My Turtle Outback

Sunday Run-Day came and went. But not without a run this time! I rolled out of bed around 7am and told myself to munch a piece of PB toast and head out. I'd look at the clock and make a deal with myself, "ok, 10 minutes and you have to get ready to go." then 20 minutes would go by and I'd find myself still sitting, with the thought, "you'd be done by now if you weren't so lazy". 5 hours later I was still sitting on the couch... only now wondering if I'd get my run in by the time I needed to leave for church! I sure hope I lose this procrastination thing before I have to head out for 10+ miles or I'll find myself running at midnight...or, maybe I should start midnight Saturday night? I might then get started by noon on Sunday.

I headed out from my place and made a bee-line for the Spokane Club. This out-and-back gives me about 2 miles according to mapmyrun.com. It was a balmy 45ish and sunny with a slight breeze. I noticed my hands were cold and my ears were chilled but I know better...I'd have thrown my gloves off within 10 minutes if I'd had worn them. I start to feel irritated if I end up wearing or carrying anything extra which means I am perfectly ok with freezing at the start of my run because in no way do I want to be uncomfortably hot. I certainly deal with cold a ton better than heat. Heat gives me the feeling of claustrophobia or suffocation...just thinking about it makes me cringe.  For this reason I'm thankful that Bloomsday volunteers make it possible to discard layers for charity along the route or I'd be super cold or super cranky!

About 3 years ago I decided it would be fun to roll my ankle during the intense routines of step-aerobics. I thought I had a bad sprain but apparently I actually broke off a piece of bone in my joint. I was out for 6 weeks on crutches and a waking boot and was basically given the choice to 'let it be' or have an arthroscopy done to remove the piece. The combination of possibly being off my feet for the entire summer and with the online research I had done regarding arthroscopy, I decided to let it be. The result has been a finicky ankle that flares up with the change of the weather or within the first 5 or so minutes of any physical activity. I usually ignore it and it soon goes away. So on this run when my ankle threw a little tantrum, I told the discomfort to take a hike and once it warmed up a bit, it did. Other than that, the run was smooth.



I thought about doing something along the lines of a 'Kenyan Outback' which is running an 'out-and-back' only your 'back' is faster than your 'out'. After fussing with my IPOD (which decided to freeze on me) my out ended up around the 11:30 range while my back was around 10:20. Technically this is a successful Kenyan Outback but because of the s-l-o-w time....I'm going to call it a Turtle Outback.