Embracing Hills (and Great Weather)

Friday workout: 5 miles, 10:52 average, Pace Gloves

Saturday workout: 8 miles, 12:00 average, socks; movie of the week was Martha Marcy May Marlene. It was great, although I'm a sucker for any movie that claims to be about a cult. I can't help but think the movie would have been more successful if it had had another name. I can't remember it for the life of me.

Sunday workout: 10 hilly miles, 10:09 average, Pace Gloves

Monday workout: 7 miles, 10:52 average, Pace Gloves

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

I'm going to keep this brief because we're enjoying the best weather I've had the privilege of experiencing in, no joke, 6 years. You don't get weather like this on the East Coast. It's warm (it was 86 in the sun a couple of days ago and has been solidly in the 70s since, like, Thursday), but you're able to be out in it for more than five seconds without having to duck into a Duane Reade to get your sweat situation under control.

All the trees are blooming and everyone's out in their finest, including the crazy lady wearing a leopard-print thong bikini and high heels while watering her yard with a hose. She may be the best thing I've ever seen, and that is only a slight exaggeration.

This week's total mileage was 49, and its theme was "hills." Sub-theme: trails. After a somewhat rude awakening, I realized my hill training has been woefully inadequate (averaging 30 feet of elevation gain per run does not a hill runner make) and vowed to add a significant number of them to my FOUR remaining weeks of training (!!). So far, it's worked out great! All of my "hard" runs (strength, tempo, and long) have included a fair amount of elevation gain...

I did an out-and-back to this place for my 10-miler yesterday, which resulted in a surprising 762 feet of gain. You never notice the hills when you're driving them!

PROOF

... while my easier runs have been, well, easy flat. I plan to continue this pattern in the weeks to come. I think it's important to run hills on tired legs and at harder efforts, and to make sure my easy runs are kept as easy as possible to allow for maximum recovery.

For today's easy 7 miles, I went back to the trail portion of my marathon to further familiarize myself with the area. Since it's a holiday and she was stalking me from room to room hyperventilating because she wanted to go with me so badly, I took Bailey. I knew this meant we would be stopping frequently because she's a pain in the ass, but since it was a recovery day I didn't really mind. Plus, she had so much fun. I was worried she'd overheat so let her play in water for a minute or two every time we passed some.

Dirty bogs make dirty dogs.

We ALSO ventured a bit farther than last time because I was dying to check out this alleged gravel situation. We, um, totally "had a permit" to access the restricted military land, so did a very quick reconnaissance mission. After a half mile or so, we hit a gravel road. For anyone doing Mayor's Marathon (no one who reads this blog, I'm sure), it isn't that bad. At all. Certainly not golf ball-sized, and I didn't feel like I was slipping around that much. I'm sure it's unpleasant after 10+ miles of running, but manageable, certainly. Manageable enough that I'm 95% certain I'll be donning my Pace Gloves come June 22. I'm planning to go a bit farther in the near future to assure myself it doesn't get any worse.

RUN, BAILEY! We don't want to be asked to show our permit that we totally have!

Anyway, hill training is valuable and I did a fair amount of it this week. Instead of wearing me out, I actually feel really strong. Stronger than at any point of marathon training, actually. I guess that's the point, huh? This weekend's running outings were amazing and did so much for my mental state. I've been fortunate that I've been very much "on" mentally this training cycle, but now I feel EVEN more amped about running. I thank the weather, my new trail, and hills for that.

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Ummm, check out new Arrested Development. Part of me gets really sad whenever Gob isn't prominently featured in each and every scene, but it feels great to have it back.

Questions:

• Do you like hills? I've probably asked this a million times but humor me, okay?
• Do you have any Memorial Day traditions?
• Are your dogs water lovers? Bailey's the first dog I've ever had that enjoys water. She still won't swim in it (we're working on it), but if there is a puddle within a 10-foot radius, you better believe she'll be lying down in it in three seconds.

