd return to the coast to scuba dive in the
Great Barrier Reef.

Each day of this 4-week journey would be spectacular! In order to try to create memories that aren't just sight-based, I would keep a journal (or blog!) of daily impressions regarding the sounds, smells, tastes, touches of everything I experienced. Perhaps by recording specifics of these other senses, I could walk away from an amazing vacation with more than sight-based memories.

Now, if I could only get someone to sponsor me on this trip. :-)

Are your memories mostly sight-based? Have you ever tried to specifically enhance your memories of your other senses?
Would you like to accompany me on this fitness vacation?
What would your dream fitness vacation include?
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Writing Challenge Catch-up

I've gotten a little behind with Fitness Cheerleader's Writing Challenge, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to play a little catch-up.

How do you log your eating and/or workouts? I currently don't keep any kind of a food journal or log my eating anywhere. I would probably be a bit healthier if I did, and I may look into starting this soon. As for workouts, I log everything into DailyMile. I love it because there is so much support and encouragement!

How many pairs of workout shoes do you own? I own two pair, but I think this is the first time in my life that I've owned more than one pair. I got my second pair for unbelievably cheap. I generally only wear one pair; the second pair are specific trail running shoes, and I haven't really had much opportunity for trail running. Hopefully that will change this fall.

Do you workout with others or by yourself? Why? In general, I workout by myself. There was a time when my husband and I would go to the gym together, but we like doing differently things, so we didn't ever get into a real good system. When it comes to running, I prefer to run right from my door no driving or biking beforehand, and since I don't currently have the benefit of a running partner that lives close by...I mostly run by myself. When I lived in MN, I did enjoy going on group runs from time to time, and since I've been in Vegas, I've done one group run. I prefer running alone, but I do love an occasional partner or group. I love sinking into myself, listening to music, enjoying the beauty around me, but there are times when I equally enjoy the conversation and comradeship of running with others. Plus, I find I generally am able to run faster without realizing it when I'm out with a friend.

List your 5 favourite healthy living / fitness blogs.

• Livin the Fit Life - I believe a found her blog by entering a giveaway she was hosting. I won! I come back because I love her adventures and beautiful pictures. Some of her recent hikes make me downright jealous. Plus, I've had the pleasure of meeting her IRL. :-)
• Just a Normal Mom - Ally's blog isn't necessarily classified as a healthy living / fitness blog, but she does lead a very active life. She is funny and shares lots of great stories about lots of different things.
• Neon Blonde Runner - She's just cute as a button, and I love all the beautiful places she's run - mostly in the Richmond area. I find her incredibly inspiring - with her 2nd marathon being a sub-3:30 marathon, which was just one month after her 1st marathon! Amazing!!
• Gourmet Runner - She's another cutie from the South. Her posts crack me up! 'Nuff said.
• Sweet and Savory Sarah - She shares recipes and funny experiences from the gym and working out in general.

I've recently added a few more blogs to my reading list, but since they're so new, I'm still getting a feel for them.

Well, that catches me up on the writing challenge. Now, it's time for me to hit the hay. I've got a promising job interview tomorrow afternoon, and I want to get in some working-out time beforehand.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

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Sweat is GOOD!

I sweat to be strong.
I sweat to feel alive.
I sweat to tone and build muscle.

I sweat to love my reflection in the mirror. It may sound superficial, but it’s honest.
Sweating helps me feel good about myself – inside and out.
Wanting to look good and feel good is what keeps me sweating.

What inspires you to sweat? 

This post was written as an entry to win a ticket to #InspireLV12. This sounds like a fantastic weekend! If I win, I hope to see you there! You can register here.

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She's My Big Sister!

I've loved her since I was a wee little girl.

Christmas. 1978.

She's always there to give me a hug.

Beauty pageant. 1991.

To make me laugh.

Sending me off to college. 1995.

To say, "Congratulations!"

Cottey Graduation. 1997

MAT Graduation. 2012

She's always been there when I needed her. I can always count on her to encourage me, support me, inspire me.

Like with running though she'll insist that I'm the one who inspires her. We've trained together for 5Ks, Half Marathons, and even two marathons.

And today, she turned the big 4-0!

Now I live more than a thousand miles away, but she is always near in my heart. I love and miss her everyday!!

Hope you had a wonderful birthday!!

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A Whole Lot of Nothing

Well, I've had plenty of time and opportunity to write up a post today. I've been on such a good streak with publishing something everyday that I didn't want to miss.

But I'm just wasn't feeling it.

I suppose that means I shouldn't write anything. Is it better to have nothing than to have some rambling, whiny drivel? Um. Maybe don't answer that.

I guess it's been kind of a feel sorry for Clarinda day. I spent most of the day puttering aimlessly about the Internet. No real goal. No real desire. The other large part of the day was spent in anticipation of a phone call or email regarding the interview I had on Monday. I was told they'd get back to me by the end of the week. No word doesn't necessary mean bad word, right? Right?

I also really want to increase my blog readership as well as my following on Twitter and FB, but I'm not entirely sure how to do that. I guess I've been kind of wondering what I can do to make my blog stick out. It seems like there are a lot of running blogs out there. What makes me and my adventures worth reading?

Speaking of running, my return went really well last week. I feel like I'm really finding my groove again - and really enjoying getting out there! Unfortunately, I've been eating like shit. Mostly because we're living off barely stocked cupboards - which doesn't include much in the way of fresh (or canned) fruits and veggies.

Have I mentioned I need a job? Or at least some kind of income? *sigh* Other than a few running recaps, I feel like I've mostly been complaining about my being unemployed. Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer lately. I hate it, too.

