Camera in the Rain

I awoke to the sound of rain on this Saturday morning.   As I lay awake wondering if I would run today, the sound stopped.  Found my answer.  I do not usually start long runs in the rain -- unless I have to.   With temperatures in the 60's I knew I would be okay if I got a little wet.  I had to redeem myself for  forgetting to run on Thursday.  Well, and then for deciding to blow it off when I remembered.  Today, I would return to my normal Saturday morning routine of the long run by inching my way back up in mileage beginning with a six miler.  By the time I walked outside, it was drizzling.   Half way into the run it began to rain lightly.   It felt great!  This must be what it feels like when kids play in the rain, I thought.   I played with my speed.  At first I was slow, and by the end, I found my usual pace.  I played with my camera phone.  I paused often marveling at what I got to notice in the rain, but by the end, I was just eager to get home.  My pausing to take pictures through a plastic sandwich bag in the rain must have looked strange to any observer.  I couldn't quite believe I was doing it myself.  While I ran I wondered if the neighborhood Easter egg hunt would go on as scheduled.  Surely not.  So, on my way home I ran by the clubhouse and learned that a little rain would not stop the festivities.  When I got home, I reported the news to my family, and they set out with anticipation while I showered.  Last year I was quick enough to join them, but this year, they were quicker and returned with more candy-filled eggs than I could have ever imagined.  It seems that if you are willing to play a little in the rain, you get to notice a lot.  

I Forgot to Run!?!?

I forgot to run.  I have never forgotten to run.  I've been easing back into my running routine and have found myself with more time and energy to devote to non-athletic endeavors.  I threw myself into a list of projects and tackled them with wild abandon.  I had at least four projects going at once, and my debit card was smoking hot.  Yesterday morning I focused on getting that last can of spray paint necessary to finish painting wicker porch furniture a lovely fern green.  While walking though the garden section of my local home improvement store, it hit me:  I forgot to run this morning.  I stopped and contemplated what to do.  My first thought was to run when I got home.  And, then I thought there will be plenty of other mornings to run.  I was talking with a runner friend last night over chocolate cake at her house, and we both acknowledged we continue to be driven after our race.  We can't slow down.  She decided to just keep running.  I decided to take it easy and delve into projects, which no one cares about except for me.  I cannot afford to keep up this pace of home improvement.  My friend has felt compelled to do the same with her time and energy, expect she choose to lace up because it is the most economical activity.  I totally agree.  I will turn my focus to running, and I'll appreciate it all the more.  

First Run Taking Pictures

I ran for the first time today since the Wrightsville Beach Marathon.  My Garmin lost power when I began because I hadn't charged it since the night before the race.  I was happy to be moving again albeit at a slow pace.  This short run felt just right.  I laced up my lightweight Muzino shoes that had been in a box for nearly a year.  The first and last time I ran in them, I did speed work on hills.  Dumb.  I ended up with shin splints for weeks and a fear of wearing those shoes.  I decided to take a chance today on this easy run.  We'll see how my legs feel later in the week. 

As I headed out the door, I decided this would be my first blog entry about my experiences while running, and I grabbed my i-Phone.  I've contemplated this for a while now.  I wrote a blog when I chronicled my adventures with my oldest daughter when she was two-years-old.    Looking back, that blog reminds me of the busyness I infused into our lives.   And, that is probably what led to the end of my blogging.  

I'm ready to try it again because my head seems full of thoughts that I need to get out of my head.  When I run alone, my mind is free to wander and muse on any number of things.  When I run with friends, I am energized to keep going by our conversations.  If I'm wrestling with something internally, these conversations can be a great way for me to continue exploring a topic or define my current views.  My most recent conversations with myself and others on runs have been about religion and politics.  I had been frustrated with points contained within these two topics for weeks.  Then I ran 26.2 miles last week, and it seemed to relieve me of the mental exhaustion.  I don't plan to revisit where I have been in this blog and look forward to what I might discover during upcoming runs.   I run with several special friends and groups and will let them know about my new blogging activities.  When I joined one group last year, they told me that what is said on the run, stays on the run.  I will not gossip or reveal secrets within my musings here.  

Now, about that i-Phone.  Part of the beauty of running for me is getting to notice things along the way.  I want to capture a little of that beauty during my runs on my phone's camera and preserve it here.   Additionally, I want to learn some new technical skills, and working on a photo a day could help me in that area.  In January I attended a session at MacWorld on turning i-Phone photos into works of art using apps.  I want to be able to do that.  It will be a long, slow process.  When I run in the dark, do speed work, or run with groups, it will be a challenge to take a picture during a run.  So, I will give this all a try and see where it goes.  

This is Me and My Blog

I am passionate about running.  It fuels my soul, brings me great joy, and helps me stay connected to nature and others who share my passion.  I am strong physically, and I feel that when I run -- on some days.  I am driven and goal oriented, and as my running evolves, I channel my energy into new challenges and adventures.  

I am a forty-something, at-home mom of two young, energetic girls and a wife to a multi-talented husband.  While pregnant with my second child and clinging to an elliptical machine at the  YMCA, I observed women running, seemingly effortless, on treadmills and decided that I would begin running after the baby arrived.   On a cold morning in early 2007, I joined a fellow mom for my first run, a two miler around a local lake.  In the beginning my running time was my me time and still continues to be that, but shortly thereafter I recognized it as much more because of the invaluable friendships I have forged along the way.  Now, because of willpower, determination and the support of my family and running community, I am a two-time Boston Marathon qualifier.  

Each runner has an unique history and story of how she came to run.  I would be remiss not to mention that I ran track and cross country in high school.  But that is when running ended for me as the rest of my life began.  That talent and my zeal for the sport lay dormant for 20 years. 

This is a record of my day-to-day observations and thoughts while on my runs when my mind is free to wander whether I am alone or with a group.  One of the great things about being a runner is that I get to notice nature and the community around me in a way that others might miss when in a hurry or in a car.   It is a blessing that I have the physical ability and time to run, and that I can notice the world around me.  On daylight runs I hope to capture some of the beauty I see and share it.  A goal I have set for myself is to turn ordinary iPhone pictures that I take while on runs into art by using apps.  I am not a photographer, and I am not technically inclined, so this will be a long learning curve to go along with this running journey.