Post-Tempo Treat: A Flat Tire!

Wednesday workout: rest
Thursday workout: 11 miles with 9 tempo (9:30), Connects

I hate to have my first picture be ugly garmin data, so I'm going to throw a picture of us kiddos in here because I think we're kind of adorable.

I posted this on Facebook and one friend commented that with my moccasins and flowy dress, I was the original hipster.

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When I finished my run today, I got back to my car, tired but full of run-induced contentment. We'll get to that, but I wanted to tell you about the surprise that awaited me at my car: a flat tire!

After recoiling in horror, I did what any self-respecting, independent woman does: I called my dad.

I've lived a sheltered life so had no idea what to do with a flat tire. Fortunately, I just needed a push in the right direction. Did you know that EVERY car has a spare and a jack somewhere in it? I had no idea. Thanks, dad!

I was determined to earn back some of my self-respecting, independent woman points so changed it myself. It's actually not that hard. However, my spare tire was half deflated. Ugh! I was starving and covered in sweat so driving to a gas station to get some air was just about the last thing I wanted to do. But since preserving your hubcap is apparently "important," I sucked it up.

If you're ever in need of a laugh, just picture this: Jeano, driving fifteen miles an hour on a main road, her spare tire half-deflated and her emergency lights on. People are honking and giving her grief for driving so slowly. Suddenly, this song comes on. You know, the song whose main lyric is "We started from the bottom now we here?" If that was me at the top, I don't want to know what bottom looks like. Fortunately, it made me laugh hysterically, which of course made me that maniacal slow driver.

I can't decide if this is retribution for not having gotten my studded tires off yet, OR if it's actually a reward for not having done so (I don't see myself needing studded tires in Oregon, so it's good the studded tire shit the bucket and not the regular one. Although I suppose I could invest in a tire patch or whatever you do with flat tires). I'll go with the latter. Anyway, I learned some big kid lessons today.

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So, my run! I went back to the Mayor's Marathon course that almost killed me on Tuesday to see how the Connects did.

About that... it seems I was a bit hasty in concluding that this course will kill me. Google street view is a wonderful thing, and some further detective work showed me I actually ran too far on Tuesday. I didn't realize the course veered off onto trails so soon, so it hadn't even occurred to me to turn at any of the trailheads I passed. Well, veer it does, and it does so BEFORE that insane 281-foot hill. 

 MUCH more reasonable!

Usually I'd be wary of bears, but there seemed to be some people on the trail and I really wanted to check it out, so I threw caution to the wind and started down. I felt like Logan! Except this trail was seriously tame, and I'm not running 31 miles of it. There was a lot of mud, though, so at least I looked like I had been on a treacherous adventure. That's the point, right?

I ran for a little over a mile until I hit the "Tank Trail," which is restricted military land. I was really tempted to continue on (I was only a quarter mile away from 5 miles! I hate turning around before the lap is done, especially since my garmin always cuts off part of the turnaround), but the gate was sufficiently intimidating that I didn't dare. My elevation chart tells me I stopped at 500 feet, though, which means I made it to the high point of the course!

I'm wondering if I experienced the infamous "golf ball-sized gravel." There were rocks, and they were golf ball-sized. But it wasn't gravel. Gravel means tons of rocks, right? This was just trail. Trails have rocks. I probably didn't make it far enough, but if that's what people are complaining about I shake my finger at them.

After running this, I do think that I'll have to run in my Connects, though. The rocks were prominent enough that I think it would be a pain in the ass to run it in the Pace Gloves. Bummer!

Questions:

• Have you ever changed a tire?
• Thoughts on trail running? When I moved back to Alaska I told myself I was only running trails from then on, but my thoughts on the matter have obviously changed since then. First there was the snow issue, and now there's the bear issue... I really hope to do some more once I'm done with marathon training, though. This turned into less of a question and more of a "let me talk about myself."

