I came to a realization on Sunday about running – when it feels like something I get to do versus something I feel like I have to do. What’s the difference between running feeling like a treat and just another item on my to do list?

If I get up one day knowing I plan to run, but with no specific plans on when, it hangs over my head all day. I know it needs to get done and I often let it become another item on my to do list, right between the laundry and the dishes. But if I make a specific plan on when I will run it becomes something I get to do. For example, this past Sunday I got up in the morning knowing I would go for a run around 4:00 PM. It’s like once I make that decision then I don’t need to consider it, I just follow through with it.

Obviously if I just get up and go for a run in the morning, that takes care of the whole conundrum. But sometimes it’s nice to have a relaxing morning on the weekend where you can just sip coffee, read the newspaper or watch some TV, and chill.

The crazy thing is this issue of running being a fun activity versus a chore only exists for me on the weekend. During the week I primarily run in the evening after work, but it never bothers me. Some days I come home from work excited for my run. Other days I come home from work tired, but knowing I need to get that run in before my day is complete. Either way, it’s totally different from the weekend. Maybe that’s because my work days are more structured? Or maybe it’s that whole decision thing again. It’s already been planned so there’s no debate about it.

And then there are the times when running becomes both fun and a chore all at the same time. This is something I typically experience when I’m following a training plan. I enjoy the process of training, and the challenge that it presents. And I also love the structure of it, even if that sometimes makes running feel like another task on the list. I’ve been enjoying a pretty loose training routine, sans schedule, since the Hokie Half. But starting Monday I’m planning on beginning a structured 6 week base training plan.  Time to start racking up the miles and building a strong base for the spring!

What makes running/working out a fun activity versus a chore for you? Who else will be doing some base training this winter? 

Happy Veterans Day! Thank you to all of those who have served our country and protected our freedom. Also, thank you the families and love ones of veterans. And a big happy (belated) 240th birthday to the USMC! (I’m a patriot)

This week’s Wednesday Word is ageless. Wednesday Word is a linkup hosted by Debbie from DebRuns. Click on the button below to see who else is linking up today and to join in!

The word ageless means not aging, not appearing to age, undying, eternal, and lasting forever. But that’s not what I’m going to specifically talk about. Because when I hear the word ‘ageless’ the first thing that comes to mind is that time ceases to matter. And the moments for me, when time ceases to matter, are the ones spent out on a run.

I think this can apply to other types of exercise for other people, but for me it’s most applicable in running. When I’m out on the trails or a road or bike path, everything else gets put on hold. Sure, I may spend some time or even an entire run thinking about things in life, but simultaneously life is kind of at a standstill. For that hour, two hours, three hours, etc. that I’m out on a run it doesn’t matter what’s going on in the rest of the world. It’s a time where I can just exist and if I only want to focus on putting one foot in front of the other I can. When my run is over it’s back to reality. But in that span between the start of a run and the end, life becomes timeless.

What does ageless mean to you?
Where do you find your escape from reality?

When I posted my weekly workout recap last week, I talked about how it had been an off week for me and I hoped to have a better one this past week. I’m happy to report that I did! Sometimes it can be so hard to get those workouts in, when life and work seem to be wearing you out. But I always feel so much better when I’m working out regularly, and I feel like it resonates in all other aspects of my life as well. I’m linking up with MissSippiPiddlin’ and HoHo Runs to recap how I got back into the swing of things last week.

Monday – Rest.

Tuesday – 3 mile run on the treadmill after work (since it is now pitch dark when I get home from work, boo!)

Wednesday – Cross training – 30 Day Shred level 1 workout

Thursday – Cross training – 10 minute abs and then a lot of cleaning the house

Friday – 5 mile run in the afternoon at Bisset Park. It felt like summer outside! It was 80 degrees and sunny, but no humidity at least. Very unusual for November. I decided to go run my favorite loop for this park. Sometimes it’s nice to go out for a run just to do a route you like, instead of because you need to run for X miles or X amount of time.

