I love to find words of inspiration, words that describe my running, or words that coincide with my philosophy of running. John Landy said, “Running gave me discipline and self-expression…It has all the disappointments, frustrations, lack of success and unexpected success, which reproduce themselves in the bigger play of life. It teaches you the importance of being enthusiastic, dedicated, focused.” I loved that quote so much when I read it last year that I copied it down and stuck it on my desk at work. Of course, it got buried beneath an avalanche of other paperwork, but I found it again. It screams an urgent need to share the act of running, so others can learn and grow from the art.

Of course, people around the world have been harping on the need for the youth to gain discipline since antiquity. Running can bring self-discipline and self-control. People are also hungry for self-expression, though. Running gives both. Steve Prefontaine said, “A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding.” People run in all kinds ways and for all types of purposes. The search for the answer to the question “why?” challenges runners to express themselves. Time alone on the run and time running with others is time for introspection and expression. It is such a great way to interact with the world.

I love how Landy also recognized the parallels between running and life in the second sentence. Anyone who has ever raced at any level from the beginner 5k to the Olympics knows that sometimes there are unexpected failures and sometimes there are unexpected personal bests. This happens in running and it happens in school and it happens in parenting: it happens in every facet of life. The runner is able to recognize this fact. Set-backs are no fun, but veteran runners recognize them as part of the process.  They are easier to swallow if one remembers that there are often unexpected and undeserved joys coming, too. I love the window into life provided by running.

Finally, Landy’s recognition of the need to be enthusiastic, dedicated, and focused is a challenge to all of us. If everyone approached life with these three attributes, we would be more successful. If we could develop these traits in all of our kids, the future would be infinitely more promising. That’s why I’m calling on all runners to strive to be more enthusiastic, not only about running but about life. If you’re not enthusiastic about what you’re doing, why are you doing it? I know there are things (tax day is coming) that no one is excited about. Can you think of something positive about it? Is there anything your tax money supports that you love? Can that thought make paying taxes something that is more positive? Be dedicated to whatever is important to you. Avoid commitments to things that don’t matter. Focus on the moment and what you are accomplishing. Only by focusing on the present can we affect the future.

Finally, share this passion with others. I love to see new runners joining our sport. I know they can gain the discipline and self-expression that Landy is talking about. Running can help them deal with life better. I’m so excited to talk to new runners. Many of my colleagues have recently challenged themselves to run or to run a new distance. I love to see them joining and being active in the running community. Talk to a new runner who just ran his first mile or her first 10-miler. You’ll feel their enthusiasm, dedication, and passion. I’m challenging you to spread the joys of running to at least one new person today. Encourage them to start running. If they are already a runner, plant the seed about a new race or a new distance. Let’s spread the passion and joys of our sport.

Monday: 5
Tuesday:9 w/ 10 X 400 at 1:24 and 400 meters recovery
Wednesday: 6 am/6 pm
Thursday: 6 a.m.
Friday: 7
Saturday: Hilly 23 (meant to do 21.5 but took a wrong turn)
Sunday: Rest

Totals for the Week: 62
Totals for the Year: 473

Underbutt.  Buthigh.  DoubleButt.  Whatever you don’t want to name it, it’s still there, lurking beneath the normal (and somewhat seasonally accentuated) bootie, lending itself to a whole host of terms better left in urbandictionary.com.  Instead, Underbutt has combined forces with Muffintop and Badonka-donk to wreak havoc on my once graceful running form, my shorts tugged northward with every stride, creating another list of terms I’d rather not associate with myself on the treadmill at work (see:  hungry butt, wedgie).

One of the unfortunate side-effects of winter weight is how ill-fitting your previous season’s running clothes are.  The shorts that do fit seem a lot shorter than they were half a year ago and your thighs are a whole lot closer than they were before Christmas.  Ah how the holidays bring us together.  It’s this time of year that I start to get the question, “What running clothes do you recommend for springtime thigh?”  My answer, inevitably, is The Running Skirt.