Reevaluating My Goals (Subtitle: My Marathon Looks Hard)

Monday workout: 5 miles, 11:20, Connects
Tuesday workout: 9 miles with 2x3 miles (9:25), Pace Gloves

Today, I went to hell and back.

Today, I ran up a mountain and almost died.

Today, I ran part of the Mayor's Marathon course.

THE RACE FINISHES DOWN BY THE WATER. I DIDN'T MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP.

LOOK AT MILE 4.

The good news is, I don't have to run up this. Just down. However, this somewhat traumatizing experience made me reconsider the elevation profile, which I previously thought looked pretty gentle.

I ran miles 15-19, I think. The course peaks at 500 feet and ends at sea level. I couldn't get it all to fit in a screenshot, but the first 14.5 miles are gradually uphill.

Last night I had a sudden urge to learn something about the course. I knew that it starts at a high school, goes through some military land, and somehow ends up by the Coastal Trail, but I was pretty unclear on the details. I took a closer look at the map, which is frustratingly sparse on street names, and was able to fill in some of the blanks. I realized that there are actually long sections I haven't run on that aren't restricted to military, and that one such section is right next to work. Hey, great; I'm always looking for new places to run! Let's go!

Because I'm an idiot, I looked it up on Google Maps

and I literally thought "That looks flat." Because Google Maps gives you a great sense of elevation, right?

Anyway, this run was really hard. I kid you not, I was so out-of-breath when I hit 3.9 miles (one-tenth of a mile before my first interval ended) that I stopped for a couple of seconds, convinced I couldn't go any farther. Then I yelled at myself and managed to finish. Barely. I had planned to go another half mile before turning around, but I was done with hills so turned around and cruised.

I wish I was a better downhill runner. I actually tend to go slower on downhills than on uphills, although today I was able to hold my own. I was really focused on my form and maintaining quick leg turnover, but I still felt awkward. Something to work on.

So I guess today's lesson is "do your research." After my run I decided to do just that by reading some race reports. The main thing I've gleaned from them is "hilly," "trails," "not a race for PRs," and "golf ball-sized gravel." Estimates vary, but this gravel situation lasts anywhere from two to seven miles. Ouch.

My new knowledge makes me think I might need to reevaluate my goals for this race. I was planning to aim for a 4:15, but now I'm thinking that may be unrealistic. Picking a time goal is tricky business because on the one hand, I don't want to pressure myself to go out too fast but on the other hand, I don't want to set a goal that's too easy and tempts me to slack when I'm tired ("Well, I said I was aiming for a 4:30..."). For now I'd say 4:20-4:25, but who knows?! I'm pretty sure I'm not going to run with a Garmin (my races turn out infinitely better when I don't), so I really won't know until after.

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Even though I wanted to die on the way up and sort of thought I was having an out-of-body experience on my way down, I felt kind of awesome once I finished today's run. I would say I'm never running up that hill again, but I obviously have to run it in my Connects now. Probably during Thursday's tempo run.

Anchorage has been beautiful this week so here's a bonus picture from yesterday's 5 miles.

Questions

• How do you choose a race time goal if you've never run that distance before? I assume most choose it based on other distance times, but I'd be interested to hear about any other factors that go into it.
• Thoughts on downhill running?

ALERT: New Power Jam

Saturday workout: 6 miles, 12:00 average, TM, socks
Sunday workout: 16 miles, 10:14 average, Pace Gloves

GUYS. BIG NEWS: I have a new power jam. And another mini-power jam. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that girl from Camp Rock (which is a surprisingly entertaining movie, by the way) would sing my power jam.

Anyway, I've been looking for a new power jam for what seems like ages. Years, even. Okay, that's an exaggeration. Let's say a few months. The problem now is that I can't let myself over-listen to it. I've decided I'm only going to listen to it at the end of a long run so it'll still be fresh for my marathon and I can listen to it on repeat for 4+ hours (you think I'm kidding). Unfortunately, I'm failing miserably; I'm listening to it right now. I'm already panicking because I need this to remain my power jam until June 23.

