running.

i started running because it was the only time no one could bother me.  true story.  i could leave the cell phone in the house, grab my ipod, and disappear into the streets of charleston for half an hour or so.  i did it one day so i could get away, and the next day so i couldn't be bothered, and then i did it because it felt good.  and then, after much coaxing, i did my first race.  my running partner, amber, had been running for months before she roped me into it.  she told me how much fun races were and that i should try one.

july 4, 2009, was my first 5k.  i haven't looked back.  we had a race on saturday and even though my time wasn't what i wanted it to be, i can tell my endurance is increasing!  what a great feeling of accomplishment when i can run the entire race without stopping.  except for water of course.  i just can't get over the physics of swallowing while bouncing and breathing.  its still a victory as far as i'm concerned.


my motivations have changed a bit.  i love how my legs look better now that i've been running for more than a year.  i love that i have somebody else who will suffer through the miles with me; what a bonding experience, trudging through mud and snow and gravel in all weather conditions.  but days like today, when i don't have a running partner and don't particularly care how great my butt is looking these days, i still turn to running to get away.


i got absorbed into pete yorn and the crunching of the leaves for a few miles and felt so much better about life.    now that i'm not on the road and working weird hours i remember how much i loved running in the first place.  it feels so good to be back.

a great day for a drive.

while at first i was a bit miffed that i was the one who got stuck driving almost two hours (one way) to visit a new location, i changed my tune as soon as i got into the mountains.  when it wasn't raining, the sun was shining perfectly on the trees, making those bright oranges and yellows and reds pop against the green and brown that i'm so used to seeing where i am.  it hasn't hit here yet, where the trees look like gingers with their red tops and nothing else.

four hours in the car, the black keys and band of skulls as my soundtrack, i flew down highways and interstates and tried to pay attention to the road, but the great music and gorgeous scenery made it more than difficult.

four hours in a car will make you think about a lot of things.  i looked around me and thought about how lucky i am to live in such a beautiful state.  almost makes all the things i hate about it slip away. well, at least for four hours, anyway.