Those of you who know of the running skirt, probably love it.  Those who haven’t tried, may be curious but find themselves balking at the idea of looking like a fashion jogger, not being taken serious, or that they’re just for show, not for performance.  But here’s the secret of running in a skirt:  Each piece comes with an attached spandex short liner that is perfect to hide, tuck, and hold those wayward thighs in place.   You’re free to stop tugging at your shorts and worrying about your extra bounce-to-the-ounce and focus on getting healthy and loving that sunshine.

I have now test-run every skirt in Gazelle Sports, and am here to report about the good, the bad, and the wedgie.  From best to least impressive, here’s a run-down on run skirts:

Skirt Sport:

1. Gym Girl Ultra Skort – In my notes, the first word I have next to this skirt is FABULOUS!  The skirt easily covers the 4 inch liner shorts, and moves easily with you, without ever creeping out of place.  Wow!  After running a few laps in front of the store, it was difficult to convince myself not to wear this skirt for the rest of my shift.  There are two non-zippered pockets on the outer thigh of each leg of the liner, a perfect size for Gu, your Ipod nano, or even a non-gigantism-inflicted cell phone.  There’s even a reinforced hole in the waistband to string through your headphones.  You can also get the printed version from the Kendall collection. Definitely my new favorite!
2. Marathon Girl Skort – If I were at my fighting weight (and as you may have garnered from this post, I am definitively NOT) then the Marathon Girl Skort would definitely be a close 2nd place in my line-up.  The skirt is 12 inches in front, longer in back, with plenty coverage to not be flashin’ any cheek while you’re throwing down on your PR.  There’s a zippered pocket in back for your race essentials.  The liner is a flatteringly cut girl brief that stays in place and doesn’t give panty lines (or, shudder, underbutt).  Not your chafe-free Spring style, but if you’ve been consistent in your winter running, definitely give this girl a go!

Nike:

1. Nike Dri-fit Running Skirt – Not for the cautious, this tiny skirt with splits up the side barely covers the two-inch liner underneathe, and certainly not my seasonal curves.  I was a little shy pacing up and down the sidewalk in front of our store trying this one out, but aside from a bit of embarrassment, I have to admit this skirt certainly performed.  In the waning weeks of marathon training, the little liner would definitely fit well; it sat comfortably and didn’t ride, despite the fact that the liner was quite ill-matched with my body type.  There’s a zippered pocket at the small of the back, as well as reflective piping.

New Balance

1. RFTC (Race For the Cure) Bonita skirt – This skirt is a little on the shorter side, but still provides decent cheek coverage.  The liner is tighter and more form-fitting that the regular Bonita Skirt, and moves well without creeping.  The liner is white, which would probably deter me, but I’m not the most fastidious at laundry.  There’s a fold-over pocket on the outer thigh of one leg of the liner.  Decent skirt, great for a 5k, not my choice for a marathon.
2. Sprint Skort – This shorter skirt was not my favorite of the New Balance selections.  The shorts were a little looser, and tended to ride.  However, it wins the storage competition with two zippered pockets on the sides of the skirt, as well as reflective piping on each side.

Saucony

1. Go Girl Run Skort – This skirt by Saucony follows their Beach Run design, with a funky almost art-deco pattern.  The liner is nice and long, with a little sticky band around the inner bottom of each leg, keeping the liner quite firmly in place.  The only reason this skirt didn’t make it higher in the voting is because it had little storage (one buttoned pocket on the skirt), no reflective piping, the waist band is a little high and thick for my liking, and the skirt tended to get really static-y while I was walking around, causing a flurry of tugging and skirt-smoothing while showing it off to my co-workers.  Don’t let this deter you; I have a feeling that once you get a little sweat on this girl, things should sort themselves out and stay down where they belong.

Brooks

1. Motion Skort – This skort is a seasonal repeat for Brooks, and must have better reception elsewhere than it did with me.  I took a few laps around the store and had to pick the liner out of my butt twice; methinks this could be a hassle on a longer run.  I do, however, think it would be fantastic for biking, and plan to add it to my wardrobe of classy summer biking apparel.
2. Mesh Skort – Another annual repeat, the Brooks Mesh skort comes in an array of colors with reflective piping and a zippered back pocket.  This skirt was way too short for my liking and spent the entire time I ran in it trying to hold and pry it into place.  Geh.

