National Running Day

Eric alerted me to the fact that today is National Running Day. I felt obliged to participate (partially because I ate a lot of cake this past weekend and satisfied a rather large ice cream craving last night).

The run started out at a nice steady pace and I managed to keep it up for 15 minutes. I probably would have gone a little longer, but I reached the point in my route where I am confronted by a giant hill (one that makes me huff and puff just walking, much less running). After walking up the astoundingly steep, yet short hill, I decided to run again on flat ground. I was marveling at all of the roses in bloom in our neighborhood and how wonderful they smelled in the hot afternoon sun. Then, I hit a wall.

Around minute 9 of my second stretch of running, my legs turned to lead and my lungs shriveled up into raisins. So, I stopped, walked it off, and stretched a little. I tried running again and after only 2 minutes, I was halted by a wave of nausea (from hunger, not exhaustion). I had run completely out of fuel and my body was plotting to digest my legs. Thankfully, I was only about a half mile away from home. With engine lights flashing and my gas tank on empty, I dragged myself up the three flights of stairs and downed a glass of water, a grapefruit Juice Squeeze, and some leftover pasta from last night.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. I felt like Old Mother Hubbard this morning when I opened the fridge, so I made a grocery list and purchased an entire cart full of produce and basics like oatmeal, crackers, and milk. Apparently, I went on vacation a week early and managed to not buy an ounce of food before we left for Santa Cruz. While out, I also picked up another window fan, which is working overtime in our living room. Today peaked at 90 degrees, but was very tolerable inside. Thank you Holmes for manufacturing a cheap, yet effective way of not melting in the summer.

You know what is still on vacation (besides my brain)? My camera. I have yet to pull it out of the suitcase. What kind of blogger have I become? In lieu of a photo of all of the roses that were in bloom on my run today, here is a photo of a lovely flower at the Japanese Garden in May. It isn't a rose, and didn't really smell like anything, so you'll have to use your imagination.