sarvangasana

Miles today: 3.0

Miles this week: 5.2

Miles in 2010: 151.7

today was a super busy day and a yucky weather day. I've been trying to run in the morning because it makes my day a lot shorter than when I run at night...

so this morning, I woke up earlier than usual and actually went for a run. a neighborhood close by mine, Boxwood, is a great place for me to run to, and the loop is three miles, so it's a good distance too. The only problem with this run is that it's SUPER hilly and I'm always slow on it...but I suppose that's okay because I don't always have to be fast when I'm just out there getting miles in...right?

anyway, I went to work after my run, had an average day (I did get to help my friend Kelly and see her cute kiddos), and then left work a little early because I had planned on going to yoga at the downtown Y. it started at 6, and i got there just in time...but the weather had kind of started to get bad, so not too many people were in the class...just me and 4 others. That was kind of nice...it was a little more personal. After, I had to hurry out of class to head over to the LRRC monthly meeting at Monte Carlo's.

Yoga is so good for you. As a runner, it's PERFECT for stretching and lengthening the body. It makes me feel so good afterwards and I'm just sorry that I haven't been doing it for awhile. You'll probably read a lot more about yoga in the coming year because it's just so good for me to do it. Above, you see a man doing a pose called sarvangasana or shoulder stand. I love this pose because during it you can do a lot of different things with your legs and it makes you feel kind of super power-ish.

The video below is of Bryan Kest, a famous yoga instructor with a studio in Santa Monica, just going over some pointers for people in his class. I love how he's very hands-on with his students. I bet he'd be amazing to take a class from...maybe someday.

In the meantime, you'll find me at the local YMCA supplementing my running with amazing yoga classes. I'm so thankful for teachers like Christine and Leesa, who really are devoted to the practice.

Namaste. I bow to you.

How important is physical fitness?

I like graphs and charts a lot, so I like to add them after I've had a poll. Interestingly enough, more than half of the 25 people who voted on the poll: Do you enjoy running in the snow? voted that they do like it. I was surprised by the results.

This week's poll is about physical fitness, inspired by Michelle Obama's segment on Good Morning America. She's launching a campaign to battle childhood obesity. It's called "Let's Move" and it includes a proposal to put $1 billion a year toward the movement for the next ten years. How awesome is that? Check out her story below.

Miles today: 2.2

Miles this week: 2.2

Miles in 2010: 148.7

Ran a few miles in my neighborhood tonight with Jeff. My 1.1 mile loop isn't an easy one, and we did it twice. Can I call it a rest day? Eh, not really. Thanks for running, Captain!

Lynchburg Mt. Everest

Miles today: 3.3

Miles this week: 27.7

Miles in 2010: 146.5

I know, I know, there is no Mt. Everest in Lynchburg...but after the record snowstorms in the past few weeks, it does kind of look like we have snow mountains when you drive through shopping center parking lots around here.

Gregg and I went to early mass and then stopped by the grocery store so I could get stuff for baked potato soup for the Super Bowl tonight. We had a noon appointment with Captain Snow Crunch for an afternoon run.

We met in the Food Lion parking lot in Boonsboro and did about 3 miles behind the shopping center on Burnt Bridge, Indian Hill, and Mimosa.

If you've never run Burnt Bridge Road, you wouldn't realize how going up and down the hills there is pretty tough. On the way out toward Indian Hill Road, I didn't notice the hill as much, but on the way back, as you pass Peakland Pool, I was determined not to be lazy as I ran up the hill.

I pulled ahead of Gregg and Jeff (not because I'm faster than them, but just because they weren't pushing hard at that point) and pushed out the hill with consistent strides and awesome breathing. It felt so good.

Jeff said that I put my hands on my hips when I got to the top of the hill in a "look at me go" fashion...but what I really was doing was putting my hands on my hips because I was tired from the hill and needed a place to rest them. Haha.

Anyway, when we got back to the Food Lion parking lot, Jeff suggested climbing on the snow mountains, so I got out my camera and clicked a few shots...here are a few:

Jeff and Gregg pondering the sky...

pretending to be tough

I don't know what they were doing...

me and Jeff at the top of the mountain.

after the run, went home to make baked potato soup and then went to yoga at the Jamerson Y...haven't been in a long while, so it was great to get that stretching in, and Christy, the teacher, was excellent. Saw a few fellow runners in class...(hi Lloyd!) and had a great workout.

Got home just in time to pack up the soup and head out to watch the game...can't help but say that I'm proud of the Saints for dominating after the first quarter and I kind of enjoyed seeing Peyton lose. Is that mean? who cares!?

I will also admit (like Patterson) that my favorite commercial during the game was the Google.com ad about falling in love in Paris. so romantic. I think Gregg and Jeff gagged like 100 times during it. Watch it below.

great day, great run, great yoga, great game. :)

A Habit?

Miles today: 6.0
Miles this week: 24.5
Miles in 2010: 143.3

I've been going strong for 5 weeks in a row...and I've heard so many times before that it takes about 21 days to develop a habit. Well, folks...I think the habit is formed.

For all of my supporters out there, thanks for believing in me. I feel like every day of Project Three Six Five has gotten easier. I used to leave work at 6 or 7 at night with my backpack full of running clothes and head straight home, despite the hope that I would run each night.

Now, even if I haven't run early in the morning (which I usually don't), I just lace up and head out to run after work. I definitely have formed a habit and find that it's usually pretty easy to go for a run.

