Workout Wednesday: Success Isn't Straight

Hey Preps!

I LOVE running in the Fall when all the leaves are changing.  Absolutely breathtaking. 

It's October.  That means running leggings, warm gear, and bright clothing to ensure safety while hitting the roads and trails in Western Pennsylvania.  I love my North Face reflective windbreaker.  It's bright and keeps me warm.  

Today I filled in for a fitness class that I usually do not teach.  The instructor was sick, and since I practically live at my fitness center, I was guilted into helping out.  I walked into the aerobics room, and the class members made eyes at one another.  No, I am not being sensitive.  They literally rolled their eyes at the fact that (as someone put it) a 'little blonde barbie' was going to be teaching them.

Guess What?  I kicked their bums.  Instant respect from them.

Not only did I kick their tooshies, but specifically explained each exercise and why we were doing it.  After class, they told me they never knew why they were doing certain exercises.  They were impressed.

The lack of confidence in me they had when they initially met me diminished as they got to experience my teaching.  Trust me, it's not the first time I have had to prove myself.  Throughout my entire life I have had to prove to people that I am not the typical stereotype they initially view me as.  Being a biochemistry major taught me that it's best to wear glasses the first day of school.  Professors see a blonde girl, and think she's incapable of getting an A in their Advanced Organic Chem class.

Now, in the real world, I meet with a new client or a new class, and if they don't know me or my resume; they automatically think I am too young, inexperienced, skinny, blonde...little do they know that I gained 30lbs. my freshman year of college.  That I since have lost it all, and have made fitness and nutrition a priority in my life.  They don't realize how many certifications I have and long weekends I have spent researching everything on the fitness spectrum to be able to put together a program that works specifically for them and their needs.

Sure it's frustrating.  I don't appreciate being underestimated, yet at the same time it gives me a determination in my spirit to prove them wrong.

Many of you who have e-mailed me are frustrated.  You want to achieve a fitness goal whether it's running a 5k or a marathon, losing weight, even competing in your first triathlon.  You aren't seeing the results you thought you would, and you want to give up.  I have totally been there.  It took me over a year to lose the weight that I gained my freshman year of college.

It was frustrating to see girls skinnier than me at the cafeteria eating pizza and french fries, while I ate the same salad and self-made sandwich every day.  I didn't lose the weight over night.  There were many days (and still are) that I wanted to eat a huge bag of peanut butter M&M's.  It takes discipline, time, and the understanding that success doesn't happen over night.  It is a process, but I am telling you...that even if you fail once or twice, you can reach your goals if you set your mind to them.  If I can...you can.   I promise.

One of my favorite illustrations of success is shown below:

We all want instant results when we put in effort.  I am telling you right now, that is not the way life works.  It takes perseverance to reach success.  There will be times where you find yourself back peddling, or having to start over again.  That's okay.  You will get there.  I am a firm believer that those who work harder to succeed, appreciate their success more.  Don't be discouraged if you aren't reaching your fitness goals right away.  Use your disappointments as leverage to prove yourself and others wrong.  Once you reach your goals, you will look back and appreciate the time and work it took to get there.  Keep pushing guys.  Make it happen.  Only you can achieve your own success.  

Stay tuned for a Workout Wednesday Circuit that I will be filming in my boot camp tonight!

Have a blessed day y'all!

Run Like a Girl

Hey Preps!

My pup and I post-marathon

It was 3:30 in the morning, and I gave up on sleep.  The anticipation of an event that I had spent months training for and visualizing kept me from sleeping until my 4:00 alarm sounded.  For the first time, I didn't mind waking up prior to my alarm.  I was ready.  Out of bed I went, and into my running attire.  Then there was the pre-race rituals, oatmeal, stretching, and packing my SPEEDO bag until it was jammed full (I have this thing about leaving space in bags).  I was ready.  It was marathon day.

