I left the house this morning just before 5AM, knowing full well that a thunderstorm was barrelling out overhead. I ran anyhow, even when the sky split open and buckets of rain started pounding me. The more the sky threw at me, the bigger my smile.

I ran some of my best running ever. Go figure. I’m officially nuts.

feedback…

You know you’re heading towards cuckoo when you consider getting up at 5:50AM to be “sleeping in,” and you look forward to your Sunday rest-day walk because at least you’ll still be moving.

It’s cold and foggy out there. I walked in my double-thick hooded sweatshirt, the touristy one I bought that gives me a smirk when I put it on, but feels like a best friend. I have my iPod, listening to a mellow mix that includes Oh Susannah, Lori McKenna, Sarah Harmer, and lots of other musicians you likely don’t know unless your name is Tara.

I’m not adventurous on my walks.…

I ran this afternoon at the big gym up this way, and it was another kind of first. You see, at 4:50AM and at 10:20PM, no one’s really around. No one sees me. Tonight, I was running in a well-lit gym, laps around the entire weight floor, basketball court, and the pool. Oh dear.

For the most part, it was running as usual, but the circular track and the predictable surface brought my pace up a little, which of course also brought my heart up. That and the fact I was still feeling a little bit of low energy, and I’m running in front of 20 or 30 people while not feeling 100%.

Just the same, I did my 30 minutes. I ran when I was supposed to run, walked when it was time.…

I get up at 4:45 this morning, do my stuff, and then head out to the beach for a run. I’ve remembered my 3 F’s. I’m spouting positive coach statements in my head.

The air is FREEZING, but I shrug it off. I’m just going to get hot running, so who cares? I am the only car in the lot, and yet, I see a guy in an old army coat and an orange hat hanging out by the rocks. Kind of scary in isolation, but hey, I’ll run the other way a while anyhow. If he can catch up, no problem.

I run and don’t hardly feel sore or weak. I think taking last night off from training was the best plan. Things are great.…

The gym I joined has an alliance program with 30 other area gyms. So, I went to the one a mile or three from the house, versus the one I joined which is close to the office. Oh man.

This gym is GIANT. There’s a running track, a full sized basketball court, a few shooting courts, a huge weight area, racquetball courts, cardio to blow your nostrils off, and oh yeah, a lap pool.

If I could be independently wealthy, I would probably get the family a membership there, too.

But I’ll only really get to use that one sparingly, because it’s closer to home, and home is where I run. Home is where I spend as many hours as possible with my family.…

We’re feeling really strong with our Core work. I am seeing the benefits all over the place. The other work I’m doing with running and the like is 100% complemented by the Core stuff. I’m feeling stronger every week.

I just have to keep focus on what I’m doing. Strength not bulk. Useable muscle. Focus.

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“Motivation gets you going. Discipline keeps you going.” — Jim Ryan

I didn’t want to run this morning. It’s a make-up run for last night. I did nothing last night because of an event. I didn’t even do Core Performance.

I went to bed late (but for great reasons). I woke up at 3:15 AM to crying, because my daughter fell out of bed. I woke up again at 4:48AM to start my day. The temperature was 46 degrees, and it was still grey outside.

But I ate my three fistfulls of Cheerios (well, Purely O’s, which are organic, foo foo), and went out to the car in my underpants to get my shorts and running shoes, and I put on the iPod, and off I went.…

Who ran an extra 15 minutes this morning, on top of the 30? Me.
Who burned 730 calories on his run? Me.
Who ran 3.84 miles when all was said and done? Me.
Who wrecked another $4.72 pedometer from WalMart, this time from sweat? Me. : (

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Up at 4:52 to get ready for another 30 minute run? Check
Doing double workouts for the last two weeks? Check
Feeling confident about your race in July? Check

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Form: When doing pushups correctly (chest and nose in the dirt), my number goes from 25 to 11.
Drive: Without Kat, I lack a great deal of personal drive.

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