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!