All Things Running

Beaver Lake, one of my favorite places to run

Dearest Running,

Welcome back, my friend.  Thank you for always being there when I'm ready to have more of you. Thank you for the joy you bring to my world no matter how long I go without you.  No matter how many months I've just left you on the side to wait.  You are still there to be whatever I need you to be.  I'm excited to spend so much MORE time with you over the next many months.  You add color and life to things that might otherwise go unnoticed.  Thank you. I love you. 

Love Always, 

Me

Not that anyone is really going to hold me to it or even remember that I said it, but I did promise that this next post would be all about running.  Not a bad morning to write all about running either.  Just such a GORGEOUS time of year to be returning to more consistent mileage.  I probably spent more time taking pictures and stretching my wonky hamstring today than I did actually running around Beaver Lake but I did fit in some joyful miles.

Joyful steps
Dirt under my feet
Fall colors peeking out from the green hills on the horizon
Smoky cool clouds rising above the water
Rays of sunshine shining down on my
     happy
smiling
      grateful
face.

Joyful.  That's how I'd describe my running lately.  The joy has returned to it and this has made all the difference.  After a summer of just a little bit of running here and there, I'm truly getting excited to be training for something again. As I build my base and dust off my running heart, I'm excited to see my paces pick up and to feel that tired happy focused feeling when I go to bed at night.  I still think I'm at a place in my life where I want my training/running to be a bit more low key than it has been before. Although I'm excited to train more and increase the mileage a tad, I'm at a different season in my life as far as goals relating to clock time, higher mileage, etc.  These things just aren't as important to me. And I'm pretty sure my body is on the same page as my heart and spirit here.  It just isn't 100% and it needs lots of loving care if I want to be running for LIFE.  I do admit that it is likely that my goals will change as training starts in late December.  Right now I might say clock time doesn't matter so much but this always seems to change as I start putting so much time and commitment into training.  Time goals have a way of creeping in there.

There were so many Running-Related things I wanted to write about this morning but I find myself out of time.  I have a beautiful boy waiting for me to pick him up from preschool.  And we just might have to head back to Beaver Lake for a picnic on the a hillside.  Just a few things I hope to get to on here soon and if I don't then I'll be posted about them on Facebook and Twitter:

• Active Release Therapy.  I'm looking into this as something that might help with my chronic left hamstring issue.  I posted on this earlier this morning on my Runninghood Facebook and got lots of positive comments.  Looks like so many of you have had success with this!  
• Boston Training Plans.  I have no idea what plan I will use for my Boston training.  I'm open to suggestions on this!  I guess I could make my own up but I really like having one to follow.  Recommendations?  I've used several different plans from books but I'm looking for something I haven't tried yet.  I'm also still thinking that it would be nice to have someone else just tell me what to do too...having a coach can be so nice!  Definitely takes the thinking out of it.
• Savannah Rock n' Roll.  As of now, all my previous plans for this half marathon have fallen through.  Savannah is on my list of places I want to visit before we move back to Portland for sure!  This half marathon is on my 35th birthday, only 4 hours away, and I'll be running it for free as a gift from being a Brooks runner. Why not?!  My family can't come because it conflicts with other plans.  So, there is a part of me that is feeling young and crazy enough to just get in my car at 2 a.m, drive down there for the race and head back up that evening.  Ha!  Or find a hotel but that's tricky this close to the race.  
• Asheville Marathon.  I'm really excited to have this as part of my spring training schedule.  It is March 16th and if my body cooperates, I'd like to do it and use it as a training run for Boston.  As many of you know, I've done this before and had success with it.  What a great experience too!  Running a marathon through the Biltmore Estate and seeing parts of it that are never opened to the public sounds pretty amazing in itself.  Not to mention that I don't have long here in gorgeous Asheville so I might as well make the most of it (just like Savannah).  I'd love if some of you signed on to this marathon with me.  I'd even be willing to run a different pace if one or a group of you would like someone to run with them or pace them towards a goal.  It is also a Boston Marathon qualifier.  Check it out for sure!  And if you register, click on the button on the top right of my blog and include Amanda@Runninghood in the referral box and you'll receive a running-related gift from one of the race sponsors.  Also, feel free to e-mail me if you have questions:  amanda.runninghood@gmail.com.  

• GOTR (Girls on the Run).  Yes, I wish I had time to rave about this!  So much to say.  In the meantime, just saying that I LOVE this program and I love what I'm seeing it do for my daughter.  I hope to get much much more involved in this soon.  

• Running Shoes.  More later on some shoes I'm loving lately and what I'd like to try. All Brooks of course.  Love my Brooks Running Shoes!  Thanks for making a great product again and again Brooks!  Honored to represent your company.  
• Training Races/Runs Coming Up! 

And I'm off!  I would love to hear from you if you have any information on Active Release Therapy, Suggestions for plans to use for Boston Training,  if you want to join me for the Asheville Marathon, etc.  Really, I'd love to hear from you...PERIOD!

Amanda 

You can also find Runninghood on:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Runninghood

Instagram:  http://instagram.com/runninghood

Twitter:      https://twitter.com/Runninghood1