For all of my skeptics, I hope I've swayed you to believe that I will complete this project! I keep hearing encouraging words from all kinds of runners (I'd never expect) that I've helped encourage them or others.

How encouraging is that?!

In fact, Mike, a customer from the store, mentioned on Facebook today, "I ate 6 Oreos at 8 in the morning :-) ....great job Heather, your persistence, drive and determination is a great example for many!!" in response to my status about running 6 miles at 8am. Just reading that response made me feel so good.

Honestly, when I started out with this whole thing, I really was only worried about encouraging myself, because I was my own worst enemy. I always have been. I'd either talk myself out of a run or convince myself that I wasn't a good runner or believe that running wasn't as important as something else I have to do.

Now, things have become very different. I don't talk myself out of running because, #1: I know I have to and #2: I want to.

I don't convince myself that I'm not a good runner because, #1: I already know that I'm better than I was in December and #2: being a good runner really doesn't matter.

I just feel really excited and confident about the process of growing as a runner. Sure...I've got tons to learn about what my body can handle and how to get better at running...but isn't a habit a great thing to form when you're trying to get better at something?

This morning, I woke up around 7:15 to go meet the guys at Peakland United Methodist for the Saturday run. I was sooooooo tired and didn't want to get out of bed. But, I got up, got dressed, and rode with Gregg as we drove through the snow/ice crunchiness in our neighborhood. Some trees were falling over on the main neighborhood road to get out to Wiggington, but the rest of the way (501 Expressway and Boonsboro Road) was pretty clear.

I didn't have a running partner to meet when we got to the church, and sometimes I feel a little bummed that I don't have a group of folks to run with that are dedicated like Gregg and his guys, but it's ok, because in time, I will. Brian and Jeff were the only two dedicated guys to show up today. Danny, where were you?

Anyway, I decided to run between 5 and 6 miles, so I headed down Boonsboro to Peakland with the guys and then let them take off ahead. Right away I could feel that my legs were tired. I think 35 days of running has taken its effect on my muscles. It wasn't horrible, but I definitely could tell I need a "rest" day. Maybe tomorrow.

I ran up Peakland on the half that was plowed and then headed down Rivermont to the store. When I got there, I turned right on Magnolia and Columbia and then another right on Bedford to go back up the hill past the 7-11. Turned left on Rivermont and headed back the way I came. I noticed a few more footprints on the run back, and they were pretty far apart, so I knew someone else had to be out running too.

The snow picked up on the 2nd half of the run and I was hit by two slush splashes from cars who had more than enough room to move over so as not to splash me, but ignored it. I headed back down Peakland and up to the church, looked down at the Garmin and saw I had gone 5.55 miles, and decided to leave Gregg a quick note to tell him I was going to run the rest of the way down to Starbucks and that I'd see him there.

There wasn't any paper in the truck, so I tore a page out of the phone book, wrote my note, stuck it under the windshield wiper, and headed out. Just when I got to Starbucks, my watch hit 6.0 and I'm not going to lie, I am a girl who likes exactos.

So I headed inside, stretched and chatted, and waited for the guys.

When they arrived, we all got drinks (for me: a skinny vanilla latte, my usual) and I delighted in one of the tasty croissants (yum!). We hung around talking about rock climbing, kayaking, and running races...all of which I'm sure will involve my year in some way...then hit the road.

On our way out, I thought that it might be fun to stop at my sister, Meghan's house, so I gave her a buzz and invited Gregg and I over. My brother-in-law, Ed, answered and just so happened to be making pancakes, so he invited us to join them. My niece, Ella, who is the most adorable thing and says the funniest things (like, perhaps when she told Meghan that she wanted to work at a running store and when she visits me at work, has to help put shoes on my mom or sister) was excited to see us in the morning, and asked me to paint her toenails after she saw that mine were a lovely shade of hot pink (thanks to the pedicure last week).

After breakfast, we got dressed to play in the snow a little and Ella and I swung on the swing for awhile. She thought it was so fun, especially because we were so close to the ground to start.

Hurried home because I had to work (store was opened for a few hours today) and then spent the evening chilling with my lovey...at Target and Dick's Sporting Goods...(okay, I'm not going to lie, I sometimes go there to spy).

It was a great day. Here's to a good habit.

Do You Really Need Snowshoes in Lynchburg?

Miles today: 4.8

Miles this week: 18.5

Miles in 2010: 137.3

I still can't believe that we've had 15 + 14 + 4 inches of snow in Lynchburg in the past two months!

Right now it's raining ice outside and I'm just glad that I had someone to run with this afternoon.

We closed the store a little early because of the roads, and just before Chris was getting ready to leave, I asked if he needed a ride home (he ran to work). He said no, that he was going to run back, and I suggested that I run with him, being that I hadn't run yet today. He was all for it...and initially we were just going to run a mile to his house and then I would have come back alone...but then we got to talking and decided to run all the way to the end of Peakland.

I was pumped. Why?

A. I never ran with Chris before.
B. It was snowing and I love running in the snow.
C. We closed the store early, so my run would be in daylight.

I kept warning Chris how slow I would be and that he needed to be ready for it, but he said he didn't mind, so we went on our way.

Basically, the roads were covered with slush and the sidewalks were covered with snow, so anywhere we tried to run was messy.

It was fun to run with Chris because we got to talk about things we don't normally...just about running in general.

I was hoping to stop by his house after the run to have some hot chocolate with Lori, his wife, and Noah, Kristen, and Ben, his three kids, but his road wasn't very plowed, so I dropped him at the corner and made my way home...

Thanks for running, Chris! It was splendid.