Let's play a fun game called "Figure out when Jeano started listening to her new power jam." Have I said "power jam" enough yet? Impossible!

Hint: it was mile 11.

I started today by taking my dumb dog to a local school so she could run out some of her excess energy. The weather had done a complete 360 from yesterday and it was already a perfect day.

I'm still trying to figure out how that ball is attached to her mouth.

After our walk, I spent a couple of hours moving heavy things and tiring my legs to the point where I had to just sit on my ass for a solid half hour before I felt sufficiently recovered to go do my long run. Consequently, I wasn't expecting to break any world records, or even finish my 16 miles.

"Moving heavy things" must be a good warm-up, though, because I killed it. I've got my power jam(s) to thank for those last miles, but the first ten were all me.

Because I'm a masochist, I decided I had to make an effort to run up some hills even though I wasn't even sure I'd be able to run 16 flat miles. That totally makes sense. I finished with almost 650 feet of gain, which is pretty solid for me.

Last week, moose prevented me from exploring new trails. This week, I made it! I'm happy to report I've now covered every mile of the Coastal Trail. The CT's southern terminus is at Kincaid Park, and it looks like a whole other world over there. It was tripping me out. I felt like I was at the reservoir in Lafayette, California (I assume you all have grandparents who live in Lafayette and so know the reservoir intimately), which is very dry and desert-y. It was cool to explore some new ground!

 This does not look like Lafayette.

There were still moose around, though. I was able to keep my distance so it wasn't a big deal, but seeing other people interact with them made me realize that Anchorage has its fair share of dimwits. If you leave them alone, moose are typically harmless. But if you're taking pictures of them from four feet away with nothing between you and the moose, your odds of getting trampled increase exponentially. It blew my mind to see so many people doing just that today. Moose are unpredictable, and they can kill people. Just ask my brother, who got kicked in the face by a moose once (in the moose's defense, my brother and his friends were shooting the moose with paintballs. He was fine; it didn't hit him straight on).

The other exciting thing that happened on my run was getting smiled at by my fellow Sunday LR-er. I've run by this girl every Sunday for the past month and usually she scowls at me. But today I got a smile! We're best friends now, right?

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Post-run I hit up Target for some lotion, but really for what turned out to be a very disappointing soft pretzel and some chocolate milk. Then I planted myself in the sun to attempt to even out my ridiculous leg tan (the bottom half of my legs would put creepy diamond-shining Edward Cullen to shame). Bailey made this more than a little difficult. I had bought her a plastic tube/rope combo dog toy to keep her occupied, but in true Bailey fashion she managed to rip it to blue plastic shreds in approximately eighteen minutes.

Okay, I need to finish this STAT because Game of Thrones is starting. GAME OF THRONES IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.

Weekly roundup:

Monday: 7 miles, easy

Tuesday: 9 miles with 3x2 miles (9:34 pace)

Wednesday: rest

Thursday: 11 miles with 9 tempo (9:25 pace)

Friday: 6 miles, easy

Saturday: 6 miles, easy

Sunday: 16 miles

Total: 55 miles

A new weekly mileage PR!! This week was fantastic. I felt really great and didn't experience any little aches or pains. I think part of that can be attributed to my Pace Gloves, but the Hansons deserve most of the credit. This was my second to last "really hard week" before my marathon in five weeks (eek!), so I think I'm in a really good place right now. Let's hope it continues!

Okay, the GoT theme song is just finishing so I'm done. Tell me something interesting about your weekend!

Dusting Off My Snow-Running Skills

Thursday workout: 11 miles with 9 tempo (9:30-ish), Pace Gloves

Friday workout: 6 miles, 10:52 average, Pace Gloves

Well, the big news here is that snow ruined Bike to Work Day. 

Of course, everyone's panicking and acting like they've never seen snow before. It never ceases to amaze me. Like, in 3-4 weeks they managed to forget how to walk on a path covered in snow?

