I know I just said rest…

Two weeks ago, I completed a 5-week baseline workout plan via Garmin. So much for your last post on rest.

Last week, I began another 5-week series of workouts destined to test my overall strength and grit. Unrelated, I’ve seen the word grit mentioned no less than 3x at work in as many days. Maybe it’s making a comeback?

Results so far indicate I’m vertically challenged, probably don’t eat enough to power said workouts, and are overall incredibly difficult.

As evidence, here is a collection of whackadoo hairstyles I’ve implemented lately –

Alas, the running continues, even with weather fluctuations and holidays. I average 2.5-3.5 miles per run. Nothing fancy, just basic movement. Alongside the strength plan, I aim for several runs/week but sometimes I only get a single or double. Meh.

As tomorrow is Thanksgiving, at the moment I have plans to run a 5k with a local group. But those plans belong to today me. Not the me who has to wake up tomorrow, get dressed, eat, and brave whatever weather is in store. Maybe I’m still resting.

_____________________

I ask you –

Will you be partaking in the Thanksgiving Day 5k tradition?

(The post I know I just said rest… first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Running from Zombies

If I’ve learned anything during this furlough, it is to take it slower. Much slower. But not too slow because I just can’t.

A run collection

For weeks, I have been doing two-a-day workouts and I’m feeling the best I ever have. That’s not taking it slow, Kel. In other ways, I have been giving endless grace. The first week of the furlough, admittedly, I was angry. Angry we had gotten to this point. Anger directed at everyone around me. But soon I realized anger wasn’t getting me anywhere. Now, and since, I’ve been in a numb sense of acceptance. I do not like this situation. I still battle anger and disappointment. But I’m humbled every single day by a team of few who continue to show up. And it’s what they deserve from me.

the team

You don’t know what ya got til it’s gone. Oh, but I did know. I would have rather never experienced it. Despite the furlough, the show must go on. Despite taking a massive manpower hit, the expectation to deliver is still there. Thankfully, with the help of dozens of volunteers and a killer core team, we executed the 2025 Zombie Run 5k of over 300 participants. To say I was stressed was an understatement. But they did it.

I think I could outrun the politicians, or zombies, in charge of bureaucratic decision-making. But a nice right hook to the jaw might be more fun. Well deserved.

________________

I ask you –

In a run with a zombie, would you win?

(The post Running from Zombies first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Seems Odd

Musk is upset with AI, says it’s wrong for it to be so inconsiderate of safety requirements. From the guy who created self-driving vehicles. That’s rich. Odd.

For two consecutive weekends, I’ve taken a 2-hr nap. The weight of tiredness has been exceptionally heavy. This isn’t normal for me. Odd.

It’s that time of year again. Where the weather cools off and you no longer sweat from thinking about going outside. Because people really do sweat before going outside in the summer in Texas. Odd.

Credit: via IG

Drums!

And, finally, the update you have all been waiting for. My drum lessons! I told you, right? Maybe not. I signed up for drum lessons. And I’m well on my way to being the greatest drummer of all time. Jokes. But lesson one went well…now all I hear is oneandtwoandthreeandfour. Then, oneehhanduhtwoehhanduhthreeehhanduhfour…you get the idea. It was fun! I thought I would have to learn to read music. Wrongly odd.

____________________

I ask you –

Tell me something odd in your life!

(The post Seems Odd first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Source of Frustration

This is where it ended. I have never had an issue with Garmin, but the fact that a plan cannot be modified during execution is archaic. You see the Threshold workout above scheduled “today”? It’s the same workout I had attempted every run day prior for over a week. I could not complete it. I tried. I followed the directions, I tried so hard to stick the proverbial landing, but it was out of reach. Every time. Despite the indicated training status and training readiness, I never got above a 3% execution score. Instead of moving on, changing the workout, or deviating in any way, Garmin continued to schedule this threshold workout.

So you know what I did? Never give up! I quit. I stopped the plan. Sure, quitting is rarely recommended, but futility is stupid. I was making a choice to suffer through it – for what? To potentially injure myself trying to attain a passing score on a single workout which meant nothing to my continued mental or physical well-being? No thank you very much.

Sure, I can justify the marbles out of this entire decision. 1. It was week 17 of an arbitrary 20 week plan. I didn’t have a race goal. So who cares. 2. Maybe my watch needed a restart and some updates to get its life together. (I tried it – no luck.) 3. Eventually you’ll get it, Kel. Maybe just not right now.

