FINALLY, a run deserving of documentation in my blog!  Ahhhh, yesterday’s run was great!  AND I may have reclaimed some of my #badass status as a runner.  Disclaimer: I am going to detail the weather conditions and, believe me, I KNOW they are NOTHING compared to what my friends up North are dealing with.  However, this is Texas and it is all relative, right?

The forecast for run-time had been mid-50s, partly cloudy 0% chance of rain and very low wind.  Perfect.  I checked the weather at 3:00 and all was still good, although a slight chance of rain had crept in at 10%.  No worries, right?  By the time I dropped Alli off at practice at 5 and headed to the park, the rain chances had increased to over 50%.  The sun was gone and so were temps in the mid-50s.  When I arrived at the park, I knew I might be in for a little shower.  

Of course, I wasn’t going to let the threat of a little rain stop me.  I was, however a little concerned about having only brought compression shorts and ss shirt to run in.  At the last minute, I remembered I had worn my Dallas Marathon shirt to work, grabbed it out of my bag and threw it on.  I didn’t even make it through my warm-up before realizing that I would be running in a downpour.  The rain came pouring down and the wind picked up, so much that it felt like little ice pellets hitting my legs and face.  And for once, I found myself wishing I had brought a pair of gloves with me!  Luckily the rain and wind moved through quickly and the rest of the run was quite enjoyable.

I wasn’t going to disclose this next bit of info, but what the heck.  I did not run by heart rate on this time.  I have been struggling to keep my heart rate under the threshold AND keep proper form.  I have felt like I was doing nothing more than shuffling, and I haven’t been pleased with the effects of this on my body.  At this point, I feel it is important to lay the foundation with good form so that I don’t have to deal with some of these same issues later on and the heart rate training will be most beneficial when I get to the long runs again.  On Saturday’s run, I focused more on form and my heart rate was well over the threshold, even though the pace I ran was much slower than I had been running (which is saying something, because my run intervals have been SLOW).  Yesterday, I just focused on picking up my feet and swinging my arms.  I probably ran a bit faster that I would have normally, just because it was so darn cold!!  I felt great throughout, though, and I can tell that I am moving in the right direction.  It was very reassuring to someone who constantly questions EVERY aspect of her rehab/recovery.

So this is me at the end.  Drenched and loving it!

And my lobster legs.  

Now might be a good time to admit that I had my Nike running jacket in the car.  The Nike running jacket that is wind proof and water resistant AND has built-in mittens.  It never occurred to me to grab that jacket.  #fail

You’re probably wondering why the title “What the heck (and Ash) Wednesday”.  Well….I posted “Flabbergasted Friday” not long ago and I keep encountering people that cause me to scratch my head.  Now, it’s difficult to alliterate with Friday, because there are a limited number of “F” words that are appropriate for publishing to the public that express my emotions correctly.  I figured why not Wednesday?

I feel there should be some sort of test to be passed in order to use a shopping cart.  I mean, we require automobile drivers to have licenses.  WHY would someone park their basket this way??

Seriously, rude.  Just rude.  And it also happens every time I visit Wal-Mart!

Along those same lines are the people who walk right smack in the middle of the lanes in a parking lot.  OK I realize pedestrians have the right of way, but can you not scoot to the side to allow cars to pass?

Honestly, I don’t know how some people pass their driving test, but yesterday as I was dropping Alli at school, a man BACKED UP in the MIDDLE OF THE STREET quite a ways, at least 4 or 5 car lengths.  WHY????  What possesses someone to do that?

Finally (oh, I have many more, but I’m stopping at four), people who drive the speed limit (or less) in the HOV.  Maybe it’s just a Texas thang that I feel I need to go a bit faster than the speed limit, but aren’t you in the HOV so you can go a little faster?  *sigh*

It’s Ash Wednesday!  The day we are reminded that we are nothing more than dust.  I probably should have posted my people rant on Fat Tuesday, since my Lenten practice is going to be to have more empathy and patience with people in general.  I will attempt to “give up” the negative thoughts I sometimes have toward others and replace them with thoughts of compassion.

And I leave you with a quote from scripture.  The reason I choose to “give up” a bad habit as opposed to food or something else.

God said, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice . . .? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house?”  ~ Isaiah 58:6-7

And while I’m at it, I will share my favorite Bible verse, too 🙂

And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. ~ Micah 6:8

Happy Hump Day!

Jen