thriving.

I feel that excitement that stems from limitless possibilities brimming under my every breath lately. It's coming out of my pores and steaming up my unvoiced thoughts. It's the culmination of inspiration, motivation, ambition, and desire. It's making a mess of my routine, and the more it messes everything up and demands more of my stretched out time and attention, the more of myself I want to give to it, the more I want to give into it. Life is full lately, which feels different than just busy, and I'm thriving in it.

A few updates on what's been going on...

+I've been running 2 miles and seeing a physical therapist due to inflamed lining around my right tibia. In my first PT session, a massage therapist said the tissue in the injured area feels like a speed bump. I'm hopeful for recovery and feeling fitter and healthier every day that I step on a track and focus on my 2 miles.
+Taking the GRE scares the hell out of me, but I'm going to do it anyway. I'm at a remedial math level, and fear of total and complete failure crippled me from committing to studying for way too long. Every time I learn a new concept or get a problem correct that I didn't come close to understanding the day or hour before, I feel like superwoman and a magician all in one.
+Freelance writing and editing fills an increasing amount of my free time, and I'll keep creating space for it until I reach my creative capacity. I have an ambitious goal of supporting myself through freelancing income while in grad school.
+Upcoming travels and adventures provide me with a healthy amount of daydream material. This weekend Zander and I will be eating s'mores under the stars, drinking wine out of Solo cups, and hiking from one swimming hole to another. In two weeks, we're driving to see the Canadian side of Niagara Falls for a long weekend. And in three weeks, I'll be lounging beach side with a good book, clinging to the last days of summer.

What's been going on with you? 

run 365 update | 10k training

I'm running my first ever race this Sunday. I'll be participating in the Capitol Hill Classic 10k, and I... am... nervous. To say the least. I haven't slept well all week, getting part excited and part butterflies about the next day's run. I've never "tapered" before. I don't know which night I should "carb load" - is it the night before the race, or is it two nights before the race? I have no clue what to eat the morning of the race. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I tend to not eat before my morning runs because I'm, no pun intended, running out the door. I'm nervous about finishing, too - namely, will I?! When there are no stoplights giving me built in mini-breaks, will I be able to run 6 miles? And there's this little nugget: I've never run 6 miles before. My training has taken me up to 5.1 miles. I've read that the endurance you've built in your training and adrenaline from the race get you through the last bit, but is that just a thing people say? And what will my time be? I have no clue what my race pace is for a 10k. I'm not even sure I have a goal besides finishing. Actually, I take that back. I do have a goal. Just one: I want to dance across the finish line.

Training 
I've averaged 3-4 runs/week since the beginning of March January (but took most of Feb. off because of travel). My fastest run came in at 9:23 minutes/mile on a 4.5 mile run. The running app I use, RunKeeper, must have had a glitch, because that run was chock full of hills, and I've never run that fast. Or maybe it was a great day? A more normal average for me is around 11:00 minute miles, as you can see from the screenshot of my run yesterday.

Hills 
I enjoy running rolling hills. I just laughed out loud typing that it's so crazy for me to say. Moving to Cleveland Park in February changed my running forever. It's a far hillier neighborhood than any I've ever lived. No matter which route or direction I take, my biggest choice is whether I want to run uphill first or last. I read or heard somewhere or other recently, "Uphill takes more than downhill gives." I don't know about that? There are some downhills that give a lot.

Get out of the run and into your head, self
I like to tell myself to get out of my run and get into my head. Physically I am capable (I tell myself), but mentally it's a whole other game. My best runs are when I get so distracted I actually laugh or tear up because I'm so invested in my thoughts. I read a tip from one runner to jot down things about which to think on your run on your hand. I might try that.

New kicks
I started having pain on the outside of my right leg after 3+ mile runs bad enough that I'd limp when I stopped running. I went to PR Running in Cleveland Park, and within minutes of analyzing my feet on their high-tech machines, and looking at my shoes, the expert working with me said, "You shouldn't be running in these." He pointed at the outside of my right leg and asked, "Are you experiencing pain here?" It blew my mind. Since getting new shoes, I have not had pain again in that area, but unfortunately have been experiencing pain on the inside of my right leg above my ankle...

No pain no gain?
I did some internet sleuthing, and it sounds like I may be struggling with Posterior Shin Splints. Causes listed: flat feet. Yeppp, that's me! (And I learned at PR that my right foot is flatter than my left, which makes sense why the pain is only in that leg.) It makes me (even more) nervous for my race this weekend, but I'm going to rest for the next few days and ice it. After the race, I need to look into arch supports, I guess... (grumble). 

So... 
I'm proud that I broke my 3 mile wall, and I'm really excited to dance across that finish line!

I made it a goal to run 365 miles in 2013
 run 365