The Run- The Daily Triumph

               Running, in part, is so exciting because it's very much like a mini battle, in which you win every time you complete the run. When done, I'm all smiles and beaming for hours later. The struggles of each particular run is soon forgotten for the afterglow felt at the end takes all that away and makes it vanish. The sheer glee experienced from a task accomplished glosses over any discomforts felt during that run, the burn, the breathlessness, the restlessness, gone! Therefore, it's no surprise I define this feeling after each run as a 'triumph'......my daily dose of triumph. 

              I use to have a bumper sticker on my car that read, "Running is cheaper than therapy" and I truly feel that running is only cheaper, but also much, much better than therapy, or drugs, or anything else one might think up to fix our everyday issues. As someone who has bordered depression all her life, I can attest to the amazing, long-lasting change in mood brought about by simply running regularly, being outdoors, and being alone with my thoughts while running and being outdoors. 

              For this reason alone I feel a huge sense of comraderie towards other runners. I feel like this one simple, common, yet powerful thread of running, is so strong, so right, so precise in its impact, that once I know someone is a runner I not only trust them without question, but I also feel I know them already. 

             Every day I go out for a run I feel so proud to have this one  amazing thing in my life that has brought me so much in so many levels. I feel blessed to be able to move, to learn from my body, to push my limits and to hopefully inspire others to do the same. Now I need to head home to make dinner and then go out to get my DAILY TRIUMPH. 

Winter Running Tips

                  I started out the winter just absolutely hating running the cold, hating the time change, hating the loss of light. I still hate the time change and the loss of light, but at least now I love running in the cold. So I am here to share a few secrets to help you start running in the cold....with a smile. 

1. You must have the right gear. If you are cold when you first go out you will probably begin to dread going out, each time after. Buy the right gear for the cold. Look at magazines and get ideas, read online reviews of what type of clothes will work, join a running community and ask questions. Luckily, it's the holidays, so whatever you think you may be missing, slap it on a google wish list and share with family. I don't have a lot, but I have the right hat for me that keeps me toasty, I have the right tops, the right jacket, I even have 3 pair of shoes so if one gets wet in the snow, I could let it dry by rotating. If you go out and feel totally freezing, you don't have the right clothes. Because your body will feel 20 degrees hotter once you get going, you have to feel just a tad cold when you first go out, but not freezing. 

2. Change the way you think. Most cold days when I go out I see very few other runners. Think, the less runners you see out there, the more badass you are! 

3. Really....don't mind the elements. This past run I just had I was trying hard to avoid puddles. It had snowed and when the sun came out it all started melting into puddles. I was only doing an 8 mile run, so I decided, after unsuccessfully avoiding some puddles, to not care anymore if I stepped on puddles. That is when the fun began. My hot, swollen feet at mile 5-6 felt absolutely amazing every time I ran through a puddle and the cold water rushed into my shoes, giving my feet a much-needed ice bath. 

4. Take pictures. Things look different when it's cold. Use your camera phone and snap a few pictures each time you experience anything beautiful. Think, people at a crowded gym in the winter do not get to see what you see. 

So go out there and have a blast.....badass!!

I did it....I got up early to run

                        It has been so cold lately I have not been able to get out to run, leaving me with one awful option, working out at the gym. So at 5am this morning when my alarm went off, more than half of me begged and kicked to go back to bed for an hour.....but I fought it hard, drank my coffee and headed out the door....BOY WAS IT AMAZING!!......not only did I feel great finally running on pavement again, but I also ran a faster 3 miles than usual....when I got back to my apartment I caught the sun coming up making the whole sky this beautiful orange-red color (see image above). Cannot wait for my long run tomorrow.