The Fitness Cheerleader asked us about our favorite strength move. I don't really have one. As you probably know, I prefer cardio over strength training, so nothing really comes to mind as a favorite. Back when I had a gym membership, I do recall loving the V-Squat machine. I always felt strong and powerful using it.

All right. That's enough of that.

Tomorrow, I'm going for a 5-mile run and then to a doggie-friendly event at Springs Preserve. I've never been there before, and we're going with some friends and their pups, too. If you follow me on instagram (I'm enjoyingthecourse), I'm sure I'll be sharing some fun pics.

Here's to better a tomorrow!
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Labor Day Virtual Run(s)

I'm sure you've all been sitting on the edge of your seats awaiting my official recaps of the Labor Day Virtual Run(s).

After my run on Friday, I decided that I'd definitely be able to tackle the 10-mile option for this virtual run. I planned to run this Sunday morning. I was so excited, I could barely sleep the night before! With every toss and turn, I'd wake and wonder, Is it time to wake up and run yet? I can't remember the last time I was so excited to run!

I finally got up and out the door by 7:30am. I had planned out the route the night before. This would be the longest distance I'd run in Vegas, and I couldn't wait to try out a nearby trail. It took about 3 miles to run to the trail, and then I was on the trail for 4 miles two out, two back, and then the 3 miles back home. simple out and back route.

The first half of this run went quite fast! I think the traffic lights on the way to the trail helped - forcing me to pause and stretch and catch my breath. I ran part of the Arroyo Flamingo Trail. It was a nice trail along the Flamingo Wash.

Side note: If you don't know what a wash is, don't feel bad. I didn't until I moved out here. My first group run was at Pitman Wash; I thought it was just a name, but after then seeing lots of signs for other washes, I finally asked my husband, "What the heck is a wash, anyway?" "Oh, it's to help prevent flooding by providing a channel for the water." Huh. Interesting.

It was a nice, well maintained though not nearly as pretty as running along the Mississippi in MN trail, and I look forward to running it again. I was kind of surprised that there weren't any other runners out. It was a gorgeous morning.

The second half of the run was much more difficult! I had some equip failure why, always during a timed run/race?, and I ended up needing to walk quite a bit. By 58:00, my walking was getting out of control. I decided to reign it in by structuring it with 3:1 run/walk intervals. That really helped at lot!

After getting back home, doing some yoga and stretching, I logged my run into DailyMile. Despite my route planning the night before, I'd forgotten that this was a little short of 10 miles. I had planned on extending it a bit at the end as necessary, so after discovering that I hadn't, I went back out to finish the last .75 miles. Sallie got to join me for this last segment.

For those who like stats:

Even though it was tough there at the end, I really enjoyed this run!

I took a rest day on Monday. Well, a break of running. I did walk 5+ miles to get to/from a job interview.

Tuesday, I decided to re-do the 5-mile option. I was not nearly as excited about this run. In fact, I was not looking forward to it at all. The #runnerdphotoaday challenge was #inspiring, so I tried to keep that in mind as I ran. I ran basically the same route as the previous Friday, which meant I had to endure many of the same pedestrian bridges. I thought I'd changed it enough to avoid most of them, but well, I didn't.

The problem with this run was:

• My legs felt super heavy. 
• I had trouble breathing. 
• My right upper arm was chafing. 
• I developed a blister on my right heel. 

I tried to push through. If it hurts, run faster. It won't stop hurting, but you'll be done faster. I really did. I ended up walked quite a bit during the middle. It was tough to keep going. I just wanted to quit, but I was too far from home to stop early.

Finally, 5-miles arrived and I was right in front of my new favorite park!

One day I'd like to end my run here and do some yoga right there in the center of all the benches.
Not today, though. I've got to get back to stop at the office and request that the exterminator stop by our apt today.
But it's so beautiful!
But my blister HURTS!
But it's beautiful and peaceful and why not make ONE day be TODAY?

How could I argue with that? I thought about taking my shoes off, so I could feel the cool grass on my feet. I didn't. I knew that putting my shoes back on with the blister on my heel wouldn't go over so well. I didn't do much - only about 15 minutes, but it felt great.

If it weren't for the yoga in the park to finish this run, I'd definitely categorize this run as pretty awful. At least my pace was better.

During this run, I saw more runners out than I'd ever seen on this route. 6-8. Still not a lot, but it was still inspiring to see some other crazy folk out there!

Did you run the Labor Day Virtual Day with Mommy Run Fast?
Have you ever done yoga outside? Barefoot?
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Lovin' It!

Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
~Bob Marley

YES!

I love my life. I know I've been complaining a bit a lot about not having a job and the frustrations of trying to find one, but rationally, I know that it's just a minor blip. Things will work out. Despite those frustrations:

• I have a wonderfully supportive husband.
• I'm highly educated. While that sometimes hurts me while job hunting, it's something no one can ever take from me.
• I've had some terrific experiences - living in various regions of the US, traveling to the USVI and Costa Rica.
• I LIVE IN LAS VEGAS!
• I'm relatively healthy.
• I'm a certified Scuba diver.
• I've run (not raced) in MN, ND, MT, ID, WA, OR, CA, and NV. I really need to finish editing the other videos, so I can get them posted.
• I recently discovered this tiny little park that I love running past. Plus, I did some post-run yoga there the other day, and I think I'll definitely do it again. It's my new favorite place to exercise!

I think it's pretty obvious that I love my life!

I don't ever look back and see regrets but rather experiences. Everything I've done has led me to become the woman I am today - a woman I am very much proud to know.

Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
Where is your favorite place to workout?
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