Goals and Guest Posting

As a member of the Fleet Feet Cheer Club, I had the opportunity to write a guest post for their blog. I chose a topic near and dear to my running heart -- goals that aren't time-related. I hope people enjoy it and add on some good suggestions of their own. I had lots of fun writing it.

Who Knew?

Okay, so lots of people know this, but I just went for my first run with a running partner last week and finally discovered why it's a great thing.

Sue and I have done some races together, but our paces are so different (i.e., she is far faster than I am) that we only start together. Last week, while I was visiting my in-laws, my sister-in-law and I went for a run together. She was nervous that she would slow me down, and my concern was that I wouldn't be able to carry on a conversation while running, given that I get winded enough as it is by myself. It turns out that neither of us had anything to worry about. Our paces were quite well matched and the conversation flowed quite well. In fact, it really made the time fly by.

I don't think this would work for my normal routine (it's hard enough to fit in runs as it is around the work and family schedule), but I definitely look forward to the next time I will have a chance to do this.

Creative Excuses

I decided to take advantage of the early morning cool weather (and Alex's extreme early morning wake up time) and take a long run. It was Dave's turn to get up with Alex, and I was wide awake so it looked like a perfect plan.

I should know better.

Hydrated, dressed, and ready to go, I open the front door, and a twenty-something guy is sleeping/passed out in my front lawn.

Thirty minutes later, and we've finally gotten them (it turns out there were three of them -- one on the lawn, one in the basement stairwell, and one by the street) to move on to their original destination, the basement apartment of the row house next to us. (So close...)

Of course, now my plan is all out of whack, I no longer can run guilt-free because Alex's day has started, my running buzz has dissipated, and I don't really want to run into these bozos now that they're right next door. (Although, in all likelihood they are passed out again, just in the comfort of their friend's apartment rather than the cold concrete in front of my house.)

But I'm going to see if I can salvage the plan. At least I have an amusing story for the 4th of July barbecue tonight!