Running... Running... NOT RUNNING!

I've been having weird runs lately... I finished up the running schedule a couple weeks ago when I discovered it was too bloody easy. I tweaked it by running the required time and then doing a couple minute walk and adding a second several minute run... And that's what I've pretty much been doing lately - running for aditional times and shortening my walking time each week. It's gone pretty well. I'm now consistantly running more than 3 miles, 5-6 times a week and I'm dropping weight pretty fast (14.6 lbs as of last week. Weigh-in isn't until tomorrow, but my boobs are smaller than they've ever been and not a single article of clothing in my closet fits. So I think I'm doing pretty good). I've virtually quit drinking pop now, I only have one or two a week when I really feel like it and 80% of the time I find the taste fairly foul. I drink water, I eat fruits like candy and I've learned to cook a few things reliably, if not well. So you know, I've been rocking. I add light biking trips to the store to my weekly exercise now, in an attempt to increase my biking strength and get ready for biking to work regularly, and when I'm at Adam's place I like to steal a couple of sessions in his complex's surprisingly nice gym...

So basically, what I'm saying, is I've been rocking out the diet and exercise.

But I've had some weird runs. Sometimes I go out and I have to fight just to meet my 3.18 mile goal... and somedays, like last Friday, I can go out and jog for an hour with just a couple of walking breathers. (*flex* Oh yeah! Admire the strength of my legs and lungs!) It all depends on how well I've eaten and how much I've slept and whether I've drunk enough water, no kidding.

Last night was an awesome running day. I got outside at a little past midnight, hurting and sore from head to toe from a weekend full of larping and the first 12-13 minutes of running sucked. I wanted to stop running and slink home with my tail between my legs... But by the 18 minute point, I was eating up ground in a smooth, effortless gait. I was Arienna the Bunny, rabbiting down the street with my ponytail swinging allegro, dressed in clever runner's shorts and an actual tank top that, no kidding, revealed my arms and the shape of my figure.

I was feeling like hot stuff and after another few minutes I'd settled into what I consider my distance running mind-set - all I was thinking was "Run... run... run... run..."

Until something abruptly grabbed my ankle and gave it a yank. I hopped with my other foot in an attempt to get high enough to go over whatever I'd just got caught on but, alas, that only sent airborne, with my ankle still being yanked out from under me. Time froze while I hung in the air, one hand clutching an ipod and one hand holding my cell phone (Safety, yo). I recall making the rational decision that I would probably heal faster than I'd get around to replacing either of my toys so I didn't throw down my hands to catch my fall, I landed curling to protect my devices and hit the side of my knee first. The fall barked a lot of skin off my knee but my hips and legs were protected by the clever, highly scientific material of my shorts. Being an ex-gymnast and a once-martial artist, I was tucked and rolling so my hurts from the landing were superficial, skin-deep only...

Unfortunately, I was tucked and rolling to absorb kinetic energy and impact so I tucked and rolled just enough to crack my head on a loose piece of pavement. I lay there for a few moments, spitting sand and swearing before I stood up and looked for the cruel impliment of chaos that had disrupted my run... And discovered some complete bugger had stretched a trip-wire across the pavement. No kidding. There was a length of twine stretched across the sidewalk at exactly ankle height. Had it not been 1 am at this point I would have probably marched to the nearest house and delivered my opinion at high volume... But it -was- 1 am and I'd have just as likely gotten my butt shot off but anyone crazy enough to lay a trip-wire across a sidewalk.

So I kicked the errant rock that had tried and failed to concuss me and finished my run.

I'm hardcore like that. ^_~