Did I forget something?

It's quite amazing what a brief sabbatical can do to one's mind and memory.

Take, for example, my experience with this phenomenon following my 3-month sabbatical from running. It's not exactly like I'm new to the sport of running. After all, I've been lacing up and hitting the road for over 12 years....I should have all the details down-pat, right?

WRONG!


There are a lot of things that have come back naturally, and (at times) it seems like the past three months were just a strange dream. But, then there's some other details that I keep forgetting....

Believe it or not, I keep forgetting my Ipod when I head out for a run! Yes, you read that correctly...Kim, the lover of all things music, keeps leaving her music behind. Now, there's nothing wrong with running sans tunes, but it's very much out-of-character for me to do so. I think it's because I rarely took my Ipod with me for most of my summer walking. In simple terms, I have gotten out of the routine of not only charging my Ipod, but also remembering to grab it from the charging station. Oh well...

Hmmm...that looks like an Ipod cord....

A huge staple to my running accessories is a pair of sunglasses. Not only am I on a mission to protect my sensitive eyes from the sun, but I'm also determined to prevent as many wrinkles as possible from taking over my delicate skin. Typically, I wear my sunglasses every waking minute of outdoor activity (when there's daylight)...but the sunglasses are getting forgotten as well. I attribute that to the many miles walked in the early morning hours (before the sunrise) this summer (when I was not allowed--or able--to run).

 sunglasses are a usual necessity for me

Another skill that has gone by the wayside is the fine art of layering. Mind you, I know what kinds of layers are needed for various types of weather conditions and erratic temps (hello, Iowa runner here!).Well, since I spent the summer walking (and not running), I had to fine-tune my clothing strategy. Walking is a great energy-burning exercise, but it is not as "heat-producing" as running (at least it wasn't for me). When the temps unexpectedly turned chilly In August (and I still wasn't running), I had to add layers. Now that I'm back to running (with occasional walk intervals), I don't need to be dressed as "warmly," as when I was walking...but now the temps are turning again (this time to the actual fall-like temps they should be), and I've been thrown into another state of confusion.

I love arm warmers with a tank on a cool morning

Just after my surgery, I was given a couple of different compression sleeves to wear over my knee. The compression helped with keeping everything nice & tight as the suture seam healed (and sealed) as well as providing an added boost of stability to the entire knee region. Now that the seam is pretty well healed, all that remains is gaining back the range of motion for the knee. Compression is not required (or crucial), but definitely not a bad thing to utilize as I transition back to running. That said...Any guesses how many times I have remembered to wear compression (of any sort) around my knee for running? ((ONCE, that's it))

I did remember to wear compression for a recent stair workout 

Oh yeah, how about those wool socks? I did wear wool socks a few times for my long walking expeditions, but those were the exception and not the norm. Now that I'm officially running again, I should be wearing the wool socks for most of the runs.

wool socks...'nuff said

And the watch? It's no secret that I am not much of a technology gadget gal. I appreciate the availability of stats after I finish a run, but really don't feel compelled to have them on my wrist for constant viewing when I'm in motion. Just not my gig. But, now as I transition back, I'm trying to take things easy (translation: SLOWLY and with walking intervals). That watch may be a valuable resource in keeping me from running too fast (or too far) too soon.

key stats to peruse...

So, that's a small dose of my current reality. Nothing bad, but it's annoying that these little details can get overlooked so easily. Could it be that I'm just so excited and eager to get laced up and out the door that I'm not taking the time to do a once-over? (Yes, that's what I'm going with) That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

How about YOU? Talk to me...do you find yourself forgetting certain running details on occasion? Have you ever had to head back to the house to retrieve a necessary something that was forgotten? What is the ONE necessary "must-have" that you never forget? 

**I'm linking up with Nicole and Annmarie for the Wild Wednesday Workout

...and with Susie and Debbie and Rachel and Lora for the Running Coaches' Corner.