The Art of Running

I had been looking forward to my Saturday run all week, and Friday night I decided I would run to the Raleigh Art Museum, spend some time looking around, and then run back. I looked up a route using Google Maps and Map My Run, and found out there was a Greenway trail that met up with the Museum Park trail system.


I made my way toward the museum. My original plan was to take my sweaty, nasty, rainy self into the actual museum and spend some quality cultural time before making the return trip. Instead (and all the museum patrons are heaving a collective sigh of relief), I spent about 45 minutes jogging around the Museum Park. I had no idea it would be so cool! There were trails (paved and unpaved) galore with outdoor exhibitions, sculptures, and even photos. The landscaping was gorgeous, and not overdone; the natural growth and undergrowth was still allowed in and around the trails. I loved it. Here are some photos!

This was the very first photo I saw on the trail. It was one of a series. I didn't understand the theme; but there were a lot of really cool outdoor scenes, and one that kind of creeped me out...I think it was semi-post-apocalyptic or something....

This was the first unpaved trail I came to! Followed it through the woods and found some really awesome outdoor exhibitions!

A stream!
The Whisper Bench; there were two of them across the path from each other. That little twirly guy had something you could talk into and the person on the other bench could hear what you were saying/reply. It was pretty rad. I can't remember what this was called. Darn. But it's cool lookin', yeah?
This is one of the more famous outdoor sculptures at the North Carolina Museum of Art. It's pictured a lot at least...hahaha!
This one was my favorite, I think. It was called "Cloud Chamber for the Trees and Sky." It has a door, so I assume you can go in, but it was locked. It was still really cool to look at. The construction of it was pretty rad.
Yours truly. Loving my Saturday morning run/adventure!
And the best part: amazing breakfast afterward. Steve (you are the best!!) sent me a bakery recommendation, so I had some amazing bread that was screaming to be made into French toast. I tried making some peach syrup and mostly ended up with warm peaches (still yummy!), and of course, some dark chocolate chips.

I ended up being gone for almost 2 hours. I have no idea how far I actually ran, but it was definitely more than I had planned on. :)

Stream of Consciousness

I have approximately 2 minutes to post, so buckle up.

Since my last posting, about a billion years ago, every single part of my life (OK, not really) but almost every major aspect of my life has changed. I moved across the country to start a PhD program and BAM. New everything.

Here are some random thoughts on the changes:

Humidity and sweating. I thought I sweated a lot in Utah. At least it had somewhere to go there. Here (in North Carolina) it just dews up on my arms, runs down my face, gets in my eyes, and soaks (I mean SOAKS) my workout clothes. I wish I could show you my sweaty shirt from today's workout, it's disgusting and somehow awesome all at the same time.

Earthquakes and hurricanes. Wha??! How about one or the other? Not both in the same week!

The gym (or lack thereof). I miss my old gym so much. I knew where everything was, what equipment I liked to use, what classes were the best, etc. My workouts of late have been sporadic and not very well structured. But today was really good. I did a speed interval run that made me want to barf (I don't know if I've used that word since 7th grade), and then went to a weight lifting class. By the third set of running stairs, I was seriously questioning my decision-making paradigm, but it felt really good to work that hard.

Spokane to Sandpoint Relay. Liked it, love the Sawtooth Relay way more. Love my family. For more deets, check out Jennica's post: here. Although, I will say, I ran a 5.22-mile leg in 41:37!! (Gravity was definitely on my side, but it was still awesome!!)

Running as a coping skill. Best tool in my tool belt, if you will. Sadly, I am still trying to find good running routes here. I think I've finally found a good trail, and if that blasted hurricane messes up my plans for my Saturday morning run, I'm not gonna be happy. I definitely need some good things sent out to the universe.

The Bigger They Come, the Harder They Fall

I bit the dust during my Monday morning run. Hard. Happy Fourth of July to me.

It was a quick, easy little out-and-back run from my house with my friends along a route I've run countless times before. But my mind was wandering, and I wasn't watching the treacherously warped sidewalk in front of me. I caught my toe and stumbled for a good three or four steps before I decided to just take it. And I did. My left knee caught the brunt of it leaving behind two Sacagawea-dollar sized concrete burns that have since started scabbing over. Lovely. Once the adrenaline wore off, it started to hurt "bad, real bad, Michael Jackson" and I was "mad, real mad, Joe Jackson" (name that tune). But, I'm proud to say I finished my run, and we hadn't even reached the turnaround point yet!

In other news, I went to the local running store the other day and bought some pepper spray to put on my key ring. They sell refills, apparently, for the little canister. I hope I never have to purchase one.

Triple Tangent Tuesday

Back from a two week blogging break, it's time for another triple tangent Tuesday!