Saturday – Back to back workout – 30 Day Shred level 1 immediately followed by a 3 mile progressive run on the treadmill. My in-laws were visiting for the weekend, so I chose to do a workout at home instead of going out for a run to save time. I was able to squeeze this workout in late-morning while everyone else was out doing errands. It felt more like an afternoon workout, though, since I had been up since 5 AM.

I also spent the evening helping Barry blow insulation into the attic. For about two hours, his mom and I broke up forty 20 lb. bales of insulation in a grinder/blower machine. It was hard work and I’m counting that as some cross training, too!

Sunday – 30 minute trail run at Claytor Lake State Park. I first ran out to the overlook on the main trail. Most of the trees have lost their leaves now, but it’s still a pretty view.

On the way back, I did an extra little out and back on a trail that branches off of the main trail. I got a bit lost at one point, but spotted a white blaze on a tree about 20 yards away. Trails can be a bit hard to follow with all of the leaves on the ground when they haven’t been well-traveled. Plus I think I caught the state park in the midst of trail maintenance, since the actual trail looked like this:

It felt good to get back on the main trail, which was easier to follow, and wrap up my run back at the main parking lot. The temperature was around 50 degrees, which is normally perfect for running. But after a very warm week and the fact that it usually feels a bit cooler in the woods, it felt very chilly during this run. No complaints, though!

In total I got in four runs, three cross training sessions, and one complete rest day. It feels good to be back! I need to remember how good I feel, even when it’s just a 10-20 minute workout, as I continue to work on maintaining a regular workout routine.

Have the leaves on the trees in your area passed their peak?
Who else had an unseasonably warm week?

A lot of people consider grocery shopping very tedious, and some even despise it. But it’s something I really enjoy. From the process of making a list, to the actual task, to putting everything away afterwards. I love it.

First, I get to plan some meals and make a list. You know I love a good list. Plus with grocery shopping, you get to mark everything off of your list almost immediately. It’s instantaneously gratifying and you’re getting stuff done. I like to try and navigate the grocery store like a pro. That means writing my list in the order that I know stuff will be in the store. My goal is to be as efficient as possible in the store, and avoid backtracking. It’s a fun game.

Then when I get home, I get in a little workout hauling everything upstairs. Finally, it’s time to put everything away. It’s satisfying restocking the kitchen with fresh foods and thinking about which meals I’ll make first! Call me crazy, but from start to finish, grocery shopping is one chore I love!

Do you enjoy grocery shopping?
Do you use a list when you grocery shop?
What is your favorite chore? Your least favorite? Dishes are my least favorite

Another Wednesday, and with it comes another Wednesday Word! This week’s work is complacent.

Click on the button above to see who else is linking up with DebRun‘s linkup today!

Complacent means being satisfied with yourself or your achievements, smug, and often unconcerned with improving. Usually, when people talk about being complacent, it’s with a negative connotation. But I don’t think it necessarily has to be so.

When I first started running, it was all about running further and getting faster. Every race was for a PR. And that worked pretty well initially, because I was new to running and saw a lot of improvement over a short period of time. But then it slowed down a bit, which is the norm for most people, I think. Then, beginning last year and continuing into this year, I had a bit of a shift. I started running races more for the experience than for the PR. Does this mean I’ve become complacent about my running and racing? Maybe. But for me, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Running a race for fun isn’t for everyone, but it’s something I enjoy. I like to have a couple of key races a year, where I am going for a best time. But for me, not every race has to be run for a PR. It’s okay for some of them to be run for the experience, where I get to have fun and enjoy the experience. Not that running a best time isn’t fun, because it definitely is. But if I’m aiming to run a PR every single time, I’m probably going to have more failures than successes. For me, that would suck the fun out of everything. It’s exciting to go for a PR, but life is stressful enough without making my exercise activities part of that stress.

That being said, I don’t think chasing PR’s is the only determinant of whether or not you’ve become complacent. There are lots of other adventures you pursue within your sport. And if it makes you happy to stick with the “same old, same old” then I say ignore the naysayers and let your freak flag fly.

What does complacency mean to you?
Do you feel that the word ‘complacent’ often has a negative connotation?