Saturday, November 22, 2014

Life Lately by iPhone + Runner’s World Love

It’s true that I’ve been quiet lately on the blogging front.  Life is good these days, but I’m still finding it so hard to carve out time for any creative pursuits.  This weekend, however, I had a slowdown from work, so I’m taking advantage of the time to write.  Looking back over my photos from the past two months, I found a few highlights. 

The View from the Trail

On the Bike Along the Riverfront

On my way home from UT’s campus the other day, I stopped along the riverfront trail to take these two photos.  I love living so close to such an awesome biking/running trail—what a treat.  One of my running goals is to get into good enough shape to run down to the trail, do a few miles, and run home.  That would require that I can handle an hour of running again, so it’s a great half-marathon training goal.

On that particular day, Paul and I rode together to UT”s campus.  What a fun ride to do together!  It certainly wasn’t the first time we’d been downtown together, but it was the first time we’d ridden from our home through downtown and over to UT.  Seeing familiar parts of Austin by bike makes them feel new again.  I love the feeling of exploring a city by foot or bike—it feels like I make a deeper connection to place when I am able to do that.

Gorgeous Flowers

Paul and I went camping a few weeks ago, and we passed through Whole Foods to pick up some food for backpacking.  The roses looked so luscious and beautiful that I had to snap a photo!  But then when we headed out to backpack, I left my camera in the car!  So I have almost no photos from that camping trip except…

Deer at Dusk

…this deer who visited our neighbor’s campsite the first night!  We were tent/car camping that night, and I was so amazed and amused by this wonderful creature that I had to document it.  Can you see him poking around the fire pit?

We had no deer at our fire pit, just a Paul who built us a fire on which to cook dinner.

Paul Building the Fire

Some members of our family chose not to go camping.  Such as Lucy the Cat:

Looking Up

Sleeping Kitty Showing Off Her Pumpkin Patch

Can you see the brown on her otherwise white belly?  I call it her pumpkin patch and think it is endlessly adorable.  Lucy continues to be my faithful companion.  She’s almost always in the room with me whenever I am home.  I like to say that Lucy is like a dog wearing a cat suit!

* * *

Do you read Runner’s World?  Have you noticed lately that they are putting out some seriously inspiring content?  They recently did a feature article on Deena Kastor (she of bronze medal marathon Olympic fame), and now when I go out running, I imagine myself running as easily and joyfully as I imagine Deena to be when she runs.  Also, she loves cooking and inventing recipes, so we have that in common too!

I feel like Runner’s World is slowly lighting a fire under me.  I flip through my newest issue and I remember: I used to be a runner.  I used to run.  And then I think: it’s not too late for me! 

I went out the other day for a 20-minute run (2 miles or so).  And it was really lovely, so nice in fact that if the rain lets up today, I’ll head out for another 20-minute run.  I have learned this year that guilt is not going to motivate me to return to running.  But a nice run, and then another nice run, and another, and another?  They will motivate me to keep running.  Also, and this is my newest secret weapon: laying my running clothes on the bed early in the day.  They are waiting for me right now, just as I am waiting for a break in the rain.  But if that break never comes, I’ll lace up and head out in a raincoat.

After all, I’m sure Deena Kastor has done more than a few of her runs in the rain.

Happy day to you!