9.7 miles of running, photographing, and blogging

All this talk about content and inspiration got me thinking about how much blogging inspires me. Not  is it my only inspiration, by any means, but on days when a long run or a hilly bike ride seems scary, daunting, or even impossible, the idea that finishing it will provide me with some solid content for a blog post helps nudge me along. Feeling that way yesterday morning, as I mentally prepared for my first ten mile training run, I decided to make the route, and the post about it, extra interesting. I mapped a course through a touristy DC, planning to take pictures of myself along the way, using each iconic landmark as a small bit of inspiration to get me through the next mile or two.

I started my run and .25 miles later, was at the National Zoo.

I ran through the zoo and was reminded of many runs there with Nikki and Hadley last winter.

Ran down 18th Street in Adam's Morgan,

And a block from Dupont Circle.

I passed the White House,

and the Treasury Building.

Got back to nature as I ran through grass for .2 miles,

and ran by the Washington Monument with it's 4 foot earthquake scar.

Then by the World War II Memorial,

and Lincoln.

Away from Lincoln,

by the Kennedy Center,

and the Watergate Hotel.

Up a steep, short hill to Georgetown Cupcake.

Then up a very long, equally steep one to the National Cathedral.

And after 9.7 miles (oops), I was home. Very ready for a good sandwich and smoothie.

I read all these running blogs where girls take pictures of themselves on or after their run and I wonder how they do it. Because... how can you focus on running if you're worried about photographing yourself and your surroundings throughout. And, as it turns out, I was right to be concerned. This run, which was supposed to be made easier with the landmarks and the photos, was actually much more challenging. For one, I held my phone in my left hand, instead of wearing it on my arm, so I could snap some many quick shots. I also, even though most of these photos were taken while running, stopped way more often than I normally do, failing to get in the groove that gets me through most of my longer runs- the groove, after about five miles, where my legs start to work like a machine.

So the lesson I've learned is to to take these things seriously. If a run or a ride is scary or daunting, it is so for a reason. And, though this blog is important to me, the blog needs to remain about the run or the bike ride, and not the other way around. As I train for the Baltimore Half Marathon, I will continue to tell you about my training runs but I don't think I'll show them to you. I am scheduled to run 11.0 next Saturday and I plan to do at least that. I'm sure I will be scared of it but I will take it seriously. And I will let i love lucy inspire, but not distract, me. I would love requests on exciting routes to run in DC!

In other news, I hope everyone (on the east coast) is surviving the hurricane. I got very little exercise today but I did a lot of cooking, cleaning, lounging, and laughing. I also ate a lot of junk. If anyone wants to come eat cake tomorrow, please do!