My dad is the best in the world.  I am sure of it.  Only he, would wake up at the same time as me, to meet me at my apartment and drive me into Pittsburgh for my big race.  He is my biggest fan and best friend.  He also knows exactly what to/what not to say at all the right times.  I can't remember a single race throughout my life that my father wasn't at cheering me on.  That alone says so much about the amazing person he is.

He knows my race rituals.  He also knows I don't talk very much before races.  So, for the most part we remained mutually quiet during the drive.  A past marathoner himself, he knows exactly what I am about to endure.  He told a few stories that eased my nerves...and gave me a ton of encouragement as we parted ways at the starting line.

Here we go...

Pre-race you get corralled into different sections based on your seed time.  I made it into my corral and waited with 25,000 other people for the starting shotgun sound.  Away we went...

I had spent months training for this.  Today was the day to accomplish something I had dreamed about for years.  I couldn't help but smiling as I fell into my pace and let my feet do the cruisin.  Over bridges, up hills, winding everywhere throughout Pittsburgh, I was proud.  I had so much pride for what I was doing, and for my city.  Running through the towns of Pittsburgh, and having the incredible support of so many people was emotionally moving for me.

Every so often I would glance at my watch to check my pace, but was nervous when I passed mile 8, and my pace was right on track with what my dad had thought I should be running (I thought it was too fast).  I had a slight freakout moment.

"Am I going to fast? What if I die at the end?"

I started playing mind games...but listened to my body, and my heart, and kept pushing my pace.  I wasn't going to let the psychological part of the race beat me.

The course started heading down into the South Side of Pittsburgh, and there he was.  Mile 10.2.  My stink bug flushing, supportive, gentleman was there to cheer me on.

"Come on Kalyn, your ahead of pace...keep it up! You look strong!"

I blushed as I glanced back down at my feet after making eyes at him.  No slowing down, no giving up.

Part of the reason I decided to run the marathon was to work through my past.  I run through my problems, and I signed up for the marathon after a break-up.  Months of training, and recovering, and there I was, running the race that helped me overcome emotions, a damaged heart, and the limits I had previously placed on myself.

Never in a million years did I think I would have the guy who "made me blush" for over a year at the gym supporting me as I was running my big race.  It is so funny how life works, and how much running alone has given me.  I look back on the past few months, and running is what really has saved me.  I am a much happier person now, and I thought I was happy before.

Mile 15 came...there was my loving father.  Taking pictures and running along the road next to me.


"Great pace KK you are killing it!"

What a great dad.

I kept pushing.  I was beginning to feel the pain, my muscles ached, they cramped, but I kept going.

Mile 22...pushing through the wall

Mile 22. The wall came.  Every muscle in my legs felt fatigued, my pace started to fall...then all of a sudden, I see my dad, running along the sidewalk next to me.  He ran the whole mile uphill with me until the 23 mile marker.  He knew this is where I would be struggling, and he was there to help me through it.

Do you have amazing people like this in your life?  That will help you work through any adversities, heart break, and pain you may endure?  Who support you and your passions?  If so, appreciate them.  They don't come along very often.  

I slowly worked through the pain and worked back up to my pace.  Mile 25 came...ONE MORE MILE, and of course it was uphill.  I pushed myself.  I somehow found the strength to kick my stride into full gear as I sprinted into the finish.  I clocked out three minutes before my goal...and the second I officially crossed the finish line, every muscle in my body stopped working...and I peed my pants.  Yep. couldn't even hold my bladder.  Always have to make a grand entrance.

I peed my freaking pants.

There I was.  Wet pants, sweaty, exhausted, and incredibly happy.  I did it.  26.2 miles.  I had overcome pain (both emotional and physical), stereotypes, psychological negativity, and had done something I had always wanted to do.

There is nothing like setting a goal, working hard, and achieving it.  What are you going to achieve that you have deemed impossible?

Just Show Up

Hey Preps!

This week I am tapering my distance run down to 14 miles...

that means cutting more calories out of the diet.  