Now, keep in mind that these reviews are personal preference only.  Picking your running clothes is like picking your shoes.  What works for one body type may fit horribly on another.  My least favorite, butt-clinging skirt could be your new favorite race outfit.  Just try a few out, run around, and see what works for you.  Happy Spring running, ladies!

What would you do for a Klondike Bar? That was the old jingle that kept going through my head this morning on the run. No, I wasn’t craving ice cream at 5:30 in the morning (although that wouldn’t surprise people who know me). I was thinking about the lengths I go to fit my runs into my daily schedule. I regularly wake up at 5:00 a.m., and I’ve gone for runs at 10:30 p.m. I’ve run in every sort of weather. Now that I have kids, I draw the line at lightning storms, but I’ve run in 25 m.p.h. winds, snow, sleet, heat, etc. I live the USPS creed better than they do.
At first, I ran in all kinds of weather because I needed the stress relief. Stressful days come regardless of the season or precipitation, so I would head outside. As I ran in a blinding rain, I realized that it made it even easier to forget the trials and tribulations of the day. All my stress and anger would be forgotten by focusing on the storm. It was also fun to think that I was the only person tough (or foolish) enough to be out in this slop.
That morphed into a feeling of pride that the weather couldn’t stop me. It was (and still is) fun to see people’s incredulous looks when they hear that I was running at 5 or through the blizzard that closed all the local schools. Long-time runners know that there is no bad weather only inadequate gear, but non-runners are easily impressed by running in 35 degree monsoon. I also realized that races are run in all kinds of weather, at least in Michigan they are (sorry Myrtle Beach marathoners), so I had better train in all kinds of weather.
I’m more than a little obsessive about my training for marathons. I feel driven to nail every workout barring injury. That’s where I’m at right now. Hectic schedules get me out on the road before 6:00 in the morning because that is the only time to do the workout. I do my long run on the slippery sidewalk or the quad-thrashing snow drifts because I want to be ready for Boston. No matter what the weather is like on Patriots’ Day, I know it can’t compare to what I’ve trained through. I’ll be ready. Will you?
Monday: 5 miles
Tuesday: 8 miles w/ 3X1600 at 6:00/mile and 4:00 recovery
Wednesday: 6 in the a.m./6 in the p.m. (pushing the double jogging stroller)
Thursday: Hard 10 miler pushing the double jogging stroller
Friday: 8 miles
Saturday:17 miles (maybe closer to 18)
Sunday: Rest

Weekly Total: 60 miles
Total for the Year: 411 miles

I’m sorry for the belated update on the last day of my fast, but as would be expected, I was more than a little hungry the the time I was going to write my final post, and concentration had become an even-lesser skill than usual.  (Pardon the improper modifier/compound qualifier combination.  Bad English major.  Bad!)  I will write what I remember, but alas, as I approach another unwelcome birthday, I find memory fading faster than sunset in December.

Final day of fast:

Woke up slightly hungry but mostly just really really thirsty, despite the fact that I have probably consumed more liquids in the past 48 hours than I have in the last month combined.  Bathroom breaks have improved in both quality and quantity.  AKA, I’ve been peeing a LOT.  Methinks I may have been continuously dehydrated since my last marathon in September and am only now catching up.

Work was indescribably long.  I kept up my ever-cheerful mood for the majority of the day while racing up and down stairs with piles of shoes and stammered apologies as I ask my customer’s shoe size again and again and again.  By the time 6:30 rolled around and I was closing down shop, I was certainly beginning to notice a distinct lag in reaction time.  Conversations with staff while I  was counting down the drawer invariably went something like this:

“Cass (that’s me), anything else left to clean?”  Long pause.  ”Cass…?”  Long pause combined with vacuous expression.  ”CASS!”  I look up from a tightly clutched and shaking pile of money, trying to remember what number comes after 63.  What was I doing?  Counting drawer. Was someone talking?  What’s that smell?  Is it me?  (Increased body odor is common during fasts.)  My tongue feels so fuzzy and heavy and stank and wow I need to brush my teeth AGAIN (also common during fasts).  I like crackers.  Is there juice left in the fridge?  What if I put crackers IN the juice?  And it’s all liquidy and therefore I am not cheating loser fasting-failure, but there will be satisfyingly chewy floaty bits and then I could slosh them around in my mouth and if I drank it fast maybe the bits wouldn’t be so soggy and I could feel them move between my teeth and is someone talking to me what’s this money I have to pee I have to pee I have to pee….  ”Cassie!”

