Updates.

Life has been calm lately. Calm and normal, which I like.

Running has become a normal sort of thing that I look forward to. This morning, I ran four miles. It is a monumental first for me. It took 52 minutes, which I think isn't too bad, but I'm not really sure. Dustin would say it's terrible, my nice friends would probably say it's awesome. Whatever, I think it's fun.

I might try to go vegetarian for a week. I always used to say I never could, but lately, I've been having full vegetarian days without even realizing it, mostly just because I've been trying to eat leftovers or didn't have any meat readily available. Black beans are one of my new favorite foods. Black beans and rice, black bean soup, black bean chili, etc. Oh, and sweet potatoes. It'd be interesting, maybe.

I visited Jacksonville last week. It was alot of fun.

I'll be in Deland again soon.

There's just not alot going on lately.

Running.

I have disappeared for awhile. It's been a busy few months, and what with it being Leah's last few weeks in Tallahassee, I tried to spend extra time with her. She is now in Virginia with Daniel. I could write an entire blog post about how depressed I am because of this, but that would not correspond to the title of this blog, so I won't dwell on my sadness.

I got burnt out from the Couch to 5k plan for a bit, mostly because it was just too hot in the afternoon to run. Then, I finally decided to start getting up early and working out before work. Before the wedding, I would go to the apartment complex gym before work every morning. I hated it. I realize now why: 1) It was way too dark at 6:30 am in the winter. 2) The walk was freezing. 3) I hate working out indoors (which I never knew till I started running.)

I've always been a morning person. I appreciate getting up with the sun and seeing the day before the world wakes up, while the sky is still getting lighter, the birds are chirping, everything is covered with dew and the world feels fresh and new. (Except for that one foggy morning, when the humidity was 100% and everything was stifling and still and it felt like 90 degrees at 6:45 am. That morning was somewhat less pleasant.) Running in the mornings is invigorating (mostly.) It gives me a chance to appreciate my favorite time of day in the outside world and helps me wake up. I start the day feeling more alive and more grateful for the beauty of nature after having spent a good half hour in it first thing after I wake up. I would try to recommend to everyone to get up earlier than usual, even if it's just 5 minutes, and go stand outside on your front porch or outside your front door. Appreciate the world in the morning--it's beautiful. You won't regret it.

Anyways, my workouts have improved. I also signed up for my first 5k on September 5th, which has been motivating me. Also, I want to tell you about my workout this morning.

Let me preface with this. I was never an athletic person my entire life. Some people can just up and run a mile whenever they feel like it. In 2011, I could maybe barely run a mile, involving alot of gasping and pain. In my entire life, I have never run two consecutive miles, and have in the past few months been able to run two miles with walking breaks only. Well, friends, this morning, just to see if I could since I've been improving: I ran 3.1 miles. That is correct, I ran a 5k with no walking breaks. I'm so darn proud of myself!

Now, to humble myself appropriately: it took 41 minutes. I was running between a 13 and 14 minute mile average, which is not a super impressive time, according to runners and whatnot. But, it's still a good starting place.

I'll probably start blogging more again, especially now that Leah is gone and Kate is gone and there is nobody left in Tallahassee. Woe is me.