I feel great though! 

Cut and taper time = Marathon is sooo soon!

 Pumped!

Last night after a Bootcamp class that I teach, I (being the crazy that I am) decided I needed to do a little bit more cardio for the day.  Sure, I had ran sprint intervals for my weekly 'speedwork' workout of the week earlier, but was zoning in on some chub above the knees.  We all do it.  There are always areas of our body that we feel self-concious about.  For me, I know that when I pack on a few pounds, they go straight to my booty and thighs.  Now that I am cutting for the marathon, I am slightly more self-aware of the areas I need to be targeting.  

So I sneak down to the Fitness Center by taking the back staircase from my classroom to avoid anyone who wants to talk to me for an hour.  The problem with being a trainer and teaching classes is that everyone wants your time, even when you are not on duty.  Being as busy as I am, I really can't talk to people during my own workouts.  That doesn't mean I am standoffish to people, it just means that I am matter of fact with them.  I love working with people and hearing their stories, but not when I have to crank out a run or a good solid lift (which I hardly rest in between sets) and someone comes over to me to tell me about the new helmet for their bike they got, I am supportive, but brief.  The point is, sometimes I struggle with getting in my own workouts because I am in the environment that is my profession.  

As soon as I enter the Fitness Center, a lady I work with comes blubbering in.  Gosh, I love her.  She has been kicking her own butt into shape and I am so proud of her dedication.  The issue was that she gained a pound in a month.  She gained instead of lost.  With anyone I am working with, I recommend that you don't obsess about your weight daily, but instead, weigh yourself once a month.  I also take my client's measurements so we can see where they have lost their weight.  To me, this is a more accurate count of how well you are doing...since the goal is to build lean muscle and lose fat...and fact known is muscle weights significantly more than fat.  

So, I got caught up in motivating her in other ways.  We measured her, and I asked her how her jeans were fitting.  She said loose.  I explained the muscle/fat ratio, and promised her that she would lose weight in the next three months if she kept up with her nutrition and workout plans.  

By the time that was over, it was an hour later.  I was cold from being sedentary so long after my class, and had to go through the motivation process again.  After finishing my run it was 10:30PM.  The fitness center had already closed, but since I work there I do have the advantage of staying after hours occasionally.  

I went home and ate something light since it was so late, and passed out.  

This morning, my alarm clock screeched at 5:30AM and I felt like I had gotten zero sleep.  To get up?  Not to get up?  I made the terrible decision to sleep in longer...I woke up at 6:30, and moved at a turtle pace to put on my swimsuit and make the trek over to the gym.  

"At least Janell and Heather will be gone by now..." 

I thought as I slipped into the locker room and stripped off the layers of sweats I had on.  

"Oh Kalyn! Good! You are here!  Heather and Ann are just getting in the pool!"

I turn around and there is Janell, a mother of two, a physical therapist, and an incredibly talented distance Triathlete.  

"Great. Busted."

Before I knew it, I was in a freezing cold pool pounding out sets of 200s followed by 50 sprints.  I was killing it.  I mean, they couldn't even keep up.  It was like every stroke I could pull even more water, as my legs propelled me forward in a fury of unsettled water.  Thank goodness I ran into Janell, or I would have been very lazy today.  

All three of the ladies I swim with are accomplished Triathletes.  They all have incredible careers, families (Heather is pregnant, and still keeps up with me in the water), and are some of the most dedicated athletes I know.  Do you think they have time to do a lazy workout?  Definitely not.  

I know there are days where you dread going to the gym.  It happens to all of us.  It happened to me today, yet getting up and showing up are the hardest steps in the process.  Sure, you will have to battle through sweat, pain, and really push yourself sometimes.  Yet, that's better than not showing up at all.  

For myself, I have found that the days I have little or no expectation about my workouts sometimes catch me by surprise and I leave the gym knowing I really did kick my own butt.  That's a really rewarding feeling.