“Huh?”

“Eat something.  Soon.  Good luck closing.  I hope you manage to close before we need to open tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

I had become a monosyllabic grunt.  Ugh.  I tripped my way over to Waterstreet Cafe for more tea and close proximity to a well-stocked bathroom, and pretended to read the news while visions of nachos danced in my head.  Conversation had become detached from my mouth, like the words appeared in the air and I only realized moments after that those words belonged to me.  Tea Tea more honey refill pot pee and brush teeth again avoid eye contact they’ll make me talk drink more tea eye the leaves for chewiness factor but rational part steers me away.  Then at 8:30, my friend rescues me.  He had asked the day before if I wanted to hang out.  After I’d explained that consuming was no longer a part of my past times, we were at a partial impasse as to what would we could do together without consuming and/or increasing my need to feed.  When he texted that afternoon as reality was beginning to slip away, I gave in to temptation.

Break-Fast at Zazio’s, it is.

In keeping with my ever-dichotomous personality, I ended my bodily purification that night with a salad, bread, and two martinis.  I had expected to be famished, to have to restrain myself at dinner in the company of someone I still cared to impress.  But despite his constant prodding to eat, my stomach politely told my brain “No more, please” after the first few bites of salad.  It was stubbornness more than hunger that coaxed me through the rest of my meal; the tomboy in me balked at the idea of being “that girl” who orders a salad on a date and doesn’t even finish.

This severely lessened appetite has endured since that reintroduction to the world of solid food.  In light of the fact that I had never really changed my eating habits since the taper leading up to the North Country Trail Marathon, fasting actually worked as a re-training of my appetite.  I have a much healthier and moderate approach to meals since my 3-day abstinence, and it’s improved my feeling of fullness, my ability to say no to the line-up of cookies staring at me through the baked goods case at Irving’s, my comfort, my running, and even sleep.

Physical State, Day 3:  132 pounds.  Shaky.  Clearheaded in the morning , but toward the end of the day, reality akin to floating through the day on a cloud of powerful cold medicine, but less fun.

Mental State, Day 3:  Cheerful with a chance of slight emotional instability.  A little tripped out but as long as people can deal with the my verbal delay, I don’t find it necessary to preface my conversations with excuses.

Thanks for the support, all.  Been a good ride.

The title really says it all. The idea that we can set aside the disputes, the wars, the prejudices, and join together in a spirit of healthy competition is pretty fantastic. And, even though the “medal race” is in the back of everyone’s mind, what is more prevalent is the appreciation of the aesthetics of sport; the strength, grace, and artistry displayed in every event. The olympics emody an aspect of our nature that I can’t pin down, one which I don’t think that I’m supposed to. So, despite the atrocius dressing habits of Bob Costas, keep on watching those olympics!

I’m heading into the high-mileage weeks of my marathon training plan. It becomes more and more of a challenge to fit these weeks into my daily life. I’ve enjoyed running before work (even if it means a 5:15 alarm). This works well for a five-six miler but not so well for an 8-10 mile run on a weekday. I need my sleep, I need my family-time, but I also want to be prepared for Boston in April. Sometimes I run twice a day. Other times I fit a longer run after work. My peak while training for a spring marathon never gets as high as for a fall race.

Still, I can feel the accumulated miles more and more. Heavy legs the day after a hill workout stay heavy for two or three miles. I really love my compression socks by Sugoi. I feel like the compression really helps me recover faster and more fully. I got them on after my 20 miler and felt fresh through most of my shift at Gazelle that afternoon. I’m being careful to avoid the over-training colds and flu, but this requires a lot of sleep. I don’t have the option of a two hour “business meeting” like Ryan Hall calls his naps. I have been trying to go to bed earlier, though.

What makes these early “big” weeks even more challenging is the feeling that the race is far, far away. With snow and ice clogging the sidewalks, a spring marathon feels like it is never going to arrive. On my 20-miler this Saturday, I felt amazed that there are times when it is too hot to run. I had a mental image of myself running shirtless and covered in sweat, and the impossibility of it almost made me laugh. There are fewer than 60 days to Boston, though. I need to get ready. It feels good to have the first 20-miler of this training cycle in the books.

