Today's LR Enlightenments

A short follow up to my last long run post. Today's long run was so much better. Perhaps not fully rested (that is like some unicorn I will never see) but no night before high heel standing eternity experience. When one has a bad run, take comfort that you have gotten that out of the way as the next one is destined to be a good one...as I have heard said..and they also say a bad run is better than no run.

The background facts to frame my enlightenments gained from today's long run. Meet up at OBP, 29 chilly degrees, to what turned out to be 11 fabulous BRFs (oh, how I love them!) between the two routes: 6:30am- Nancy Grace 4.5 miler and 7:15am  Inman or bust 5.5 miler. My goals to run both waves & if the games were in my favor, to maybe squeak out a few more miles to get to 12. Not the point of the post but 12 in da' books.

Not as many enlightenments but here:

• Should we still call our Nancy Grace route the Nancy Grace now that she has moved to a different house? I pondered this out loud at coffee and got a resounding YES. 
• The real estate agent on the large billboard located at Osborne & Peachtree looks like Peter Brady. 
• In Myers Briggs testing, my E/I score falls dead center between E(extrovert) and I(Introvert) and I feel like my being plays this out on long runs. Run chat the first half and then gotta put on the earbuds and play my music really loud so I cannot hear my knees or whatever other achy  body part is talking to me.
• Inman....GLORY be thine name in the hallowed halls of the BRF running routes. Especially when taking it on at the early light of day. Such beautiful & lovely ** vistas. Hazel & Alma were a bit of a distance ahead of the pack such that I could see them through the trees on a lower stretch of Inman. Two stunning runners through the trees. I thought where is my camera?! I could have captured that moment and submitted it to Runners World magazine to be featured as a Rave Run. 
• I failed to share the most important and valuable information that I had to contribute to my BRFs during the run. Realized this après run & did impart it to the few still coffeeing so I write it here to share. Friday at SB, our favorite mega reformer studio, our instructor E, told us that earlier this week when the class members were facing the window doing the inner thigh work, who walked past the class to go to the cryotherapy service? ZAC EFRON....okay we also learned that the Victoria Secret Angels use the mega reformer work out. My wings should be sprouting after my next class.

** I realize I use the word lovely an awful lot, I blame my kids for watching too much Stampy Longnose, he uses this word all the time and apparently it's sinking into my brain.

Okay that's all for my 1st post attempted from an iPad.

Gotta Run,

Sadie

LONG RUN ENLIGHTENMENT

As I sit here with my legs up on the wall, recovery after a long run (which I learned to do thanks to Flora),

I contemplated what enlightenment I gained from this morning’s long run. I think when you run for greater than an hour, there are often learnings, understandings and knowledge to be gained during the process.  Sometime is it an aha that comes from miles of solitude or sometimes it comes from chatting with a BRF (Best Running Friend, in case you forgot). This morning’s long run started later than our usual BRF Saturday routine due to sketchy weather conditions. 40 degrees, feels like much colder with 10-20 mph winds and then a lovely wet drizzle as the icing on the climate cake. Eleven in all, a lovely gaggle of BRFs, showed up at the OBP to run varying distances from 4.4 to 12 miles. Me, I was planning on a 12 miler taking in some parts and pieces of favorite routes and sights... quest for the Big Fish. There were lots of insights and I thought I would share them here.

My first insight comes from what is NOT proper preparation for a long run. Wearing and standing in these shoes  for greater than 4 hours at a black tie event the night before.

Not a good idea. I was giving myself props for avoiding alcoholic beverages at this event. But these shoes are evil when it comes to running the next day. Then going to an event and not getting to bed early compounds the problem. Meanwhile the very brilliant Zelda says to me at coffee after the run, “Why did you not sleep in compression tights?” Me, of all people, forgetting about the power of sleeping in compression.

I did not just limit my sleep time on the front end, I master minded a great plan to pick up my husband an hour before the run at the airport which instigated an earlier rise than normal. Still glad that I did this and did not have my red eye travelling hubby ride Marta. But, again, not the best long run prep.

So those were the “What Not To Do” Enlightenments, let me transition to the sunshine that was found on today’s long run.

·         New running friends rock and add a sparkle to our group. And guess what, Nell? one of them is an Auburn graduate!

·         Mazel tov to a friend who is closing in on a brand new lovely home (not too far away, thank goodness)

·         A beloved pet and companion is recovering well after surgery this week.

·         You thought your child’s week of summer day camp was expensive, we learned of one that is $700 a week. By the way, I calculated this is probably two nights (club level)at a Ritz in Ameila Island. Weighing a week of summer camp versus two nights in Ameila Island. Maybe that cost is not soo much when your child is as wonderful, beautiful and talented as this BRF's.

·         Stop my gripin’ and moanin’ as one BRF stayed out until 2:30am and still popped up cheery and energetic to tackle this mornings run and doubled back to chat me up on my grueling last mile.

·         One BRF stored my stuff in her car as my water station then drove me home while another offered to pick me up at the Marta station if I had to enact the “Leave the car for the husband” plan.

·         The Lenox Park mile or so was just amazing. Winner of Best View As Seen During Today’s Long Run Award. Beautiful row of pine trees helped me coast along in a rare of moment of serenity.

·         Zelda and I discovered that Caribou Coffee on Peachtree has a little water stationJ. Divinely placed little things….

·         And finally those who altered the route to deter to Capital City rather than a potentially long windy cold stretch down Peachtree Road are GENIUSES.

In summary, my BRFs and a little scenery made a personally challenging long run so much better. I did not reach my 12 mile goal or see the BIG FISH but thanks to them, I made it to 10.67 miles. I will take that along with all of today’s enlightenments and look forward to another long run.

Grateful,

Sadie