Miles 540-549: Stiff but sweet

Yesterday James and I tackled the sad mess that I cringed to call a backyard.

I raked, James mowed, and we both cleaned off the deck, trimmed the hedges, and straightened up a couple of our flower beds.

So upon waking this morning, I was not surprised to find myself with sore shoulders, a stiff back, and blistered hands.

We had talked about doing a run in Umstead over this Thanksgiving holiday, but last Monday James stepped in a hole at work and rolled his ankle. While not sprained too badly, it was still tender enough to warrant wearing a soft ankle brace and avoid any unstable surfaces.

We headed out for a run this morning, James testing his ankle by running the first 5.5 of my 10 planned miles.

It was definitely a struggle today; a reminder that perhaps heading back to the gym for some strength training this winter wouldn't be a bad idea.

Miles 540-549: Loving this weird fall - 71°, baby!

Miles 537.5-539: A Day at the Museum

Friday, November 25th was another beautiful, blue-skied day in North Carolina.

James and I used the holiday from work to explore the North Carolina Museum of Art

We wandered the galleries...

....peaked in at the restaurant (awesome installation piece by Chapel Hill's Patrick Dougherty)...

....strolled the garden....

...and explored the path through the sculpture garden.

Miles 537.5-539: 2.5 miles strolling in the sun.

Miles 524-532 and Miles 533-537.5: Gratitude

Thanksgiving
By Ralph Waldo Emerson


For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.



(...and for endless spaces and places to run.)

Miles 514-518 and 519-523: Home again

Break of Reality:



Break from reality:

Despite being just a hop, skip and a jump from Thanksgiving, the temperatures in St. Louis this weekend has been in the upper 60s. I came prepared for winter with my running tights and long-sleeve tech shirts have not needed either on my runs in Queeny this weekend.

Tomorrow morning we bury my paternal grandfather; as I was preparing to come home on Thursday, I discovered this group on Pandora and on an impulse bought the album Spectrum of the Sky. I don't normally run with music, but when my sister Emily said she was planning to when we went yesterday, I grabbed mine, too. This album has been an amazing soundtrack to running through the park.

Autumn is drawing to a close here; though sunny, it has been blustery and the trees are loosing the last of their leaves. Running the perimeter path in Queeny you can actually see through the large bare branches over the rolling hills down the path upon which you run.

Both runs have been incredibly soothing; and I realized how far I've come to think that a 5-miler in a hilly park at a good clip is therapeutic.

Miles 514-523: Two runs in Queeny; one for Da, one for Maw Maw. Love always.

Miles 503-505, 506-510, 511-513: Whirlwind

After taking a week off, I ran a quick 3 miler on the treadmill last Monday, packed my bags Tuesday, and headed back to St. Louis for my sister's wedding. Friday morning I snuck in a 5-miler in my favorite park before dancing my heart out at the reception on Saturday.

Tuesday, my family lost it's patriarch; I lost my Da. Da was Maw Maw's husband. My father has lost both of his parents in six months. So I will be heading back to STL on Friday for a huge celebration of his long and colorful life.

Yesterday James and I took advantage of the mild weather and did a quick 3 miler in the neighborhood. It was slightly balmy and, thanks to "falling-back", dark.

My head is a whirlwind of joy, sorrow, and tiredness.