In conversation, I admitted to having no motivation to run, strength train, or do anything really. Classic overtraining. I ate some chocolate, drank a lot of coffee, and put on my shoes. In no particular order. Then, I crushed 3 days of strength training. Followed by a free run.

Take that, Garmin. I run this.

_____________________

I ask you –

What frustrates you?

(The post Source of Frustration first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Re-Post! Unearthly Expectations

Re-Post from October 30, 2023 – deep in the archives of RoF! I promise to return soon with new, unread material!

As expected, my foots need expert, aka surgical, attention. You know – for all that technology has accomplished, how come there’s only a few options for feet? I did all the others. The surgeon was quite incredulous when I requested to have surgery on both feet simultaneously. But I persevered! Eventually, he came around to my way of thinking but it took some convincing. First, he says it’s dangerous when you can’t walk under your own power. Then, he says the pain may be too much. His final attempt at dissuading me was my mental health. Something about suffering from depression when unable to run.

I counteracted his every argument by saying I will sit at home and be a good patient; I have a high pain tolerance; and it makes more sense to have both feet done to allow me to complete my coursework at one time.

Then, when I visited my muse, her advice wasn’t quite what I wanted to hear but valuable nonetheless. She said, “Kel, you’re still Wonder Woman, but it’s an unearthly expectation to do all the things just because you can.” Granted, her words stopped me in my tracks and made me reconsider my decision. For a time. It’s difficult considering all the unknown variables, including being unable to play in the intramural volleyball league as originally planned. Now, I’ll just coach!

My wingwoman and I

So, all this to say my mind is pretty much made up. I may come to regret it but both feet is the way to go. Despite the circumstances and outliers, I know I can persevere. And I will.

Yet every time you make it through something that doesn’t kill you or land you in jail, there’s this overwhelming feeling of excitement and gratitude. I live for it.

___________________

I ask you –

Any big decisions on the horizon?

Could this be the dumbest decision I’ve made? It very well could be.

Tell me about your superpowers!

(The post Re-Post! Unearthly Expectations first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Re-post! Word Count

Re-post from July 17, 2024 – I’m back from vacation #1 but miscalculated how much time I would spend writing the next post. Back soon!

You know how I know running really does quiet the circus inside my brain? Because I was unexpectedly involved in a very serious discussion immediately post-run and I could barely formulate words. Literally, mostly silence on my part. The remainder of what exited my mouth was weird utterances. It was awkward. I know I sounded like a bumbling whackadoo but I was floating in the clouds on a runner’s high and right then was not the time to have an impromptu discussion about lifesaving devices. Although it may have sounded like I required one.

A new ice cream flavor. Help!

Blue Bell Cookies ‘n Cream Cheesecake

During my recent grocery run, the store only had the newest flavor in 1/2 gallon form. For sure, if the pint had been available, I would have snatched it up. Much to my own detriment. Small favors. Vacation is coming up quick so I’ll save my indulgences for then. One Landshark. One pint of ice cream.

Word of the day: bespoke. Bespoke is a British term typically reserved for high fashion, but is used lately to mean customized. Example: He wore a bespoke suit. Or, a bespoke framework explains blah blah blah. The more you know.

Finally, I found it fascinating research shows how one of the factors of doctoral achievement are behavioral and psychological characteristics (personality, motivation). Maybe one day I can study this more.

_________________

I ask you –

Does exercise short circuit your brain, too?

What do you think about the new ice cream flavor? Would or have you tried it?

Tell me a word of the day!

(The post Re-post! Word Count first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Brain & Body Health

I saw a funny Instagram post which basically said I didn’t realize I’d be navigating my daughter’s PMS while also battling perimenopause. I’m doomed. Although I suspect perimenopause is a recently concocted term for all the space and unknown leading to menopause, if this is it then it’s very real.

My memory has taken a nosedive downhill. We all attributed it to PhD brain, work stress, the usual. But when mini started commenting on how I couldn’t even finish a full sentence… yikes. Time to make some changes.

Insert brain vitamins! It’s still the first week, and maybe it’s a placebo effect, but I do feel more focused! Will report back.

Saturday evening I decided to pause my run plan. The past 2 weeks, Garmin has indicated my training status as “straining”. I thought it meant I was coming out of “peaking”, which I had been, but I also thought straining was positive. Ha. Wrong.