I challenge you, to just show up.  No matter how hard it is, or what time limits you have, find a way.  I promise you won't disappoint yourself.  

P.S. to those who were wondering, yes, I am running the Pittsburgh Marathon!

Have a blessed day y'all!

Margaritas on my Mind

(Easter Sunday Outfit: Lilly Pulitzer Dress, Steve Madden Sling-back Sandals, 

and a Vintage, Changeable, Lilly Pulitzer Clutch)

I love spring, it means Pink and Green!

Ok, so I am just gonna vent for a second.  I am so hungry right now.  I am sitting at work and Food Network is on.  Fried twinkies.  Fried macaroni and cheese.  Everything fried seems to be the theme.  Of course someone would want to be watching the Food Network while they are working out, causing me to reap the cons of such a show.

My training for the marathon is coming to an end.  That means this final month is TAPER.  I love tapering because it means less mileage and a higher intensity.  Go hard or go home type of mindset its needed.  However, what I hate about tapering, is the fact that I have to start cutting back on the calories/fat in my diet.  When you are running 60+ miles a week, it's easy to let your diet slide a bit.  Trust me, I have been an eating machine.

 When your mileage decreases though, the diet becomes more important. This means no drinking in season (there goes my glass of vino until October), eating lean protein, and lots of veggies, limiting my sugar/fruit intake, and keeping the closest eye on my carb intake.  Since I am gluten-free, I turn my nose up at most carbs because of what they do to my body.  Yet, when my aunt makes me G-free Pumpkin Muffins, and it's time for me to cut...it's really not fun staring at them and having them stare back at you.

The month before a huge race is when I start watching everything I consume.  If it doesn't benefit my body in some way, and help to make me a better athlete, I don't eat it.  Trust me, it's extremely hard...and it means denying a ton of cravings and sometimes being a little bit hungry.

Last night I was texting my girlfriend, and mentioned how super bummed I was that my race was the day after Cinco De Mayo.  Kids, I love me some mexican food.  Everything I can eat.  Corn tortillas, rice, beans...it's a carb heaven for G-free people like me.  I also love me some Margaritas.  Mucho grande por favor.  

So, as soon as this race is over, and I am fully hydrated and functioning again.  I WILL have a Margarita, and the biggest enchilada I see.  Then it will be back to training and cutting for Triathlons.

What is the point of writing this?  First, I just needed to express my hunger.  Now I feel much better.  Second, I wanted to stress the importance of nutrition.  It is equally if not more important than your daily cardio and weight session if you are trying to lose weight.  I know it stinks sometimes, and isn't easy to always eat well.  Trust me, I am a huge fan of Skittles and Ice Cream.  However, you have to look at how the food you are eating will benefit or hurt you in the long run.  Doing so, will help you make better decisions.  I promise.

So I challenge you to eat well for a week, deny those processed foods, sugars, and fattening cravings.  You will feel so much better...and be on your way to a healthier lifestyle!

Polo Dresses and Stink Bugs

Hey Preps!

(Outfit of the Day: I love my green Vineyard Vines Polo Dress, it's as comfy as sweats.

I paired it with a Lacoste headband, and Coastal Skimmers from L.L.Bean)

Have you ever seen a stink bug?  They practically invaded Pittsburgh.  Recently I moved into a new house, and we have this little issue with stink bugs finding some way inside the house.  Yuck.  So last night I was reading, and glanced up just to see a stinker scurrying up my wall.  I had a minor freak-out, and calmed myself down enough to grab a wad of toilet paper, gently pluck the insect from the wall, and drown it in a swirling fury down the toilet.  Kalyn 8, Stink Bugs 0.  My count was up to eight in a 24 hour span.  Disgusting.  

