Running for Miles instead of time and WILFTB

Running for Miles

It's winter. And you all know how I feel about that when it relates to running outside. As a result, my running suffers from about December to mid-March. But, things are different this year for lots of reasons. The big one is that I'm actually training to run 5Ks. Like, seriously. 

So, I don't really get to slack on the winter running anymore. This week marked week 1 of training to improve my 5K time, and that means I'm running for miles instead of time like I've been mostly doing since last May. 

Btw, the program I found was a beginners program that involves running 5 days a week, which seems a lot to me for a beginner program, but maybe I'm misunderstanding what is meant by beginner. In any case, I'm shooting for 4 days a week of running and will be running back to back days for the first time in ..... I actually don't know how long. Maybe since I trained for my first 10 mile back in 2009???? 

That's weird. 

Anyway, technically training started today, but with ice all weekend, making it stupid to run and a day off yesterday, I ran yesterday. Three miles on my favorite trail-not-really-a-trail, that was wet and soggy so I was glad I had my trail running shoes so I could splash around and not get my toes wet. It wasn't a very exciting run, except my paces were eerily consistent: 12:04, 12:05, 12:04. It was actually eerie all around, with a run at 1pm where there literally were no other runners, albeit a lot of walkers and fog on the river like I was in either a creepy or depressing movie. I had just watched the creepiest John Cusack movie that morning, so I know I was being a little biased towards creepy. Could have just been depressing, so who knows. 

In any case, there was nothing special about the run ... until it hit me that there was nothing special about the run. Nothing. Do you know how long it's been since I had just an every day, non special run?!?!?!?! Even MJ was just like, whatevs.

3 miles, 36:30, avg HR 168;  decent enough easy-ish run. Ideally, my HR would be well below that average for it to truly be an easy run, but we will get there. 

WILFTB 

Generally, when I write these dating tips and tricks, I go in order of the epidsode; I'm a huge fan of chronology, and I generally try to only include dating tips and maybe a little commentary because ... well ... I'm still slightly embarrassed I'm even doing this. I generally don't Internet search the crap out of the lead (except the bachelor from my home state, for obvious reasons) and just learn what I can from suggested social media posts and funny Jimmy Kimmel interviews.

BUT I HAVE TO BREAK ALL MY RULES RIGHT NOW. Because here is a screenshot of my iPhone notes from part of the episode: 

I seriously was like, oh hey, he runs like he knows what he is doing. Then I got ridiculously excited when I learned he ran track in high school and college. So then, I did some internet searching and found this: 

And THEN ... I found out he ran cross country in high school, too. Which just makes him that much more desirable to me. The hilarious part to all of this is that I doubt any of the women he's dating cares all that much that he not only did this but was actually fairly decent at it, too. For me, it makes all the difference, LOL. 

In anycase, aside from my "holy ****, he's a full on runner and that apparently is a huge turn on for me" realization, here's what else I learned this week: 

• Being understanding that a 36 year old man may have had intimate relationships with women he was NOT on a reality show with makes you a woman of high quality. AKA, not wanting to give up your free vacation means a lot to your boyfriend. 
• Knowing this, however, may make you feel competitive and motivate you to dress int hat trench-with-lingerie-underneath look that is utterly predictable and completely unimaginative. 
• And cause you to bring Reddi Whip to the cocktail party. 
• I should not be turned off by hideous garden rose ties. Perhaps it's supposed to be a funny joke since he hands out roses left and right? 
• Even though we all know how this dating thing goes, and [most] of us can count, we still need to be told when there is only one rose left. 

Okay, okay, okay so the Backstreet Boys are cool but I would have been more excited if it had been *NSync. I mean, have you see JC Chasez lately? 

Hello.

• Watching my boyfriend make out with one of his many other girlfriends (that I know about) will be the worst day of my life.
• Dating is actually going on dates
• There is nothing like puking on your first single date. And then kissing afterwards. (ps, the bachelor was adorably supportive of his date that got sick)
• 1 pool, 1 boyfriend, 17 girlfriends will almost certainly mean things will get weirder than they already are. 
• Straddling someone in a bouncy house is just not a good idea. On national television, anyway. 
• Don't sing to someone like you are actually trying. It's just awkward and no one knows how to respond. If you must sing, sing for comic relief, like in an Opera or Broadway voice that is not meant to be taken seriously.

Until next blog....