If you haven’t signed up for your spring race, DO IT. If you want to do RiverBank, Borgess, SunBurst, the Town Crier, or whatever, sending that check in is a great motivator. That will get you out the door. It still just an idea if you haven’t registered.

Monday: 6
Tuesday: 8 with 2X1000 (at 5:45/mile), 1X2000 (at 6:00/mile), and 3X500 (at 5:35/mile). 400 m recovery
Wednesday: 7.5 in the morning/4.5 at night
Thursday: 6 w/ 4 at 6:44/mile and random (treadmill) hills
Friday: 6
Saturday: 20
Sunday: Rest Day
Weekly Mileage: 58
Yearly Total: 351miles

Background check:

Fast, End of Day 1:   After my blog entry and closing down Waterstreet, I walked to Harvey’s to seek out company and torture myself watching Gin mingling amongst the crowd, caressing the lips of others.  After some hugs and wonderfully distracting conversation, the place was so full of cigarette smoke that I could no longer ignore the nagging feeling that there was something inherently ironic about fasting in a smoke-filled bar.  I slowly vibrated and shivered my way home (Heightened senses?  Check!), and collapsed into bed for some of the heaviest sleep I’ve had in a long time.

Weight:  139

Mood:  Cold.  So cold.  But having a pretty great time of it.  Even made a Break-fast date with a friend for Sunday afternoon.

Fast, Day 2: Woke up not-so-hungry but jonesing for a coffee something fierce.  Fought the urge for a minute, then gave in to moral corruption.  I am a master at the art of rationalization.  I determined to have a healthy (minus the coffee and not eating bit) and relaxing day.  After my Folger’s Instant (limit:  1) I did some sit-ups, push-ups, and stretching, and was feeling pretty groovy.  Bike ride to The People’s Food Co-op for Kombucha – on sale for $1.59 – and organic vegetable juice, bike ride to work.  Found my paycheck stuffed in my box a week earlier than I’d expected (Hooray for rent and phone bill being paid!) and rode my bike to the bank.  Somewhere on my way back to work, I accidentally signed myself up for a co-ed indoor soccer game that evening.  Knocked down some Kombucha and was ready for a 8.5 hour shift.  Looking like a slow day, I called off a closer and then was hit with a typhoon of customers.  Bad choice, Elsa.  Knocked down half a bottle of vegetable juice and spirulina.  Life:  okay, minus a light-headed giddiness and an absurd inability to remember shoe sizes.  Closed the store, knocked down an emergen-c, and off to the soccer game.  Concentration was definitely a conscious effort (what am I doing?  Ball…. ball…. people…. kick…) and I didn’t have the pep I usually do during a game.  But I scored one and assisted twice, despite a raging torn quadricep, product of some rigorous marathon Valentine’s (Singles Awareness) Day dancing.  Alas, the team went to Brewster’s and I was forced to drink orange juice as I stared wistfully at the drink menu and a rapidly depleting plate of nachos.  Dang.  At home, I called my room mate by my ex-boyfriend’s name, stammered an excuse, painfully limped up the stairs and passed out.

Weight:  134

Mood:  Slightly disoriented.  Kinda confused how “relaxing day” turned into workout, bike ride, run up and down stairs for 8 hours, and soccer game.  Fail.

Physical state:  See above, plus tired, so tired.  I couldn’t even get up the energy to sing karaoke at Brewster’s, and that’s kinda a big deal.