Did you know that if you smash a stink bug, that they give off an odor that attracts more of the gross little things?  SEE BUG.  FREAK OUT. SMASH BUG.  It's practically human nature for us to attack at first glance when seeing a bug, yet if we do that with a stink bug, we are fighting an uphill battle.  You must wait for the right moment to snatch it up, and dispose of it somewhere far far away, or do the barbaric thing a flush that sucker out of your house.  

I am the weirdest.  After this post, I am convinced I am...but how many times do our impulses attract more hard decisions in our life?  Impatient and stubborn are two words that I will honestly call myself.  I admit they are flaws of mine.  I have always been one who wants what she wants the second she wants it, regardless of whether it is the right thing in the long run or not.  How many times has that hurt me in my life?  Just like the instant thought to squish a stink bug leads to a much bigger problem?  

Sometimes, we just need to let go of situations, and know that not everything is in our hands.  There is not a single time that you will be in complete control of your life.  Sure, you can do all the right things to prepare yourself in a way that avoids trauma, but in the end nothing ever works out the way we planned it.  

I have always been one to try to take rein of my life.  Every time I try, I am taught to be patient.  It feels really good to say that for the first time in my life, I am fine with letting things happen the way they are meant to be.  Sure, I give everything my very best, but I know that I can't keep smushing the stink bugs in my life...because they will come back to bite me eventually.  

I am currently in the taper stage for my marathon.  I am anxious for it to be over so I can start fully training for Triathlons again...yet I know I can't over train.  How did I learn that?  A past full of shoulder, shin, knee, and ankle injuries.  I now listen to what my body is telling me, and I know the difference between a good hurt and a "I just fractured my foot" kind of hurt.  Sometimes that means not doing everything I wanted to (which is very hard for me to do), but I know that listening to my body will pay off in the end when I didn't over train and hurt something.  

The same goes for careers and relationships.  I kept forcing my last relationship to work, when it clearly wasn't meant to be for quite some time.  I was up late at night in tears waiting to hear from him, exhausted, and mentally and emotionally drained in class.  Why did I stick with something that was making me so unhappy for so long? I was stubborn.  I kept trying to dispose of the stink in our relationship in all the wrong ways.

Now I am so happy.  I am finally doing things I only dreamed of doing.  I have an amazing support network to fall back on if I need them...and I can honestly say that I am just Kalyn.  Just me.  A little girly who loves pink and green, writing, running her feet off, swimming like a fishy, teaching fitness classes, and appreciating the world around me.  

I recently wrote that when you are happy being by yourself, someone who appreciates you for who you are will find you.  Well guess what?  Mr. Makes Me Red in the Face and I are still talking.  We are taking it super slow, and I like it that way.  Yet, he supports me for the freak I am.  He respects the fact I wake up at ungodly hours to hit the pool or go on a long run.  He wants to be there for me at all my races.  My ADHD stories that are overly enthusiastic and detailed make him laugh...and it is great to have someone who does appreciate the weird Kalyn.  I don't know where the future is for us, but I am fine not knowing.  Who knows if we will ever end up in a serious relationship...but never have I spent time with someone who is so grounded in who he is, and so driven to do his best...not to mention someone who is caring enough to listen to me ramble about my distance run and what each mile felt like and the philosophical meaning behind stink bugs.  

I laughed last night as I was leaving his house.  He is a financial advisor, which means suits and ties and brief cases.  I am a personal trainer which means running shoes, kettle bells, and sports bags. As I was leaving, I picked up my lifting shoes (I never wear my running shoes except to run...an OCD thing of mine) next to his dress shoes, my mesh swim bag up that had been covering his brief case, and thought "oh the irony".  He sees me in sweats every single day, and still likes me.  Now that is saying something.  

The point is, we both have our own paths in life.  Striving for the best is something that is important, and the focus and balance between work, athletics, and relationships is evident in both of our lives.  I appreciate him for the person he is (even if he does prefer gory movies and giggle like no other man I know) and he appreciates me.  

