more more more!

this year hasn't been much of a running year (yet). since christmas running has taken a back seat to life and cross training. but last week i finally laced up some sweet new running shoes and logged in miles on my favorite route: the maze of trails in the berkeley hills just a half mile from my apartment. and as usual, i got  lost  on my run, so i ended up running 75% more than i anticipated. i also ended up on a very hilly trail so there was that added fun too. so. many. hills.

this run was amazing for the usual and new reasons:

1) running is awesome. i feel like that needs no explanation. if it does, you just need to go run and find out for yourself.

2) trying out new shoes is always exciting. like the beginning stages of a relationship where you're trying to get a feel for things. and let's be real, runners have serious relationships with their shoes. whether they have loyalty to a brand/particular model or  try something new every time, it's a commitment for the next 500 miles. through sunny days and inclement weather. through ups and downs of injuries and PRs. i took my new brooks transcends out on my first outdoor run of the year and i feel like it's the start of a beautiful relationship. 

3) running is a great life teacher. the big lesson learned on this particular run was to breath and let go. the first two  miles of the run was an elevation climb. the second mile was pure hills. but the panoramic view of the bay at the top is a sweet sweet reward for punishing my legs. usually i take a moment to catch my breath, take a picture (gotta instagram it!) and then carry on. this time i actually sat on the look out bench and really took inthe view. it was a nice sunny day and just beautiful. so i sat there, enjoying the sunshine and view and zoned out for about 45 minutes. it's the first time i've ever meditated during a run and just be thankful for the moment. 

i continued on with my run and decided to try a different path. i sort of assumed the trail would loop around back to where i wanted to end up. it did not. i had moments of frustration as i tried to figure my way through, and then as time went on i realized that i was running out of phone battery and daylight. i started my run mid-late afternoon and while most people can comfortably run at dusk, i cannot. the sun was setting and i had a little less than an hour of good daylight to find my way back to civilization. i tried using my phone (yay google maps!) but not all of the smaller trails show up, and of course i had ventured off on one of those smaller off the beaten path trails. there was a moment when i realized that i was on the verge of having a panic attack. feeling stranded in the hills and running out of daylight and phone battery...scary position as a visually impaired runner. plus, i was getting REALLY hungry too. i could have just stopped and cried, which part of me felt like doing (and i was reallllly tempted to), but instead i kept running. i let go of my fears and just moved forward. and you know what? not ten minutes later i found a main pathway and reoriented myself. i chose to keep running, and actually enjoy the run instead of freaking out. i was no longer lost; i was on an adventure! this is something i need to remind myself in regular life too. because sometimes it really is about the journey, not the destination.

4) i love that tired run feeling. the feeling after a good workout where you feel sort of drained, and if you sat down you wouldn't move for hours. it's such a gratifying feeling and you get the best night's sleep afterward. the cherry on top was not having that dead leg feeling the next day. i thought for sure i'd be super sore and tired when i woke up but i felt great. and sometimes, like life, running surprises you like that.

end result: i just wanted to run more. more more more...