Run to yoga!

Marathon training week: 1 of 18
Marathon Plan: 3 miles

Time of departure: 5:20pm
Return: 5:53pm

Sunrise: 6:41am
Sunset: 4:31pm
Phase of the moon: Waxing crescent, 33%
Temperature: 34F. Cold!
Lake Temp: 50F

Route: From Yoga Now down the lakefront, back to yoga class. It's easier to do a yoga class after a 3 mile run than doing a WAD class after a run. Because there's less jumping!

Approx Distance: 3 miles
Running buddy: Just me.
Clothing: shoes, socks, yoga pants, long sleeve t, wind breaker, hat.

The Drive Activity: there were a lot of cars.

People tally, on the path:
0 Walkers
4 Runners, 3 of them were women, 2 of whom I saw twice
6? Cyclists, 5 men, 1 woman.
0? People with dogs

What did I eat pre-run? A salad. It was good.
How did I feel? Good. I started to feel like I had more control today; for instance, I could sense I was bopping along and then shift my stride so that it was smoother. I felt like I could manipulate more where the effort, or lack of effort, would occur in my body.
What do I like about running? It's a good way for me to check in with my body and means to gage how everything is working. For instance, I was feeling a bit of extra tightness or something behind my lateral right knee. And I had a sense that my left hip wasn't quite happy in it's socket. None of this was pain, and nothing would be noticed sitting on the couch, but while in motion I had more of an awareness of the inside of my body.

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These 3 mile runs feel almost ridiculous now, which is kind of cool. It's as if I don't want to get all sweaty and dirty my clothes for 3 miles. It takes me 2 miles just to feel warmed up, and then I only have 1 mile where it starts to be fun. :) Yet I understand their place in a training program. SOoooo...my compromise seems to have become: run to WAD, run to yoga. This way, I only get sweaty once each day! Plus, well, you know me, I love to cross train and do multi sport sorts of things.

It was dark though. I was thinking about safety and what is involved with being a woman out on the path. I was thinking, maybe I should get a foghorn and carry it with me. AND some pepper spray. Or maybe a foghorn would be enough. I kind of like that idea. But interestingly, it was most solitary women I saw on the path.

This was my first 3 mile run on the route where I usually do 6 miles. It was fun! Kind of like those days of school when you only go for half the time. It feels worth it, going to school, just so you can go home early.

Yoga was awesome. I'm really like this Ashtanga yoga stuff. Something about me I've realized is true: I like routine. Ritual. Consistency. I know knowing what's coming next. I also like not knowing what's coming next, if we're talking about life on a grander scheme, but I do appreciate a certain bedrock. I liked that about Army training and certain things about the Army in general. I like taking the monkey mind out of it and learning to do things in a flow. I like being able to witness the most subtle increases in strength, flexibility, knowledge and body awareness which is easier to do when the routine is constant from day to day.

I'm beginning to know the Ashtanga series a bit now. I'm able to make guesses about which posture is coming next, and sometimes I'm right! I feel my body is beginning to learn how to move into postures that 3 weeks ago it was very confused by and ignorant of. Oh, growth is so fun!