Apparently this is the latest date on record that 1+ inches of snow has fallen. It's also apparently the longest "snow season" on record (first snow fell on September 29). Of course, this ignores the fact that it was too cold in October and November to snow, and that in January it was a million degrees outside. But never mind that; snow!!

Snow or lice? Take your pick.

The sun just came out, so the snow's not long for this world.

I had a super awesome tempo run on Thursday. I really should try to write about these things right after they happen, because by now I usually don't have anything interesting to say about it. I ran in my Pace Gloves, which performed beautifully, although my calves were sorer than usual post-run. I forgot to mention that in my Connects "pro" section a couple of days ago; they require less effort to run in. I'm still planning to run my 16-miler in the Pace Gloves tomorrow, though, because apart from calf soreness my body's felt really great this week running in just the Pace Gloves. 

I ran (chuckle) into some coworkers at mile 7 and because everyone I work with seems to bust out 6-minute miles on the reg, I subconsciously sped up for the rest of the run. It's interesting, though, that the more tired I get on these tempos, the faster I want to run; it somehow feels easier to sustain a faster rather than slower pace. Has anyone else experienced this?

Yesterday, I did a recovery run during pretty heavy snowfall. None of the snow was sticking to the pavement so it was actually a really awesome run. I was wearing shorts (it wasn't that cold!) so predictably got a lot of comments like "Working on your tan, huh?" and "You know, summer's over." Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let me regulate my body temperature as I see fit.

I did, however, feel pretty chilled during the car ride home. It seems to be cold central right now and I've been fighting off a bug for what seems like literally six months (people keep telling me it's allergies but I REFUSE to believe that I, perfect human specimen than I am, have allergies), but I think this time I might actually be coming down with something. I'm not sure my run helped my immune system all that much.  However, I finally got a full night's sleep last night and have been downing vitamin C like a pro (yes, I'm aware that science seems to have largely disproven, or at least called into question, the efficacy of vitamin C in healing a cold. Let me feel like I'm being proactive!), so maybe I can keep the pesky thing at bay.

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Thanks for your comments on my sophisticated blog redesign. I was able to get rid of my children tabs (sorry, children) by deleting different code things until I finally stopped getting the "ERROR: YOU SUCK AT COMPUTER CODE AND CAN'T DELETE WHAT YOU JUST DELETED OR NOTHING WILL WORK" message. There's still a weird white bar below my "menu" I can't seem to delete, so let's just call it a stylistic choice.

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I've got an easy 6 miles on the treadmill today (I've gotten into this Saturday groove where I treat myself to an iTunes movie and run in my dungeonous basement), and another 16-miler tomorrow! I'm planning to wear the shit out of my compression socks so hopefully no pesky cramps come a-knocking.

Enjoy your weekend!

Questions:

• Does running faster ever feel easier to you than running slower?
• Any strange weather happening where you are?
• What are your thoughts on Vitamin C? Does it work, or am I just an old wife (get it?!?!?!!!?!~?!?!!?!)

We Interrupt This Blog Post...

Workout: rest

Jogging Jeano elves (my fingers) are working furiously to update this janky blog template to make it easier to comment (thanks for the reminder, Holly!), so bear with me. After approximately thirty seconds of dedicated research (dedicated research = typing "free simple blogger template" into google and clicking on the first link), I decided to dive right in and try something that looked nice.

I clicked a few times and everything looked great until I noticed:

Category 1? Featured? Category 2? CHILD1, CHILD 2, CHILD 3?! Slow down there, Blogger. Jeano's gotta go on a date before she can have three kids and give them their own dedicated blog tab.

I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do with these things, so I'm going to keep investigating. "Investigating" definitely won't include "reading directions on how to edit downloaded blogger templates" because it should be user-friendly enough that I can click right on it and type things. I'm just going to click until I get something that works without me doing anything to it.