Day 1, and the living is hazy.  Woke up this morning starving from my run last night, so I decided to start the fast off with a small meal and save myself (and everyone who has to deal with me) a few hours of fuzzy-noggin, hypoglycemic-induced incoherent babbling.  I nibbled away at my slice of wheat toast with almond butter with all the reverence of death row, drank my allotment of One cup of coffee, and was feeling pretty up to the challenge at hand.  ”Three days shouldn’t be a thing.  Maybe I should even extend it…”  By 1 p.m. as I was staring down my coworker’s pita chips like a wild dog, I realized how dependent upon food I had actually become.  I went across the street to Irving’s and bought a bottle of cranberry Kombucha and a Superfood Odwalla and let my mind settle in to the idea of Liquids Only, Please.  Of course, we were crushed at work, and by 5, both bottles (my designated lunch and dinner) were gone, along with 4 bottles of water and half of a pita chip (sorry, will-power).  After 5 trips to the bathroom and a potentially fast-threatening weak moment in the break room next to a box of Wheat Thins, I was finally done with work and could move on to the (relative) safety of Waterstreet Cafe for some research on my current form of self-deprivation.  Three cups of blissfully-caffeinated tea later, here’s what I’ve discovered:

Fasting exists in varying degrees in almost every religion since their inception.  The ritual started as a way of achieving a state of quiescence, such as in the beginning, and end, of life.  It was also used for fertility ceremonies, a purpose I hope to never channel.  The Christians incorporated paganistic fasting into their developing religion.

On the other end of the spectrum, many cultures used fasting as atonement for sin, or to avert disaster (see fertility w/r/2 Elsa).  More recently, we’re familiar with it as a form of spiritual and bodily cleansing, outside of the realm of religiosity.  I came across a few different types of fasting on the internet, most of which were far too hardcore for this little runner:

The Water Fast:  Yup, take it like it’s read.  Water.  Generally not recommended by medical professionals and alternatively labeled “starvation”, this will probably not be my chosen road to wellness.

The Lemon Fast:  Kinda like the water fast, but you get half of a lemon in a pitcher of water, and a little maple syrup to boot.  For a relatively active woman such as myself, I would probably keel over under a pile of shoes at the bottom of the stairs at Gazelle.  Tremendously loud, relatively embarrassing, probably painful and not my choice.

The Apple Juice fast:  Uh-huh.  apple juice, and lots of it.  Usually for a shorter duration (3-5 days), ending in olive oil and lemon juice (not delicious?) or what was termed as a “fig flush”.  Ew.

The Juice Fast:  This fast is everywhere on the internet, and actually had a fair amount of scientific backing as to its benefits, without cramming weight-loss/enlightenment/”Detox Retreats” down your throat (and I am, after all, fasting.  I’ll take my juice and tea sans  intrigue, kitsch, and gimmick, please).  From what I’ve read, juice gives your body the nutrients and energy to rejuvenate and renew cells, while allowing your digestive system to take a break for a few days.  A juice fast also eases your transition into solid food.  For a pretty interesting and fairly scientific article on juice fasting, check out this site.

And now, the news you’ve all been waiting for:  the well-being of Yours Truly.

Day 1:

Consumed:  One piece Ezekial bread, 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 cup Instant Folgers (yeah, i know), 1/2 pita chip, 1 wheat thin.  1 bottle cranberry Kombucha, 1 bottle Superfood Odwalla, 4 bottles water, 12+ cups of tea with honey and counting.

Physical State:  Hungry.  But not as hungry as I would have thought.  Fuzzy noodle, slightly fatigued.  Tongue feels thick, though that may be from the amount of tea I’ve consumed in the last couple hours.  I will most certainly be carrying around my toothbrush with me the next few days.  I am trying to keep my suffering my own.  Weight last night was 139.  I’ll check that when I get home.  Can’t stop peeing.  The people at Waterstreet must think there’s something wrong with me.  I’m considering that possibility, too.

Mental state:  Not too bad.  Like I said, my thinking is a little cloudy.  Witticisms are suffering, and far be it from me to be lacking in comebacks.  Mood pretty stable throughout the day, though I did have a wide-eyed moment at an excessively loud cell phone talker. Methinks I would have been wide-eyed in any state, though.  There’s only so loud one needs to be on the phone in a sparsely populated coffee shop.

Overall, not a bad first day.

Let the journey continue.

This year for Valentine’s Day, I spent one last, blissful night with the two greatest loves of my life before tearfully saying goodbye.  I knew they weren’t right for me, that I was using them to fill a void in my life, but I’d noticed changes coming over me that were making me uncomfortable, and it was time for a drastic change.  My face didn’t look the same any more, my body didn’t look the same.  I felt run-down during the Dances With Dirt race in Florida and felt more sore after that run than I’ve felt since my first marathon.  So for Valentine’s day, I spent several hours with cookies and alcohol, dancing the night away, my lips around the two loves that have been there for me the most.  And then, hands shaking, I kissed them goodbye.

