Runfessions - Stronger Tougher Fierce Grateful

This has not only been an interesting week, it's been quite the year as well.

I'm not talking about 2018 specifically (that would be this post), but I'm referencing the past 12 months. Anyone remember what happened on June 29th, 2017? Exactly one year ago, I was wearing a hospital gown. In an operating room. Undergoing emergency surgery for a staph infection that had been undiagnosed (until a few hours prior).

All of my summer plans, running and otherwise, came to an abrupt halt.

But, let me runfess, it wasn't all that bad.

My 2018 Assessment (thus far)

So, how has 2018 treated you so far?

Things have been going alright for me. There have been some lessons learned, new workouts to try, several events to take part in, and a few happy moments as well.

Outrunning the Rain

And the crazy weather of 2018 continues....

Seriously, this has been the oddest of years in terms of weather. First, our winter refused to pack up and vacate until mid-April. Then, summer promptly arrived on the scene a couple weeks later, giving us ZERO time to acclimate. Just this past week, we celebrated the summer solstice...you know, the first day of summer...with temps in the low-60's. What the WHAT???

Post-Worthy Pics...5 recent favorites

How do you feel about the pics on social media?

I saw that yesterday (June 21) was National Selfie Day. Yes, you read that correctly...there actually is a day that celebrates people taking pics of themselves (and posting them for the world to see). 

Although I play the (shameless) selfie game, pretty much daily, I do have mixed feelings about it. Most of what we see on social media is "filtered" (literally and figuratively) to reflect what the person posting wants us to see about them or the lifestyle they lead.

Summer 2018 - What's on tap

Although the temps have shown (and felt) otherwise, summer has not officially begun...yet.

I have been looking forward to Summer 2018 for almost a year, believe it or not. Since my summer last year was a bit jacked (full details HERE), I plan to take full advantage of every available opportunity to be outside (preferably in my running shoes) this year.

All is well

 I can honestly say, "All is well."

It wasn't necessarily a stellar week in terms of high mileage or specific training goals met, but it definitely was pretty solid in terms of fitness and feeling good. Here's what all went down...

What about Speedwork?

I’m not a fan of speedwork. 

Unlike a lot of runners, I don’t get an adrenaline rush or a feeling of power in running fast. That’s not to say I don’t relish a faster-than-expected finish time now and then, though. I just don't let my speed (or, often times, lack there of) dictate my livelihood. Besides, I'm more of an endurance runner anyways.

That said, on occasion I do incorporate some speed sessions into my training. Although I am not a speedwork enthusiast, I do see the benefits of pushing one's pace now and then. Not only does consistent speedwork enhance your performance, it also breaks up the monotony of your workouts (physically and mentally).

Never Have I Ever...

"Never Have I Ever..."

Have you ever played that game?

As a runner, I can envision an interesting twist to this revealing game.  Shall we play?

True Colors Shining Through

Do you ever let your true colors shine?

It's no secret I'm a #colorfreak (probably due to my #artgeek nature), but I'm not only referencing color in the literal sense (though I did wear some bright attire this past week). I'm also referring to one's "true colors," one's internal gut instincts. Those instincts are there for a reason, they pull one to do what's right or in their own best interest, despite what the main stream may dictate.

This past week was all about letting my true colors shine, especially in terms of my own well being. Having just run the Dam to Dam 20K on Saturday (June 2nd), this week was all about a proper recovery. Here's what went down...

5 "True Runner" Falsehoods

Calling oneself a "true runner,"often times, is not immediate.

Having not grown up with a running background, I had a lot of preconceived ideas on what "true runners" were all about. Most (if not all) of these notions became apparent when I started running myself. It took me awhile (and several miles, blisters, and expensive pairs of shoes) before I considered myself a "true runner" and not a poser.

I had to get past many of the stereotypes and see for myself what really constitutes a "true runner." Thankfully, I have seen the light, but there still are a lot of naive people (non-runners AND new runners) who could benefit from a little bit of intel.

Dam to Dam 2018 - An epic ending of an era

Dam to Dam 2018. #39Forever. The 39th (and final) Dam to Dam.

Although I had been looking forward to this race, I was also kind of dreading it as well.

To give you a little bit of insight (in case you've never, ever, heard me mention this race), Dam to Dam is the one race I look forward to the most every year. It was my first-ever long distance event (in 2008), and it started me on a whirlwind of distance running and racing that has kept me quite happy. Not only did I run D2D in 2008, but I have returned every year since, making 2018 my 11th consecutive appearance on the Dam.

The Heat is On

The heat is on, at least in Iowa.

It's totally crazy how hot (and humid) it got so quickly. Our temps catapulted to the upper 80's/90's a couple of weeks ago, and have not returned to "normal." I'm not complaining, because I much prefer the heat to the cold, but it's been a bit much (even for me). I even heard a meteorologist make the comment that we're actually about a month ahead of schedule in terms of the temps! May 2018 was our second warmest May on record, ironic that April 2018 had been our second coldest April on record. Isn't that crazy???