It has been struggle city. I haven’t hit any of the prescribed paces, constantly tired, not sleeping well…classic symptoms of overtraining. And perimenopause. All this to say, I’m taking a break. Literally and figuratively. I’ll be back soon.

_________________

I ask you –

What does straining mean to you?

(The post Brain & Body Health first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Ohhhhh, San Diego

Because the line was so long, approx 27 people with the average wait time of 52 minutes, I have no photos of the incredible ice cream at An’s Electronics Repair. At this point, An’s has invested in dry cleaning, hat making, and, now, electronics. What a marketing and business genius. The truth is she has the very best ice cream in…anywhere. You should partake at every single location, as I have.

Cookies were the theme of this jaunt to San Diego. Coco and Jules Cookies were my favorite, while Cookie Plug was trying a little too hard. But did I eat the cookies? Well, yes.

Tacos, coffee, and chicken pot pie rounded out the menu. Turns out I’m not a fan of chicken pot pie. I know others who adore it. Just not me.

Tacos El Gordo

Breakfast Republic

Acento Coffee

The Chicken Pie Shop

Quite the successful and relaxing trip. I managed 3 runs and 1 workout. I’d gladly pay extra to have San Diego weather year-round. In fact, the first run back in Texas was a glorious disaster. From heat and humidity to stiff muscles and uncertain hydration status, I was a walking risk. Alas, it will return.

__________________________

I ask you –

If you’ve been to San Diego – name your favorite places there! Food, too!

(The post Ohhhhh, San Diego first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

New Watch, Same Me

Garmin has a lot of faith in me! This is the Forerunner 955 Solar, a vast improvement to my previous Forerunner 265. The solar feature was a last minute decision, but since this is Texas and the sun is nearly always shining, I thought why not. Even without it, my battery, with regular use, lasts more than a week between charges. It says you can sit the watch in the sun and it will charge without overheating. Haven’t tried yet.

Thus far, I think the watch is much more accurate than my previous version, especially when it comes to heat acclimation. Very important to me. At the time of this post, I’m only 44% acclimated. When my other watch would give feedback, it commonly stated I was 78-80% acclimated when I hadn’t been running at all. Although it doesn’t influence my running habits, I would like a more realistic picture of heat acclimation, which I believe I’m receiving.

For me, this was a satisfactory, albeit expensive, purchase. My previous one, the Forerunner 200-something series, was great…no complaints, but when it started losing charge quickly and began having some glitches, I knew it was time.

Just like this post. It was time. Get it get it.

_________________

I ask you –

When did you last update your electronic gear?

Have you tried a newer version of a watch where it exceeded your expectations?

Tell me what you currently run with!

(The post New Watch, Same Me first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)

Re-Post!! Running + Cycling Stuff

From 3 June 2024 – as I’m traveling today and didn’t properly plan for a post, please enjoy this re-post until I return!

I’ve been running. Yes, it hurts. I keep forgetting about that part, until I do it.

On the bright side, Garmin says I’m 40% acclimated to the heat, which I know is definitely not true. Probably more like 14%. Nonetheless, it’s rained so often in the past 2 months I haven’t been out in the heat thus far. Only recently have I attempted to navigate the daily rain showers to make a conscious effort to go outside.

Perhaps I’ve forgotten to mention I’ve been sort of training for a mini triathlon. The sort of part refers to a general, well complete, lack of swim training due to a complete lack of available swimming locations. Unless you count the consistent daily rainfall and the fact the installation pools have only (until last weekend) been open on the weekends. Nonetheless, I can swim, so 250-something meters shouldn’t be too hard, right? Meh.

Working back up to a 20 mile week!

I’m genuinely excited to participate as I’ve never done anything like this before. Typically, I’m a single-plane type of athlete, unless volleyball counts as dual-plane? Relatedly, fast four volleyball has begun and I intend to join this week. More to come.

P.S. Someone should remind me about this run next year: Freihofer’s Run for Women 5k. The check in gift is a box of cookies and a loaf of bread!

_________________

I ask you –

How has your weather been?

Have you ever entered a triathlon? To be clear, this is a mini triathlon so definitely less intensive.

Tell me about a sport you’ve always wanted to attempt!

(The post Running + Cycling Stuff first appeared here at Running on Fumes.)