Runner.

This weekend was absolutely gorgeous. I spent most of Saturday working inside, so yesterday my goal was to be outside and active as much as possible. I had a C25K run on my list, but I wanted to wait until the evening when I could run with Andy.

I started with an early morning walk with Moon Dog. I've been feeling a lot more energetic, and our walking pace has gotten a lot faster. I am still blown away at how much better I feel since surgery. I've been so distracted by life and my emotions that I haven't really noticed the change. I used to be completely exhausted by every little thing I had to do during the day. Now, I have so much more time to get things done because I don't have to rest after every little thing.

After my walk, I was feeling energized, so I decided to lift. My gym is my happy place. I started a lifting plan that I have done before and love. Yesterday was upper body. I worked out for over an hour and felt amazing when I was done. I love the feeling after a good strength workout.

Evening came, and we decided to run the hill. The last run was 20 minutes without walking, which went so much better than expected. This one was back to intervals.

I had a great run. I had to break up my middle running interval. I was on the super steep section of the hill, and my calves were screaming. I did push myself to start running again, at least for a bit, when I was still on the incline.

I paused at the top of the hill to take a picture. Everything has come to life in the last few days, and the world is so green. I love this time of year.

I kept running. A little past the halfway point, I turned around. I was psyched. I have been struggling to hit 2 miles. I'd only done it once before, but I knew I would get it this time. I usually do not even reach the top of the hill. I reached it and ran past it. I was still feeling great, and my energy was through the roof.

I was in a groove when my last walking interval came up, and I decided to just keep going. I ran through the last running interval and still felt good. I decided to just run the rest of the way home.

I still cannot wrap my head around how much better I feel. I'm so thrilled to be running without an accelerated heart rate, without horrible foot pain, without complete exhaustion. To be able to keep going, feel good at the end, and wake up pain free and strong the next morning.

I'm grateful to be healthy and able to get out and enjoy a gorgeous day. I'm grateful to be a runner again.

Leaf Peep And Run

The last two days were a bust. I woke up feeling completely run down and fatigued. While it is nice to know what causes it, it still makes for a rough day.

Today, I woke up feeling a little better. It's a gorgeous fall day. The leaves are turning, and it is sunny and warm. I wanted to go for a run. I was not feeling motivated, but I knew I needed to take advantage of this weather. I'll be running through snow soon enough.

I finally got myself out and running around 11am. Later than I was hoping, but I have to fit it in when I can. I decided to do an old favorite route, which involves a mile-long steep hill. It was a tough run. I did walk a little, but I tried to keep the walking parts short. I ran big chunks of the hill. It was not easy, but I got it done. I ran just under four miles. Not fast, but I did it. That's the first step to one of my long-term goals. (More on that later)

This makes it all worth it.