Got Coffee? Let's Talk!

 

Here we are again....gathered virtually over coffee (or a favorite beverage), and chatting. 

Seems like we were just here because April flew by rather quickly, at least in my world it did. We had warmer weather, and we had a few revert-to-winter days (actually, a good consecutive 10 days...but who's counting).

A lot went down... Plenty of sunshine! Some outdoor biking! My longest run (a 10-miler)! And my first half marathon, post-stress fracture! The days have gotten substantially longer and there's the scent of blossoming trees and blooming flowers everywhere. Things have been pretty nice.

So, whatever shall we talk about?

I'm glad you asked... 

First, over coffee, I'd give you an update on the magnolia tree. It had been in almost full bloom, for nearly a week, when Momma N joined forces with Old Man Winter and treated us to some unwelcome, unseasonably cold weather. We're talking several days with overnight frost advisories. Most of the beautiful blooms turned an unflattering shade of brown, but a few remained unscathed. I was able to snap a pic of the last remaining bloom just before it fell to the ground this week.

Another thing I'd share is my #SeeYouOutThere challenge of doing weekly 1-mile time trials for the month of May. This is a major comfort zone violation for me. First of all, I don't enjoy running circles around a track (#Boring). Second, the 1-mile distance is a  l.o.n.g distance to run at a faster-than-normal pace (#Intimidating). And, lastly, speedwork is just plain rough and tough (#PhysicallyDemanding). But, we don't learn or grow by staying comfortable. Well, I ran my first (of four) 1-milers this week, and the good news is that I ran it much faster than expected (even with no recent speed-training). The bad news ... I ran it much faster than expected (and now have the self-imposed pressure to better my speed each week). Yikes. Stay tuned...this is really going to be a tough undertaking from here on out.

After this 1-mile time trial, I had a pretty significant revelation. A friend asked me if my 1-mile run had been at an all-out effort. I had to really think about that...and the honest truth is that it wasn't a run-so-hard-you-puke attempt on my part. It definitely was a hard effort...I was focused on keeping my pace as steady as possible and there's no way I could have carried on a coherent conversation with anyone. But I did finish with an itty bit left "in the tank." Why? Because I realized, after the fact, I have a fear of running out of energy before the finish line. Yeah, talk about a light-bulb-moment. So, it's a given I'll be working on a lot more than just beating my 1-mile finish time each week. Things are gonna get raw and they're gonna get real out there on the track this month (#gulp). Moving on...

A new thing I've been experimenting with is the art of shooting video. I have some previous experience and "technical" knowledge of the industry (I was a Communications/Broadcast/Film major in college), but that was a few decades ago and things are very different these days. Let's just say this has been a very humbling endeavor to undertake. For example, the video I shot last weekend only took about 25 minutes of "work," but the level of stress was crazy because I was on the college track (late in the afternoon, on a Saturday none the less). Wouldn't you know? A baseball game had just ended, so there were numerous athletes, families and fans walking by my "video set" just after I arrived on the scene. As annoying as it was, having to shoot (and re-shoot) upwards of 15 times (some of which with an audience), I couldn't help but laugh at the situation. And, by the time I got the final video done, I had my script completely memorized. Glass half full, indeed. 

Finally, I'll share a solid piece of advice with you...Don't elect to have dental work on Cinco De Mayo. There was part of a filling (from my childhood days) that needed a little bit of repair. Afterwards, I was advised to avoid all crunchy food for the remainder of the day. Hello? Ever heard of tacos? I tried eating a baked potato for lunch and that was a near-fail because the right side of my mouth was numb. There may have been some idle drooling, as well, after I returned to the office.  Just keeping it real.

So, there you go! My coffee chat turned into a bit of a runfession. Oh well, that's my reality LOL.

You're turn! What would you bring to the table, if we were gathered over coffee? Any exciting (or scary) challenges on tap for May? Ever done a 1-mile time trial? 

 Since it's the first weekend of the month, I'm linking this with Deborah and Coco for the Ultimate Coffee Date.

I'm also linking this with Michelle, Renee, Darlene, Jenn and Zenaida for the Fit Five Friday Link-up.

By the way...are you following me on social media?

Let's connect : Facebook Instagram  Pinterest Twitter