Track Work

I haven't been doing a lot of running since my last post. I've been enjoying long walks, bike rides around Spring Lake (it's 15- miles around on the bike path), and I've been doing a Yolates class at the Y twice a week. But today, I watched a couple home videos of my high school cross-country races and got all inspired. It was so fun to see my high school running buddies (and quite embarrasing to see myself at age 14 and 15 with all my crushes on the guys, and my crazy silliness. Actually, it was quite fun to see. It reminded me of a playfulness and lightheartedness I'd like more in my life today). I'm still in touch with my best friend from high school. We ran cross-country together and actually met for the first time the summer before our freshman year at our first cross-country practice. I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was a typical Maryland hot and humid day in August, a couple weeks before school was to start. And we were both nervous about starting cross-country and starting high school and we clicked instantly. 15 years later we're still in touch, mostly through phone calls and emails. She's still living in Maryland, married and pregnant with her first child now. It was fun to see her on camera. I should send it to her. She'd probably get a kick out of seeing it. (Hi, Holly!) Anyway, I love that after all these years, we're still in touch. That means a lot to me.

So after watching myself in my glory days, I decided to head to the track. Running on the track is like coming home for me. For years and years my dad and I would run around and around the high school track in my hometown. Today, even though I can no longer run at my dad and I's track, running at the Grand Haven middle school track, I felt like my dad was there, in the stands cheering for me. I was able to do 2 1/2 miles. I did 1/4 mile warm up, 2 miles of sprinting the straight-a-ways and walking the curves and another 1/4 mile cool down. The weather was beautiful, though it was alittle windy. No complaining here though. I'll take sunny and warm and windy over rain, snow, and cold. I think winter is finally behind us here in Michigan and I can already see the effect spring weather is having on me regarding my exercising and my mental health. I just feel happier and lighter with blue skies and sunny days.

So I am exercising - the walks and bike rides and Yolates is about losing weight and getting back into shape. The running will continue to be about my dad. I know he was proud of me, out there on the track today.