A Tale of Two Extremes {Meditation & Running}

Hey guys! How's your week going so far? I hope everyone is doing well and accomplishing goals! Though this is an @actifit post, running can very much be moving meditation so I figured I'd touch on that topic, as well. The picture above is the view from my quiet spot on Saturday. A rainy day is a great opportunity to be still and spend some time with my own mind!

I can't tell you how pumped I am to have finally joined the @naturalmedicine community! Though I've enjoyed reading posts from members like @riverflows and @walkerland (among so many others) for a long time, it took the promise of group meditation to finally get me to jump on the bandwagon. @bewithbreath has led two meditations so far through the community discord, and I've had the pleasure of joining in on both.

Though I've tried to cultivate the practice on my own, lately I just haven't quite seemed to be able to get motivated to sit down for some solitude and reflection. Just having the accountability of the group sessions is great by itself. However that first session was so uplifting joining in with others with the same energy and purpose. I already learned a few techniques to use in my own practice that I hadn't tried before! Thanks to the crew for welcoming me in to enjoy this experience! I look forward to the next one!

I also got some great "me time" yesterday chilling out on the back porch. I might have read an entire book in one afternoon...

Balanced out with all of my chill time has been plenty of running! I know we're a week into May now, but I don't think I did a quick April recap. I had one off week when I scaled back after going to the chiropractor, but other than that I pretty much hit all my training marks!

It's getting pretty toasty at this point in the season, so even with trying to get out earlier in the day I'm adjusting my pace to not pass out from heat. 😆

Today was a sweaty one. Just shy of 8 miles, split into an easy first 4 miles followed by 3 miles of half-mile repeats. Definitely not my fastest, but I'm happy with my effort given the conditions. I had originally intended to do 11 miles today, but opted for the longer speed session instead. I hit the 10-mile mark last week, so I think an 11-miler early next week will seal the deal as my last long run before race day. After that it will be taper time!

The good thing about training in the heat and humidity now is that I'll definitely be prepared if it is this warm on race day. I'm also signed up for the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th, and that one is always a scorcher! I have enjoyed the longer runs lately, especially when I settle in and find that nice physical and mental cruising zone. But I think as usual I'm going to be quite happy to scale down once summer hits full force!

Alright, time to rest my legs after finishing up dinner and hydrate some more! 💦

Running