1.) When I became a runner it was a complete lifestyle change for me and one of the first things I gave up was soda and caffeine, here in the last few months I have begun dabbling in the world of coffee. For Christmas me and Stephanie bought a Keurig so I decided to try coffee before a long run for the first time ever. A word of advice to anyone doing this for the first time, be prepared to come out of your skin, by the time I was 2 miles in I was ready to burst into full sprint. I felt like I had become Ryan Hall only I was running 9 minute miles as opposed to being a sub 2:06 marathoner. After a few miles I managed to calm myself down, but now I definitely see why people like to have a cup of coffee before a race.
2.) I think one of the things that amazes me most about running is how the you see things most other people would never notice. A few miles from house is a little two lane road that leads to some beautiful scenery most people never take a second glance at. You come out and run over rolling hills that leads to a road where the trees have made a canopy over top of you that is breathtaking. The little things are sometimes the things that I cherish most about running.
3.) And now I am going to go in the opposite direction one of the constant things I am amazed at is how much trash truly ends up on the streets. Take a look around next time you run, you'll be amazed at how many soda cans, beer bottles, and fast food bags are littered everywhere. I was caught off guard though on Sunday when I ran past a bra lying in the grass, definitely one of the stranger things I have encountered on the road.
4.) About 10 miles in on Sunday my thoughts went to one thing and one thing only, food and lots of it. I know some people love waffles after a long run, while others enjoy having a smoothie, but for me nothing tops having a huge bowl of cereal. Since I was a little kid I have had a small obsession with, doesn't matter what type as long as it's not Raisin Bran I can eat my weight in it. What are some of your go to foods after a long morning run?
5.) I end every long run the same way, I spend the entire last mile thinking about my dad. I mentioned it in a previous post, but in case you didn't see it I lost my dad to cancer in November of 2012. My dad was a giant, a man that was truly bigger than life to me. I miss my father more than I ever imagined, but the one place I feel truly at peace is when I am running. Something about a pair of shoes and miles of endless pavement has allowed me to heal in ways I never dreamed possible. I really felt my dad's presence with me on Sunday, it was as if I was he was right beside me and we were two runners carrying on a conversation. And while I never had the chance to run with my dad I feel like every time out he is out there with me, helping push me to accomplish all my dreams and goals.
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