For the first time, I feel no pressure to impress a significant other...if I even will call him that one day.  Who knows, I am taking it day by day...but, I will say this:

I noticed this gent when I first started working at the gym.  I can talk to anyone about practically anything, but whenever he would come in, I found him so attractive, I couldn't even make eye contact with him.  I did think it was a hopeless cause until he asked me on a date a few months ago...but the funny thing is, he thought the same about me.  We both had little teenage crushes on each other and were too nervous to talk to one another.  Not only that, but I was dealing with another relationship that was already a squashed stink bug on the wall.  If that stink bug hadn't finally gotten flushed down the toilet, I might still be a mess...and would have missed out on the opportunity to get to know someone who I have the utmost respect for (and find incredibly sexy).  

So my advice to you?  Stop squashing the stink bugs with impulses, and have the patience to wait for the right moment to gently remove them from your life.  Impatience gets you no where in life.  Take the time to grow up, and figure out who you are before needing someone else in your life...appreciate being single, and strive to be the best person you can be.  Someone will find that drive irresistible, and will love the weirdness in you.  You have to just let yourself be weird first.

Stink Bug number nine comes creeping by the window.  Mr. Makes me Red in the Face volunteers and flushes that sucker down for me.  What a gentleman.  

Strong Little Girls and Pink Running Shoes

Hey Preps!

Sweaty...as in you can see it in this picture.  Yummmm.

Such an attractive picture right?  I am a sweaty, smelly, mess.  Mile number nine of an 18 mile run.  Finally up to 18 miles this week.  Next week is 20.  Yikes.  Doesn't that sound terrifying?  I thought 18 was terrifying but the whole two before the zero thing terrifies me.  It's just a psychological barrier that I am nervous about getting passed on my way to running the marathon.

So I started off on my 18 miler, and I was hurting.  I have flat feet, so my shins sometimes hurt because of the way I pronate.  I was tight, and I was dreading the distance I had to run.  The first two miles, I huff and puffed away...fighting a battle in my head to stop, to quit.  I forced myself through it though, and after those two miles of a struggle, came 16 miles of cruisin'.

"Yep, nobody could catch me at this speed" 

I kept telling myself that, and eventually I believed it.  My stride fell back into place and the struggles of the beginning of my run were long gone by the end.  I felt strong.

In life, we are faced with so much adversity.  Maybe we lose someone, struggle financially, or are faced with life altering decisions.  There is an initial struggle when faced with these situations.  We don't see light at the end of the tunnel, and are anxious about the outcome.  However, I have never been faced with adversity that didn't make me stronger and better in the end.  

A guy at my gym calls me "Lil' Grit".  He says I am intimidating to the male species because regardless of how little I am, he knows I could lay anyone out who crosses me the wrong way.  Well duh...that's why I weight lift dude.  Anyways, I like my nickname.

Grit means lasting strength.  Always.  When it's easy, when it's tough...someone who has grit will make it through.  That means when my shins are killing me, my legs are tight, and I don't think I have taken a heavier breathe in my life...that I push through it.  It also means that when I am struggling with something in real life, that I take it day by day...and try to make the most of it.  

I was reading through a magazine yesterday, and came across an article about Micha Burden, one of the top open-water swimmers in the country.  She isn't the most talented swimmer, but she has grit.  She wanted to be the best, so with perseverance, she accomplished just that.  

While reading the article, Micha said something that really stuck with me:

"Athletic ability shuts down when there is adversity.  Grit doesn't."

So my challenge for you today is to keep working at whatever you are struggling with.  Keep striving to reach your full potential...show em' you've got grit!

Believe it or not...out of all of the shoes I own...these are my favorites.

We have spent a lot of time together.  We fit each other well.  

They are pink.  Girly, yet strong.  They make me smile,

and I know it's going to be a good run when I lace them up!

Have a blessed day y'all!

I Believe I Can Fly

Hey Preps!

