My Birthday Blog Post

Today is my birthday, and to celebrate, I ran the Fuelbelts Hydration Hustle Virtual 5K put on by Moms Run This Town. I ran it in 32:55, which is better than I have been doing. The heat is still killing me though. I'm ok with the slower pace...for now.

Here I am before my run, before the sun was even up, getting "geared up" on the porch. When I stepped outside, it was overcast, and my first thought was, "I could use a run in the rain." Alas...no such luck!

And here's my proof, which I think I need for the Hotter than Hades Virtual Half Marathon. I used this morning's run to kick off those 13.1 miles. I plan on running 4 on Wednesday and another 6 on Saturday to finish it up. Now, I didn't think to take the picture until a little after the 5K, but at least it shows I completed the distance.

And here I am after the slow, hot run...yes, I know I need to zoom in, but this is as good as it gets when you're propping the camera up on the trashcan and using the timer:

I got to wear a couple new pieces of gear, thanks to some early birthday gifts. The Road Runner Sports visor, a gift from my sister, was really comfy, even if the sun never did actually come out to make it necessary. And I love that it's not white and shows up better. The CEP compression sleeves, a gift from my parents, were interesting. With the heat, they felt a little warm, but I like the way that my legs feel after my run...as in no pain. I wore my One More Mile skirt this morning, mainly because it was clean, and I was definitely glad I remembered the Body Glide...it definitely didn't stay in place (but I'm guessing that's also due to the heat).

I got a few other running related gifts as well. I can't wait to try out these Wildskins Armwarmers (also from my parents):

And I meant to stick these in the fridge to have ready for this morning's run, but I forgot:

And since I'm tired of spending my runs tugging on a zipper or using a safety pin each morning, I just bought a C9 high-impact sports bra (but I haven't been able to give it a test run yet).

The coolest thing about my run was that I got to spend it thinking about...
1. My birthday, and how thankful I am for my parents and the life they've given me
2. My birthday, and how two years ago I struggled through my "3 miles at 30" after starting to run just two months prior
3. My life now and how completely blessed I am by my husband, kids, family and friends

And I also thought about the year ahead. I'm working on some ideas I have about improving myself and my life (not that there's anything wrong with it, by any means). I've been reading The Happiness Project, and it's got me to thinking. I haven't gotten the plan quite figured out, but one thing we're working on is clearing out some clutter. I am amazed at how much the physical clutter affects my mental state. My husband and I worked on our room this weekend, and I went through my bookshelves...and our bedroom is just so peaceful and pleasant now. I'm planning on one small project a day to work my way through the house, hopefully before school starts. Today's project is my piles of magazines...which needs to be done now. :)