“Dances With Dirt” (and my Valentine’s Day “Dances With Gin”) were an eye opener into how far out of shape I’ve become.  My muscles are swollen and sore after a mere 14-15 mile run, something that wouldn’t have even raised my blood pressure before.  My running shorts were getting caught where shorts should not get caught.  And I was sure the pants I’d brought to Florida for my night out had gotten shrunk in the wash, until I realized I hadn’t even washed them yet.

After work tonight I hobbled on the treadmill for 5 miles, staring at the motivational phrase painted inches in front of my face.  ”We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.”  For 5 miles, thighs jiggling, shorts riding, right leg gimpin’, sweating coffee, sugar in my tank, I heard Aristotle reverberate through my head.  I wondered how I’d let my habits get so far from what I’d once been, then thought about another quote taped to the top of the register:  ”If the things we believe in are different than the things we do, there can be no true happiness.” — Dana Telfor.  Dang.  I think Dana Telfor, Aristotle, and my butt just called me a hypocrite.  I preach nutrition yet drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day, never say no to a cookie, and am a regular at Harvey’s on $2-You-Call-It night, as well as a couple nights/week distracting myself from myself at Bell’s and Shakespeare’s and a whole host of bars that don’t quite fall in the category of  ”things I believe in”.

My diet (or lack thereof) is one checkmark on a grocery list of hypocrisies and failed/stagnant life choices.  But it’s the easiest place to begin to change, and the quickest place to start ascertaining results.  I’ve always gone through phases where I felt that I needed to cleanse myself of a previous lifestyle, whether that be a failed love, failed health or some other litany of poor choices.  So tomorrow, in honor of this thing called Lent that I’ve been hearing about, and in keeping with my history as a woman of extremes, I begin my 3 day fast, to come out weaker in body yet – InSha’Allah – stronger in spirit.  Tomorrow I’ll fill you in on the details of my planned fast, as well as a brief history of fasting (I’m such a nerd for research and history), and keep you updated throughout the next few days on how I’m feeling.  For now, bed is calling my name.

And so the journey continues.

Deena Kastor is the American record holder in the half marathon (1:07) and the marathon (2:19). She also brought home the bronze medal in the 2004 Olympic marathon.
Kastor’s latest blog has some awesome insights about running. She says, “Great drive is far more important than talent.” On a related note, she also blogs, “There is great joy in pursuing a goal. Whether or not you achieve what you are asking your body and mind to accomplish, it is the journey that shapes us and inspires us.” I love these quotes because they focus so much on the act of the runner challenging himself or herself. For me, part of the allure of running is the act of challenging myself to run farther or faster or better than ever before.
As I have improved as a runner, people have started to get the impression that I have always been the runner that I am today. I have not. After my first marathon (Chicago in 2003), I announced to my friends and family that I would never be running Boston; I needed to run over an hour faster to qualify. Once upon a time, my 5k PR was about a minute per mile slower than my current marathon pace. When I share this with newer runners, they often want to know “the secret.”
It all goes back to that drive that Kastor was talking about. I’ve been driven to improve my marathon time, to train harder, and to train wiser. It makes me get up earlier to start a long run, to run twice in one day, to take days off when I need to recover. That drive is what gets me to voraciously devour books like Pete Pfitzinger’s Advanced Marathoning and Jack Daniel’s The Daniel’s Running Formula. It causes me to put in ridiculous mileage over the summer to prepare for a fall marathon. That drive, not any in-born talent, is what helped me qualify for Boston.
Well, drive,awesome support from RunnerGirl and the rest of my family, and some really good luck.

Monday: 6 with stroller
Tuesday: 9 with lots of hills at 5 a.m.
Wednesday: 6 in the morning/5 in the p.m. and lifting/core workout
Thursday: 6 with hills (pulling Myles in the toboggan)
Friday: 5 and some pull-ups
Saturday: 18
Sunday: Lifing and Core Workout
Weekly Total: 55 miles
Total for the Year: 293 miles and 7 core workouts