Life

There is life in this home tonight...our kids were WOUND and out of control; Aunt Ashley is here, she and Kari are laughing on the couch...the babies, an hour after going to bed, are still jabbering. The dog is licking; has been for an hour and now the house smells vaguely of corn chips. The TV is on, as are many lights. And I gotta say...I would not have it any other way.

Trail v. Pavement

Running is a good thing. I really like it. I'm also falling back in love with the bike, but that is for another time. Today I trail ran; a coupling of the run and hiking in the woods. There is something seriously addictive about running on dirt, dodging rocks and roots, getting a little muddy when it is wet out, smelling the earth...5 miles does not seem far when it is through the woods. Road running is kinda mindless -- I can wander about mentally, listen to sermons and music, pretty much unplug. Trail runs require focus -- gotta be aware of what is in front of me cuz one bad step and I'm on the ground. I could get really used to running in the woods; maybe a day week for sure...next 'race' I'll do is Sycamore 8 on 05 Dec. That is a fun event; last year there was a foot of snow on the ground. This year is looking differently (especially considering it is 60 today and forecast to be so for the next 2 weeks!). It has been really great reconnecting with the part of me that is wired up to be outside, in the woods, hiking/biking/running/camping/fishing...This is a great fix and something that I more and more cherish being able to do. Next up, a night run with the headlamp...

August and Everything After...

Great album.

Has it really been August? Ugh.

Thinking about some things of late...running for one. I know I'm a bit obsessed. I am not training for anything right now (Sycamore 8 trail run is in Dec, I think), yet I still am tracking miles and setting distance goals in my brain each week. I figured out this week, though, that I am not necessarily doing so for a 'goal', but rather for me. The running I do is for me -- it is selfish, possibly, but it is for my own mental, physical, and spiritual benefit. I really love it, I love how it feels when I'm going and when I'm done, and I love the clarity it brings.

All that to say...thinking about a longer race next summer/fall. This may become the 'training/complaining/all things preparing' journal. Read on if you like; might be my own benefit? We shall see...