A Change of Scenery -- I'd Better Get Used To It
Hello from Santa Rosa, California!
I'm fortunate to have a change of scenery in my workouts this week. Instead of facing blustery snow, bone-chilling rain or both, I've awoken to the sunny, cool mountain air of Santa Rosa, California as my family and I visit my mother-in-law and family.
Maybe I should correct myself. Santa Rosa isn't necessarily tucked in the mountains, but compared to what we have in Michigan, it seems that way. The locals call the scenery "rolling hills" in these parts. Whatever you want to call them, I call them beautiful...and challenging.
I've approached my workouts with a "carpe diem" mentality on this trip. Though I haven't run every day, the days that I have run, I've made sure to challenge myself and enjoy every moment (or fake myself into thinking I'm enjoying it).
On one of my runs, I decided to go where the wind took me. For six miles, I followed a creek and found a narrow path that took me through a beautiful wooded area that grew along side the water's path. I really enjoyed that run, though I wasn't really sure where I was going. I saw egrets, gorgeous blue birds, and an array of interesting folliage and mosses. I even passed a transient, who was content with simply watching me as I ran by him.
I found myself honing in on my ability to downhill ski (a sport that I took on when I was five years old), as I weaved my way through the woods. I constantly had to make sure to look at least 4-5 steps ahead so as to avoid the rocks and branches, all while maneuvering my body back and forth as if I was strategically racing down a slalom course. Doing this put a smile on my face as I mentally transported myself back in time, imagining that I was dillegently practicing my skiing technique in preparation for a big race.
Another one of my runs (yesterday) involved a hill much bigger than I have ever tackled before. It wasn't what one may consider long, but I'd estimate that it was about a 1/3 mile incline. I don't know my grades, but it was steep enough for me to stop just shy from the peak. One nice thing about hills is that there is always a downside. I welcomed that side with open arms, and took a mental picture of the beautiful mountains that were around me. Today, I'm sore in muscles I didn't even know I had. I'd better find more hills in the next five months...the Wildflower race I'm registered for in May will have plenty like the one I tackeled yesterday.
Tomorrow is my last opportunity to get a workout in before heading back to Michigan. My internal debate is whether to tackle that hill once more, hit the trail that winds around the creek, or to find a new trail altogether. I'm not a big planner, so I'll probably decide when my foot hits the pavement. Whatever may come, I will enjoy every moment of it, since this may be the last time my shoe sees pavement (as opposed to snow) for a while.
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Join me in my mission to raise $4,000 in the fight against cancer!
Donate today at my Leukemia and Lymphoma Society web page:
http://www.active.com/donate/tntmi/andi
I'm fortunate to have a change of scenery in my workouts this week. Instead of facing blustery snow, bone-chilling rain or both, I've awoken to the sunny, cool mountain air of Santa Rosa, California as my family and I visit my mother-in-law and family.
Maybe I should correct myself. Santa Rosa isn't necessarily tucked in the mountains, but compared to what we have in Michigan, it seems that way. The locals call the scenery "rolling hills" in these parts. Whatever you want to call them, I call them beautiful...and challenging.
I've approached my workouts with a "carpe diem" mentality on this trip. Though I haven't run every day, the days that I have run, I've made sure to challenge myself and enjoy every moment (or fake myself into thinking I'm enjoying it).
On one of my runs, I decided to go where the wind took me. For six miles, I followed a creek and found a narrow path that took me through a beautiful wooded area that grew along side the water's path. I really enjoyed that run, though I wasn't really sure where I was going. I saw egrets, gorgeous blue birds, and an array of interesting folliage and mosses. I even passed a transient, who was content with simply watching me as I ran by him.
I found myself honing in on my ability to downhill ski (a sport that I took on when I was five years old), as I weaved my way through the woods. I constantly had to make sure to look at least 4-5 steps ahead so as to avoid the rocks and branches, all while maneuvering my body back and forth as if I was strategically racing down a slalom course. Doing this put a smile on my face as I mentally transported myself back in time, imagining that I was dillegently practicing my skiing technique in preparation for a big race.
Another one of my runs (yesterday) involved a hill much bigger than I have ever tackled before. It wasn't what one may consider long, but I'd estimate that it was about a 1/3 mile incline. I don't know my grades, but it was steep enough for me to stop just shy from the peak. One nice thing about hills is that there is always a downside. I welcomed that side with open arms, and took a mental picture of the beautiful mountains that were around me. Today, I'm sore in muscles I didn't even know I had. I'd better find more hills in the next five months...the Wildflower race I'm registered for in May will have plenty like the one I tackeled yesterday.
Tomorrow is my last opportunity to get a workout in before heading back to Michigan. My internal debate is whether to tackle that hill once more, hit the trail that winds around the creek, or to find a new trail altogether. I'm not a big planner, so I'll probably decide when my foot hits the pavement. Whatever may come, I will enjoy every moment of it, since this may be the last time my shoe sees pavement (as opposed to snow) for a while.
-----------
Join me in my mission to raise $4,000 in the fight against cancer!
Donate today at my Leukemia and Lymphoma Society web page:
http://www.active.com/donate/tntmi/andi
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