Yesterday morning started with an alarm clock sounding off at 4:30AM.  Does it surprise you that waking up that early every day is my choice? Don't answer that.  Sometimes it doesn't feel like my choice.  I drag myself out of my bed kicking and screaming, all while trying to dig the yuckies out of my eyes.

"Why am I doing this?  Why am I up so early?"

Sure, there are days where I just want to go back to sleep, but I don't.  I force myself out the door, and into the pool or out into the wild for a crazy morning run.  Yesterday consisted of jumping into a freezing cold pool at 5:30AM.  I got used to doing so my freshman year of college, given I was a D1 swimmer.  I hated it then.  It was a job, but hilarious as it sounds, now that it isn't a job, I love it.  There is nothing better than a hard swim workout...  

Especially if your swim workout involves women who you look up to in so many ways.  The gym that I train at has hosted a great deal of triathletes and successful marathoners.  Many are quite successful in major events such as Ironmans and the Boston Marathon.  These women have careers, families, and are so busy, yet they are waking up at ungodly hours, getting on that bike...and hitting that pool.  Why?  

They love it.  They love the intensity.  They love working towards and achieving a goal that was gleamed impossible...and you know what? I do too.  

Admiration doesn't even describe the upmost respect I have for the women I train with.  I hope that my whole life I will be just as dedicated and committed to my fitness, while maintaing success in the real world like they are. 

I have said this before, but in order to live a balanced life, I need my workouts.  I need those swims that seem challenging at first but result in such a refreshing burst of energy and accomplishment...and more than that...I need my runs.  

Training for a marathon can be just as much a psychological struggle as it is a physical struggle.  I always tell myself the first two miles of a distance run are the hardest, and they truly are for me.  Yet once I reach that two mile mark, my pain and forced running is gone...replaced with pure joy and ambition that carries my legs up hills across fields, and anywhere my heart desires.  

One of my favorite runs starts with a huge uphill battle.  I hate it at first.  My legs burn, and my heart rate increases at an exponential pace...yet overcoming that first hill allows me to have the motivation to conquer the next 10 that follow.  Hill after hill I stride.  Farm land, mountains, and unreal fields decorate my runs, and I am constantly reminded how blessed I am.  

Yesterday after my swim, I decided to go on a distance run.  Sopping wet hair in a matted bun, hat to cover the mess, running leggings, reflective jacket, and my worn down shoes...off I went.  I reached the very top of the last hill of my run and stopped for a second to take the picture shown above.  I was just overcome with the beauty...the beauty of the world synchronizing to the pounding of my tired feet.  The rhythm took me away.  I felt as if I could go on forever.  

I started descending the hill, and couldn't help but spread my arms out as if I were flying.  That's exactly what I felt like I was doing.  My feet, hardly touching the ground, chest open, arms out, and I couldn't hold back my smile.  I was truly happy, and it's moments in my life like that, which I never want to forget.

As I was finishing the last leg of my run, I decided to avoid my normal route because the last street involved happens to be where my "I turn red every time I see you" gent that I am dating lives.  I was proud of myself for creating a detour, but as I ran a road parallel to it, and started to turn back to the gym, who did I bump into other than this dreamy guy in a light blue tie and beautiful navy suit...headed to the office.  

"Oh hey, don't mind me, I am just a sopping wet, sweaty, smelly mess...Great seeing you at this time in the morning, when you look simply sexy and smell delicious, and I am completely out of breath and smell like chlorine and body odor."

Yep.  I guess you can't always stay on the runner's high...sometimes you have to fall back down into reality...or bump into a guy who you adore and it completely flusters your focus.  What am I? A middle schooler again?  That's what it feels like.  

I like when things happen that way.  I love running, and I am glad life doesn't always work out the way I planned...because more often than not, it works out better than I could have ever imagined...like bumping into just the right person at just the wrong time.  Sometimes I think my life is a sitcom.  God definitely has a sense of humor. I like it.

Have a great weekend y'all!