What a difference a day makes.

I feel like I'm finally starting to come out of my funk that I've been in for the last 3 months, but definitely peaked (or slumped) during the last three weeks.  After that 12 mile run, I didn't really refuel properly and decided that yesterday was the last day I was going to ignore the healthy living lifestyle change that I really enjoyed making.  Regardless, my last meal consisted of a turkey burger with fries, and after an hour or two of March Madness cheering... a plate of mozzarella and chili nachos.  I never made it to CHURCH, gahhh how sad, because Olivia's brother let her know that the show sold out!!! before we even had a chance to walk over there.  Awesome for Coyote Kolb but sad for us haha.  Instead, I just extended my stay at Whiskey Priest (ABG was too crowded) until I had enough of the scene and made my way home.

 

I woke up this morning ready to tackle the day.  I started by letting myself sleep in (every sunday I sleep in, because its the only day of the week that I really get to).  I just laid on the couch and watched an episode of Teen Mom while eating a bowl of bran flakes, almond milk, chia seeds, pecans, cranberries, and a banana.  It was glorious.

I got up to clean for a bit and started getting myself together to run 4 miles.  I decided that after having read my coach's email, which alerted us to the fact that there are 2.5 months left to the marathon, that I needed to start getting back to not only sticking to the training schedule, but to also really enjoy all this running.  Its not every day people decide to run for a marathon and I want to make myself proud!  This has nothing to do with how I look to anyone else, or boasting to my future dates about how I'm awesome and blah blah blah. This has to do with me, and only me, and I want to love this moment and really enjoy it for what it is.

I put on my new Calvin Klein mesh running shirt (that I bought for 14 dollars at TJMAXX) and geared up to go.

After charging my Ipod and Garmin, I decided that I was going to try a different route on my 4 mile run.  I chose to run down A street to the water, ran past Baby snake's boyfriend's apartment and the Fort Point area, back through Congress and L street, and onto East and West Broadway.  It was a beautiful day and I really felt a spring in my step, whereas for the last 3 weeks I've needed to stop about every quarter mile to rest.  

I didn't care what my splits looked like, I was just happy to get out there on a beautiful day and enjoy the fact that I am training for a flippin marathon!  I wound up running the four miles in 34 minutes, 6 seconds and just to let you know what my pacing looked like, even though I really didn't care....I will show you.

Mile 1- 8:49 pace

Mile 2- 8:34 pace

Mile 3- 8:14 pace

Mile 4- 8:28 pace

I would have to admit that's pretty solid.  I was hoping the picture below showed my sweat a little, but whatever. 

And yes, I run with makeup and always will.   I love it.  I hear a lot of people question why I wear makeup when I'm camping, or running, or hiking, or getting my outdoor bad self on...and here is why:

I feel like I look better in makeup.  In fact, I know I do.  Because of this, it makes me feel beautiful and confident.  I'm ok that its unconventional, and that a lot of women chose not to wear makeup. However, I know that I have made it a personal choice to wear it, and I hope that you can all accept me for who I am.  I won't make a big deal out of it, if you don't. 

I've done a lot of work the last few months trying to really figure out where a lot of my motivation comes from, and I realize that I need to make more of it intrinsic, as compared to extrinsic.  In layman's terms, that means I need to start doing more for me and less about doing things because of the way I might look to other people.  I think I've learned over the last few months, maybe even the last year, that I don't need to promote that I'm awesome to the world; that if I can know it for myself, the world will respond and recognize it without having me to shove it in its face.  I think that's an amazing thing because its taken a long long long time to come to that realization.  

Also, on a happy and weird sidebar.  I'm listening to my Ray Lamontagne radio station on Pandora and Rob Pattinson came on?!?! As in Rob Pattinson from the Twilight series?  He's actually pretty good and its weirding me out.  I'm listening to the song "Never Think".  I have not once watched a moment of those movies, but I know who he is, and its funny to think that people can have multiple talents.  Well, I mean duh...look at me.... OOoops, I didn't mean to shove it in your face that I'm awesome. Muahahah