Finding Prevalence (Project Pretty Week 8)

(Project pretty is a personal commitment to share my weekly journey of keeping my non-New-Year's-Resolution: staying fit to improve quality of life while inspiring others to do the same. Let's all jump on the endorphin wagon!)

No matter how active I stay during vacation, my rhythm never fails to be interrupted by the time I get home. Piles of laundry to be washed and hours of work to be done always puts a halt on my pending anti-climatic workouts when compared to the euphoric endorphin rushes I get from being somewhere else.
This week my goal was to push through the "I don't wanna" mentality. So how did I manage?

1. I rekindled my peace, composing my inner self at yoga. And it was hard. My upper body had no idea what hit it. 

2. I hit the gym after work for some low impact cardio and weight machines while everyone else was sleeping or headed to their day job. 

3. I got outside to experience a new running trail, soak up some vitamin D, and get a grip on my body's ability to handle the almighty Long Run. I was a little worried about finishing, since it would be my first run in 2 weeks and I was increasing my distance by 2 miles, but prevail I did.

Luckily the weather was absolutely perfect, and I was able to simmer down Patrick's ego long enough to convince him to ride his bike next to me for company and encouragement......and to fill up my tiny running water bottle, throw my trash away, and take pictures. Both his presence and energy fed into my confidence to stay strong. 

 

White Rock Lake Trail was just as busy as I expected it to be on a beautiful mid-Sunday, flooded with bikers, runners, and dog walkers galore. Was it a peaceful run? Nope. But that's not what I needed.

 Race environments aren't peaceful; they're filled with activity, people watching, energy in motion, distractions for my mind, and that's exactly what this trail provided, along with a great scenery which was much appreciated.....and a few police sirens. I've come a long way in my ability to run alone outside, but at this point in my training serenity is still for short runs.

Whatever it was about the day that worked so well, it felt amazing (evidenced by comparing my usual average pace with this run's average pace)........minus the terrible side stitches I managed to obtain once per mile at miles 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 (which is blatantly obvious in the red), and the terrible blisters I managed to acquire. 

Next time I think I'll skip the oatmeal, and wear my new fancy $15 pair of running socks I splurged on. Process of elimination, right?

What do you eat before a long run? Do you wear fancy socks or whatever you can find?