squats and lunges, lunges and squats

weekend distance: 5.5 miles
on the iPod:  "all your life"  -- the band perry

Yesterday was supposed to be my triumphant return to distance running, as I haven't really hit any long mileage since the Hogeye Marathon at the end of April.  There's been plenty of great running, but primarily those have been five and six milers.  The month of May was my first break in quite a while and it wasn't nearly as irritating as I thought it would be, mainly because it was pretty full with school and traveling and bad weather.  I was very much looking forward to a 10 miler yesterday morning, but mother nature had other plans and dumped a not insignificant amount of rain, thunder, and lightning on Northwest Arkansas.  The formers are nothing more than a mere pain to runners, but the latter is a deal breaker.  My 8th grade science teacher, Mr. Stanfield, was famously struck by lightning and every kid at the school knew it.  No matter what came out of his mouth about science, no matter what he tried to teach us, all we thought about every single day in his class was the fact that he took a bolt and what that must have been like.  Pile on the inevitable, childish antics and it should be no surprise that nothing got done is his classroom.  I don't want to be Mr. Stanfield.

Thusly, distance running was postponed for another weekend and I opted for a Bodypump class at the gym instead.  I used to go to Bodypump fairly regularly and found myself enjoying the repetition of light weights that work every major muscle group while amping up the heart rate, all set to thumping beats of remixed classic rock, country, and hip-hop songs.  Some of the music is a hit, some not so much, but Bodypump always delivers one one thing: a really large amount of squats and lunges.  Like a whole lot.  And then some more.  So many squats and lunges that my quads are left decimated on the studio floor, resembling a pile of wobbling jello.  It hurts so good.

I found fairer skies this afternoon and immediately changed out of my "church clothes" as soon as I got home from St. Paul's. Throwing on gear, I got to the Lake Fayetteville Trail as quickly as possible and was off and running.  The first half mile was miserable, as my legs begged for mercy after the beating they took yesterday.  This time it was my glutes.  But I refused to stop running and quickly settled in to a respectable pace for a lazy Sunday afternoon, even picking it up in a few places just to push to limits.  As i've opined before, the Lake Fayetteville Trail is fast becoming my go-to for quick and easy mileage.  Today was no letdown, complete with scampering chipmunks, some random couple making out against a tree (awkward), and the smell of fresh honeysuckle growing.  

A distance run will have to be put off next week as well, but i'm not complaining.  My great friend is marrying his longtime sweetheart and I couldn't be happier for the both of them.  I've always assumed that this wedding would happen and it will be a special occasion to see them acknowledge and celebrate their relationship.  As this is a destination wedding, Todd and I are going a few days early to enjoy the week and relax in the sun.  Its been years since i've traveled out of the country, so i've spent quite a bit of thought on the packing process.  Here's what i've got so far:

1. My passport.  This should need no explanation.
2. Shorts and swim trunks.  This is going to be a tropical week.
3. Sunscreen.  See above.  I have no time for a sunburn.
4. The just-released Dan Brown novel, Inferno.  I love suspense thrillers.
5. The May and June copy of Vanity Fair.  The magazine is completely underrated for high-end, feature journalism.  I've read it for years.  
6. The June copy of Runner's World.  I got it a few weeks ago and have been deliberately waiting, which has been no small feat.
7. Snacks.  This should really not be a surprise to anyone who knows me well.
8. Two different iPods.  One with my entire music library, and one with specific playlists.
9. And, of course, my running shoes.  I have no idea if I'll be able to run there, but I really hope so.  There's nothing that would make me happier than celebrating National Running Day on June 5th with an early morning jog amidst the backdrop of crystal blue water.

 

Anything else I figure I can live without for a few days.  When I get back it will almost be time to start training for the New York City Marathon.  And Mrs. Murie doesn't know it yet, but i'm going to try to talk her in to starting out with a bang by finding a half-marathon in July that we can turn into a weekend road trip.  I've got a few in mind that would be more than acceptable for two educators on summer break.  In the interim, i'll continue to hit the local trail system as much as possible and hopefully get back into the routine of early Saturday morning distance runs, and if it continues to rain and I'm forced to go to another Bodypump class, i'm completely prepared to bribe the instructor with small, unmarked bills to forgo the squats and lunges.  There's no shame in my game.

Run.