I suppose I'm breaking blogger code revealing to y'all the secrets of the trade, but I figured you would be just thrilled to participate in this historic moment (me trying to learn internet things). And, I wanted to explain why things are going to get weird up in here.

[UPDATED TO ADD: I'm template-ed out. No more, I say. We're sticking with what (I really hope) works]

Decisions of the Heart (Subtitle: Choosing a Shoe)

Workout: 9 miles with 3 x 2 miles (9:30 with 800m rest), Pace Gloves

Dear Interblog Friends,

I'd like to tell you a story about an idiot. No names, because she's an idiot and idiots are people, too.

Okay, fine, that idiot's me. But you knew that already.

For the past week, I've been walking Bailey by this gross compression sleeve on the side of the road, basking in my superiority (because not abandoning a lone compression sleeve on the side of the road makes you superior) and tsk-tsking at it every time I walk by. Why haven't I picked it up? Because it's covered in filth! And because I'm a terrible human being.

On Sunday, I did a massive load of laundry and as I was hanging up all my running stuff to dry, I saw a compression sleeve (not to be confused with the compression socks I wear daily). I couldn't find the other. What?! You know exactly where this is going, but it didn't dawn on me until much, much later. I searched all over, couldn't find it, and concluded that it would be found when it wanted to be found.

Cut to this morning. 

Scene: Jeano walks Bailey down the street. She espies that damned compression sleeve in the distance. Suddenly, she's filled with a sense of dread. Bailey is oblivious, as usual.

If she weren't too dumb to notice the compression sleeve, she no doubt would have tried to eat it.

Jeano: 'That's a compression sleeve! I'm missing a compression sleeve! That's the same brand, size, and leg that I'm missing!'

She is a simpleton so this is about as complex as her thought process gets.

End Scene.

I had noticed that this rogue compression sleeve was identical to my own a few days earlier, but because I'm a smug asshole, I knew there was no way it was mine. Except it totally was.

Now the question remains: why is my compression sleeve in a ditch a quarter mile from my house? One of life's great mysteries. I still haven't picked it up. See above re: being a terrible person.

Anyway, I like to practice my nonfiction writing skillz every once in a blue moon, so there you have it. I call it "A Dumb Girl's Life."

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Great news: my run didn't kill me today! In fact, it went great! I'm thrilled. I felt like poo after the last strength run, but not only did I kill it today, but my legs feel fresher than they have at any time over the past week (and today was my sixth consecutive day of running!). I'm riding a major running high right now.

I had a Garmin fail the first mile so had to restart the workout. One of my biggest pet peeves: not having an entire workout recorded on my Garmin.

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My heart is being pulled in two different directions. In one corner, we've got the fancy Connects full of bullshit "technology" like "pods," "navbands," "split toes," and "run like you're barefoot" when it isn't even remotely similar. However, they're cushiony and light. In the other corner, we've got my old standby, Merrell Pace Gloves. I bought the Connects intending to wear them for my marathon, but now I'm not so sure. Let's look at the pros and cons of each:

Merrell Pace Gloves

Pros:

• I love them
• They are cute
• I feel like Usain Bolt when I wear them
• When I run quickly, my shins feel spectacular
• When my body is achy, I often wear these to "reset" things because everything typically feels all better the following day.
• My gait feels very smooth and natural (in a "I don't have to think about it" kinda way, not in an "omg this is just like running barefoot!!!!!!" kinda way)
• So incredibly light
• I love them

Cons:

• I worry for the skin on the bottom of my feet over the course of a marathon. My feet usually feel great up until about 15 miles, and then my skin starts hurting. That sounds totally bizarre, but think of it this way: what would your hand feel like if you slapped it against cement for multiple hours? Exactly.
• When I run slowly, my shins can feel less spectacular (although it's hard to predict when they'll feel great and when they won't).

