All About Running

After last night's football game, somehow we didn't get to sleep until 1:00 in the morning. Who do we think we are, college students? Needless to say, Terry and I were exhausted when our alarm (Scout) went off (jumped up on our television) at 7:00 today. So I wasn't too sure I'd be in the mood for a run, but I forced myself into my workout clothes and charged my iPod while Terry headed out for a few hours at work (he's so important!).

Pictures from last night's game.

A note on music - I really love running with music, but I'm pretty picky. When I find songs that work, I can listen to them on repeat for an entire workout. A song that brings me down can seriously affect my motivation. Terry doesn't run with music. Perhaps my thoughts aren't as interesting as his, but I think it's also that I use running to clear my head and get away from other stressors. (<--My Google spell check thinks "stressors" isn't a word, but it is. I looked it up to double check. Plus I've been using it for years, so that would have been embarrassing.) When Terry and I run together, I leave my iPod at home, but if we're not talking I'm in pain!

The goal today was to run into Westwood, but I didn't have an exact turnaround spot. Running from our apartment to the edge of the main part of Westwood is only about 1.25 miles, maybe less depending on the route, but today I managed to run all the way to campus! It was a full 4.75 miles. Whew! I've only run that far one other time, right before our wedding. It feels great that I've gotten back to that point of in-shape-ness (<-- not a word. I agree with Google this time) without a wedding dress to motivate me! The first mile was tough, and I hit a bunch of stoplights, which is probably why I was able to go as far as I did, but I ran the whole way when the lights were green.

Things I love about running in the morning:

• Cooler weather, even in LA
• A good run in the morning boosts my metabolism and helps burn fat throughout the rest of the day
• Getting the workout done early means I can't talk myself out of doing it later
• The neighborhood is so much quieter and more peaceful. In LA, we're very used to tons of traffic and cars honking at each other, so a break from that chaos gives me a great feeling

Things I love about running in the afternoon/evening:

• It relieves all the stress from the day
• I'm more hydrated and have more calories in me to get through the run
• If Terry and I run together, we can catch up on our work days and usually engage in other fun conversations, like talking about the future or Scout
• Running past all the cars stopped in traffic gives me an odd sense of triumph, even though I was usually just in that traffic
• The day's over, so I can take my time winding down when I get home from the run

My favorite running technology

• MyTracks, a FREE running app by Google that tracks your route (no matter what mode of transportation), documents start and end points, calculates average moving speed, takes into account any stopping, provides a GPS map of your route, and a few other awesome statistics about your run/walk. Plus, you can upload all the information to your computer in spreadsheet form.
• MapMyRun.com, a website that helps you plan your routes for a run or walk. Though I didn't plan my route today, I usually love having a number of miles in my head to keep me motivated. When I know I'm going to run, say, 3.2 miles, I feel more compelled to go the whole way.

Post-Run Breakfast

After my big run this morning (okay, half my friends are busy training for marathons, so I know 4.75 miles isn't really that impressive, but it is for me!), I wasn't all that hungry but knew I needed to refuel. I made an egg sandwich and enjoyed a glass of milk.

Yummy post-run breakfast.

Time to get the day started!