Are you ready for the.... HURRICANE?!

Oh, Isaac. You silly hurricane. Thinking you're all cool as you blast the Gulf coast with rain and wind and similar shenanigans.

We are supposed to be getting the dwindling effects of Sir Isaac starting today here in Memphis. Thunder storms for 4 days. Honestly, I am kinda stoked. I love thunder storms. And I am hoping it will cool things off a bit, as the cool down we experience a few weeks ago was merely mother nature dangling a piece of chocolate in front of our faces, then yanking it away and pointing and laughing while she indulged. That tease.

Point of the story: I have a race in Tupelo, Mississippi this weekend, and it SHO LOOKS LIKE IMMA GET WET. This race is a bit.... unconventional. Tie-dye shirts, scull medals, and an undercurrent of humor and jest that I greatly appreciate in the running world. The Tupelo Marathon and 14.2 miler is a very small, local, friendly race. Immediately after registering back in May, the race director shot me an email to "welcome" me to the race, and to wish me a happy birthday. Them Tupelo folk sure is kind!

All this Isaac crap got me a little worried the race would be cancelled due to flying trees and flooded roads. This was on the race website this morning, and I laughed VERY hard:

Hysterical. If there is one thing I appreciate, it is a sarcastic, smart-ass sense of humor. It almost makes running in the miserable ran that much more fun. Ok, not really, but whatever.

Pizza party

I went out to this huge farmer's market last weekend and, among other amazing items, I got a giant bunch of arugula. I have been adding it to pasta dishes, omelets, and sandwiches all week long, but the bunch doesn't seem to be getting any smaller! So a few nights ago, I decided to indulge my incessant pizza craving in order to use up the remaining arugula.

Boom.

I was lazy and just didn't have the time to make my own dough, so crust-in-a-tube had to due this time around. What else do we have here?
Basil pesto
Garlic
Mushrooms
Roma tomatoes
Red onion
Arugula
Part-skim mozzarella

It was spectacular, and I am really patting myself on the back for this amazing flavor profile. Arugula has such a unique taste that many people dislike at first exposure, but it is so versatile and deserves a 2nd chance. It adds such a distinct, peppery bite to any food. And so many wonderful nutrients- tons of Vit C and Potassium!

Three cheers for ARUGULA!

Hmmmm, but something is missing, what can it be??

OF COURSE, WINE! Add an episode of Snooki and JWoww, and I am one happy camper. Cheers!

When the stars align...

I will admit- I was in a rut. 

The past month or so, I have been less than excited to lace up my shoes and set out for a run, no matter the distance. Was it the unbearable heat just finally winning our epic battle? Perhaps. Whatever the case may have been, running slipped to the bottom of my list of priorities- even below folding laundry and washing floors. Yikes!

This past Saturday, my training plan had me running 18 miles. But I was realistic with my expectations and would be fine if I made it at least 13. Having not been on a long run (anything over 6 miles) in nearly 4 weeks + dental surgery + excruciating heat, I did not want to push myself and end up hurt.

But then I saw the weather report for Saturday.

And then my mouth magically stopped hurting.

So when I woke up on Saturday morning at 5:30am, I was strangely optimistic.

I am telling you, the stars were aligned. Everything was perfect. The weather was mild, slightly overcast so the sun wasn't frying my skin off. A slight breeze keeping me cool and bringing that lovely diaper smell of the Mississippi River across the land. I felt amazing, both mentally and physically. Everything just fell into place.

I did a 9 mile loop back to my house, refilled my water bottles, downed a Honey Stinger, and set out for a few more miles, having no definite direction or distance in mind.

Dude. Check it.

DAMN! That is one sexy wrist... OH, right, the mileage, that's cool too.

No, I did not hold a 9:40 pace the whole 18 miles. Who do you think I am? A damn roadrunner?! I averaged about a 10:40 pace, which I am totally fine with. I picked up the pace those last .2 miles when I could finally see my front door and knew I wasn't going to die on the side of the road and never be found. I was excited.

This is why I'm hot.

I only have a stall shower, so I cannot take an ice bath after long runs. So I improvise. Ice pack wrapped on 1 knee. And, why yes, that IS the ceramic insert to my crockpot that I am soaking my feet in! Can't say I'm not innovative. (YES, I washed it! Don't be afraid you will get a toenail in your food the next time you come over for dinner. Besides, I don't even HAVE toenails anymore after all this long-distance running, duh.)

This is exactly what I needed to pull myself out of that RUT. Not the ice bath, the run. The ice bath is torture. But the run, THAT WAS EPIC. I know running isn't completely a "use it or lose" it practice, but I still tend to panic even if I miss one training run. Something comes up, I miss a mid-week 4 miler, and it's all "I'M NEVER GOING TO MAKE IT 26 MILES! I MAY AS WELL QUIT NOW! I HAVE TO START FROM SCRATCH! I AM A FAILURE" No. That is just my fantstical mind being stupid, once again.

7 weeks till Chicago. B-b-b-b-b-b-b-bring it.