Connects

Pros:

• I can run farther without my skin hurting

Cons:

• I STILL feel awkward running in these shoes. It might be because they're taller than my Pace Gloves, but I sometimes feel more like I'm shuffling than running when I wear these.
• BLISTERS
• Although I usually can't feel it, the arch support can become annoying on longer runs.

I had been wearing my Pace Gloves for shorter, easier runs and my Connects for longer, faster runs, but more recently I've changed things up a bit and have been very happy with the results. I think I may do a complete switch for a bit to see how it feels. Running fast today in my Pace Gloves felt infinitely better than running fast in my Connects, which really surprised me. I'm hoping to nail down my marathon shoe in the next few weeks so I can make sure to do all my remaining long runs in them. In all likelihood I'll chose the Connects, but the Pace Gloves have really surged these past few weeks.

[DISCLAIMER AND ALL THAT: I've been running in "minimalist shoes" (largely these Pace Gloves and before them, the always classy Vibrams) for over two years now. It took me ages and ages to build up my mileage safely and because of that, I am able to comfortably run longer distances in Pace Gloves. I would not suggest these shoes for most people, largely because I know most people will go out and run a marathon in them straight out of the box. That is dumb. That said, I also love using my Pace Gloves for walking and going about my day so would absolutely recommend them for that. I always have people asking me where my "cute rock climbing shoes" are from.]

Questions:

• Do you run in multiple pairs of shoes? How do you choose which to race in?

Jeans for Jeano!!

Workout: 7 miles, 11:00 average, Connects

It's been ages since I posted an Anchorage-y photo, so here you lucky assholes go!

I took this downtown. I cannot for the life of me figure it out. Like, okay, that seems to be an old trailer with a flat back wheel. Those are buckets of paint. But how did this thing get here? And why does it look like this? And why is it five steps away from the swanky Fifth Avenue Mall? These are the things that keep me up at night.

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Today's run was very pleasant but not very noteworthy. The most exciting thing that happened was running past a Forrest Gump look-alike. Forrest Gump when he's running across the US, not clean-shaven Forrest Gump. This guy was even dressed identically. It was hilarious.

I threw some more liquid Band-Aid/athletic tape on my big ol' blisters and they held up pretty well. I started feeling them towards the end, though. I think tomorrow's run is going to be rough. Fortunately, I've got a rest day after! It only takes one day for blisters to heal, right? Right.

Here's one more picture from yesterday because I didn't have my phone with me today.

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Guys, I've been out of the jeans game for a long time. I've been wearing the same pants for literally 5+ years now without replenishing my stash. My jeans situation was serious. Lest you think I'm a vile creature who dresses in potato sacks, I didn't wear jeans in New York (too hot! And apparently in New York you have to wear "nice clothes" to work) so I've only become a vile creature more recently.

Anyway, this is my way of saying I finally bought new jeans. Let me tell you, they don't make jeans like they used to. This is a very good thing. I was expecting thick, heavy, stiff things I can't laze about the house in, but the first pair I touched felt like butter. Jeans stretch these days! AND jean companies have finally started making pants that are looser around the waist. I've always had an incredibly difficult time finding pants that fit me around the waist but don't sag everywhere else. My new jeans are tight in all the right places without cutting into my sides. It's excellent. In fact, I'm wearing them right now! I never wearing anything but sweats and shorts at home, so this is big.

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I figured I'd give you an update on my breakfast situation because I know you've been worried about it. I jokingly mentioned making waffles my new go-to breakfast, but surprisingly my solution wasn't far off-I've now joined the "pancakes-for-breakfast" club. A club I think I'm the only member of. What?! Pancakes for breakfast?! I put peanut butter on them instead of syrup so they're healthy! I'm already kind of tired of them, though. Pancakes lose their novelty pretty quick.

That's all I've got. Tomorrow I've got my second strength workout. I really, really hope it isn't as terrible as the first.

Questions:

• What funny people have you seen on a run recently?
• How often do you buy new jeans? Jeans are so SOFT these days, right?! Or did I just buy jeans that are going to fall apart in a week?