Tag: running

Marathon Recovery

, , Slice of Life, Well-beingLeave a Comment on Marathon Recovery
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 37.4mm, f/3.6, 1/30 sec, ISO1600
 “Marathon Recovery” Cedar Park, 2022

It’s been five days since I ran my neighborhood marathon, but today I decided that my body had recovered enough that I could go out for a run. I took it easy, just running a couple of miles, but I felt sluggish and my legs felt heavy. It seemed like I also lost my usual running form at the beginning, which was more amusing than concerning. 😂 It was a very short run but it was so nice to get active again!

Since Tuesday, I’ve been eating a lot of sweets and also having a drink or two each night. I guess I still was hanging onto that hunger you get after a long run. Or maybe I was just being lazy and overindulging? That’s probably it.

Anyways, it’s back to running! As for participating in the Austin Marathon, I still haven’t decided. It’ll be a game-time decision, probably.

Personal Marathon

, Slice of Life, Well-being3 Comments on Personal Marathon

Yesterday I completed one of my bucket list items, which was to run a marathon.

I am actually registered for the Austin Marathon that is happening in February, but with the Omicron variant going crazy right now, I’m not sure that I want to join the masses and run in it. That has been on my mind lately.

I realized that it’s convenient and easy to say that the virus is the reason I don’t want to run in the Austin Marathon, while the real reason might be that I am just not confident that I can run that distance. So to eliminate that possible reason, I decided to just run my marathon early and prove I can do it. Now I can have a clear conscience if I decide to not run in the big race.

Another thing I was thinking about (and I should admit to myself) is that I’m not really into running in organized races or events. I’ve run in several 10K and 5K races, and they aren’t that fun to me. People have said that running the marathon is fun because people are cheering you on. That actually doesn’t sound fun to me. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I prefer to run in my own little world. I guess that’s just the way I am.

Well, I have over a month to decide if I want to race in it or not, but right now I’d give it a 20% chance of it happening.

Running on Vacation During the Pandemic

, , Slice of LifeLeave a Comment on Running on Vacation During the Pandemic
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 1.55mm, f/2.4, 1/75 sec, ISO50
 “Running” Torrance, 2021

I’ve been trying to keep to my running schedule while we are on holiday in SoCal, but it’s been difficult. The main reason is that Torrance is so crowded with people that it’s a hassle to run on the sidewalks and streets in a socially distanced way. In order to avoid others, I am constantly having to switch to the other side of the road or sidewalk, or hop from the sidewalk to the road or vice-versa.

At my neighborhood in Texas, the roads are very wide so I can pretty much run there and avoid most contact with others. It makes for a relaxing run. But in Torrance, constantly having to keep an eye on my surroundings gets old real quick… and it makes for a mentally exhausting hour. Still, I am getting a few miles in on my run days, which is better than nothing.

Too Cold

, , Slice of Life1 Comment on Too Cold
“Morning Clouds” Cedar Park, 2021

I learned a couple of good lessons this morning. When going out for a run, don’t just check the current temperature when you begin the run, but also look at what the temperature will be during the run. Also, check what the wind is like.

Today, I saw it was 68°F. Great, I thought. I can wear my regular running outfit, and it will be perfect when the sun warms up into the 70s. But unbeknownst to me, a cold front was just arriving, and the freezing winds were blowing during my run and the temperature dropped down into the 50s! I was seriously suffering when running into that wind. So much so that I had to cut my run short by 2 miles.

I’m glad I did though because my arms were frozen. I had to jump into the hot shower and thaw out! As disappointing as today’s run was, it was a valuable learning experience. Next time I’ll be better prepared for sure.

I’m also glad that I got a nice photo as the sun broke through the clouds. 😊

Listening to Songs While Running on the Trail

, , , La Musica, Slice of Life, Well-being1 Comment on Listening to Songs While Running on the Trail
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 1.55mm, f/2.4, 1/3200 sec, ISO25
 “Clouds” Cedar Park, 2021

Today I went for a 7-mile run on the hike and bike path near my house. I really like the longer routes, especially towards the end when I am getting tired. I’ve noticed one change that happens to me when I get mentally fatigued on a run, and that’s that I get more emotional when listening to songs. Today, the songs that hit me were “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears, and “Alison” by Elvis Costello.

I can’t really place what specific emotions arise when I heard these… it was just a general feeling of being moved.

Maybe it’s kind of like a type of runner’s high? I don’t know, but I do know that I enjoy it when it happens.

Here’s one of my Spotify playlists that I often listen to while running.