1. It must be a truly violent bug-death to be inhaled by a runner. I was thinking these deep thoughts as I finished my 5-miler up the canyon tonight. And let me tell you, I was scraping bug wings off my face as I drove home afterward. I can't imagine how insane that must be for some poor little gnat just flitting around, and then BAM! Inhaled! It's traumatic enough for me, the runner, and I know I'm going to win. But the bug, what is he going through?? He has has no idea what is going on, he's in some dark, sticky place.... Sometimes I feel bad for the little guys. Sometimes I don't. For example, I didn't feel too bad about killing the bug that got stuck behind the lens of my sunglasses, mistook my eyeball for an escape hatch, and bounced itself desperately off my retina for about 30 seconds before I dispatched it. Just sayin'.

2. Macaroni and cheese is like crack. Nope, not like crack; it is crack.

3. I love rock climbing more than running. There I said it. Well, maybe not more than running, but it's a different kind of love. And, like my love of running, climbing love hurts. (I'm now listening to "Love Bites" by Def Leopard.) I've had my fair share of injuries and hair-raising climbing incidents, but I gotta say, I love it in spite of the pain. Here's a photo of me from a couple years ago (I'm the dark spot in the upper right corner). This was taken moments before I took a giant fall on a lead climb. The rope wrapped around my leg as I bounced off the rock and I had some pretty gnarly bruises. My leg actually still hurts where the rope caught me and I think there's one little spot that's permanently discolored. Crazy, huh?


And this is me after the fall, looking, in my professional opinion, to be in a complete state of shock. (Note the constricted pupils, pastier-than-usual complexion, etc.) Please ignore how awful my roots were in this photo; coloring my hair became less of a priority once I started grad school. I'm holding the helmet I was wearing during the fall (thank goodness) and pointing at a chink in it.

Triple Tangent Tuesday

This is the maiden voyage of the Triple Tangent Tuesday on my blog. So, welcome to my ramblings.

1. In my car: City of Ember audio book. I have another couple hours on that audio book, which is great since I will be driving all the way back to Utah tomorrow. I am a firm believer in audio books for long trips. I'll be churning through all three of these books no problem with all the driving I'm scheduled to do in the next three weeks. I realize these were all huge literary hits years ago (and are now, or soon to be movies), but I still haven't read them. Don't judge.

2. I just finished watching Marathon Challenge courtesy of my local public library and I may or may not be weeping right now. I love running, and I love races.

3. Owning an English Bulldog is a legitimate (and very serious) part of my five-year plan. He already has a name, that's how ridiculous I have become.

I'm seriously considering another run tonight just so I can get back out on that gorgeous trail by my parent's house. Maybe I'll take my little brothers along tonight...

Run On, Columbia, Run On

I've been on unintentional hiatus from the blogging world, but not from running. I have been scaling back my mileage a bit lately just to give my sissy joints a break. This morning though, I cajoled/manipulated my older brother into going for a 40-minute run with me. My parents moved recently to the Tri Cities in Washington, only a couple blocks from the Columbia River, and this morning we (my brother and I) ran two-and-a-half blocks to the river walkway for a quick run.

Yes, I'm home in Washington this Memorial Day weekend with the fam. Everyone's in town: me, my younger bros, my older brother, his wife, and their daughter, at the padres' house. It will be one of my last visits before I move out to North Carolina in August. It's great to be home and great to see everyone again. We're planning on a BBQ later today and I'm stoked. The weather here has been amazing compared to Provo. There's been sunshine and warm breezes. I have also made several trips to Costco since I've been here and found some super cute running shorts and matching tank.

My running/workout schedule and eating habits have definitely taken a hit since I've been home. My Saturday-morning "long" run wasn't so much. And I didn't have a Monday morning spin class to go to today, although, I won't have one in Provo when I get back either. My gym decided to cancel all classes. Last week was our last spin class, and I'm not going to lie, there were a few tears at the end. But at home, there's never a shortage of running partners. I just have to talk them into it. This is probably one of my favorite places to run now, next to the river. It's just beautiful.

To Tri or Not to Tri?

Today I ran Race for the Cure! Don't mind my amazing cerulean blue sunglasses...I couldn't stop blinking in the sunlight (it's so foreign after a long, Utah winter) so I had to keep them on so I wouldn't have a scrunch face or closed eyes in the picture. P.S., contrary to this photo, I'm not really that short. All of my friends are just mucho mas taller than me.

I was supposed to get up early and run 6 miles before the race (I need to do a total of 9 today). But it didn't happen. I managed to head out and get them in after a nap and a snack, but I had to dig deep. The race itself was grand. I am always so inspired by the unity of this event.

In other news, I'm considering a triathlon. But I'm really, REALLY bad at swimming. I mean, REALLY bad. I don't know how to get any better, either. Thoughts, suggestions, training tips?? To all you triathletes out there, YOU ARE AMAZING. I covet your mad, nautical skills.