I'm kind of on vacation this week, so this one is a short post I've been thinking about for a while. See, it's no secret that I run, and that when I run, I have a lot of time to think about life. It's better than thinking, "Oh, gosh, I can't breathe. My legs are killing me. Can I rationalize a break at the next mile mark?"
I've heard that you can take life lessons out of anything you know well enough, and that's been true of running, for me. So here are some of the deep philosophies I, and other runners, have thought up during those long, long miles.
1. Making fun of someone else's running gear won't make you any faster, or give you any more endurance.
2. You may pass someone, but you don't know their training program. They might be training for distance and you might be training for speed. Or perhaps they just started running and you've been running for years. We all have our own schedule.
3. Someone may pass you. See above. It's not fair to compare.
4. There are two kinds of pain. One is positive and indicates growth and added strength. One is negative and indicates that you're causing harm to yourself. Know the difference.
4b. Positive pain can be intense. That doesn't mean it's bad. Negative pain can be mild. That doesn't mean you shouldn't stop and let yourself heal from it.
5. It's okay to have bad days. They happen; it doesn't mean you're a bad runner.
6. The experience is always better when you're going somewhere, instead of just running in place (looking at you, treadmill).
7. Everything gets a little easier when music is involved.
8. If you push hard for too long you could injure yourself or just crash. Know your limits and take it easy.
9. Getting good shoes now will save you a ton of pain (and toenails) down the line. Same with clothing. Quality is worth the price when you have to rely on it.
10. Chocolate milk is the elixir of life. Nut butters aren't bad either.
Feel free to comment with some of your life lessons, whether from running or other aspects of your life. And, if you are a runner, check out Dumb Runner by Mark Remy. It's pretty fun.
I just started work on a new novel project, and I think I've discovered a new natural law:
Computers will work fine when you are doing nothing important, like games or Netflix, but as soon as you are hard at work on a new manuscript and haven't saved for at least fifteen minutes, the freaking computer will shut down without warning and you'll have to rewrite all that material all over again!
Yes. It happened. Why does it always happen when I'm writing and never when it's convenient?
In weekly news, this week I will be on a panel at the Writing & Illustrating for Young Readers conference.
My
panel will be the new authors panel on Wednesday, June 13, from 4-4:40,
and I may also be present at the book signing the next day (I think I'm
invited to that, but I hate to impose if I'm wrong).
So, if you're going to WIFYR, I'll see you there!
. . .
Guess what?
I did my marathon!
The Utah Valley Marathon. Here's me, at the end, with my chocolate milk in hand and medal around my neck.
I got to ring the PR gong because I got a personal record. (Which is a given, since this was the first time I'd ever run 26.2 miles.)
My roommate met me at the finish line, and my three youngest siblings came and met up with me after I crossed.
It was a good experience. It was a hard experience. I learned another natural law: If the hot, hot summer weather is supposed to break over the weekend and drop to highs of pleasant low 80s, then there's no way it's going to happen before you run your marathon. The highs on Saturday were up in the high 90s, and it was probably about 80-85 degrees when I finished the race.
So, what's it like to run a marathon? I'm going to tell you. Doesn't matter if you asked.
The day before, I got my bib and shirt and stuff from the race expo. Where there were many people selling massage machines. That was new. I haven't seen those so much at other, shorter race expos. They also gave me a couple of flyers, with my shirt, for nearby hospitals and clinics, so that was considerate if a little concerning.
I got up at 2:45 am after a restless night. It's not easy to go to bed at 9 pm, though I tried, and even then, I was antsy. It took a while before I was able to fall asleep. But I got up okay, and made a light breakfast of oatmeal and a banana and packed my bag for the race.
I parked at the finish line and took a shuttle up to the starting line WAY up the canyon, where it was cold but they had firepits ready to warm the waiting runners. I had sweats because I knew it was going to be like this. When I got off the bus, the speakers were playing "Takin' It to the Streets" by the Doobie Brothers, and since that's on my running playlist, I took it as a good sign.
As I waited, I prepped. I drank a sports drink and lotioned up with sunscreen. I also took measures to prevent clothing chafing. You may notice that in my picture I'm not wearing a race shirt. The Spider-Man shirt comes from a company that makes light, soft, motion-friendly shirts, so that's what I wore for my first marathon. It's also encouraging to dress like a superhero.
The race started at 6 am. The sun was up, but we were still in shadow and the canyon was cool. The speakers played "What Doesn't Kill You" by Kelly Clarkson, which I thought funny, but not as funny as later when it was the song I finished to and the song on the radio as I went home. I had a theme for the day.
Running is interesting. I definitely had a stream of thoughts as I went, and they'd repeat. Here's a taste:
- Dang, the sun is out again. Where's the next shaded area?
- I thought this race didn't have hills.
- Where's the pacer? Oh, there she is.
- Did I fuel at the last mile mark? No? Better do that.
- WATER GET WATER
- I think I already passed that guy.
- Didn't that guy pass me already?
- Who the heck wears a backpack filled with marbles on a marathon?
- Wow, the scenery is gorgeous!
- Who dropped their socks? How did they leave their socks behind in the middle of a race?
- *new song starts on playlist* Ah, yesss! This is my jam.
- I've been running next to this person for a while. Should I say something?
- Nope. No need to talk.
- Breathing feels okay. I think I can do this!
- Um, legs are starting to hurt. Maybe I can't.
- If I see one more sign that says, "Smile! You paid for this," I'll make them pay and see how they like it.
- Another mile down. Just make it to the next water stop.
- It's getting hot....
- These last 6 miles in the sunlight are going to hurt.
They did. They did hurt. I actually threw up at mile 23, due to dehydration. Not that I was missing water stops; I hit every single one. But a marathon plus stupid heat equals loss of fluids.
I walked a bit of those last 3 miles, but even so, I made my time goal. I'd been hoping to finish between 4 hours and 4 and a half, and I finished around 4:15. So, right there in the middle.
After the race, I got lunch at Zupas with my family and then a Dole Whip because it was tasty and needed. Then I chilled and slept well at night. The next day? Well, this video should accurately depict what the day after a marathon looks/feels like:
Right now I'm feeling somewhere between "I can run 26.2 miles in less than 5 hours FEAR MY POWER" and "Sitting down is more of a controlled fall at this point please help me stairs without banisters would be impossible."
I'd do it again. I'd do another marathon some day. Maybe a fall one,
because that would be pretty and a bit cooler than this one, but the
Utah Valley Marathon was a good race. It had a beautiful course and it
was well-organized. And now I am officially a marathoner.
But for now, I'm content to rest, regain my nutrients, and look forward to much more relaxed running schedule for the foreseeable future.
This morning, I did a school visit! At BYU! In front of a class of creative writers!
It was exciting. I always love talking to groups, and since this one was a group of young adults who want to write, I had the ability to talk to them in "writerly" terms and really talk about process with them. They had excellent questions. One of which I'm still trying to figure out an answer to:
How do you keep yourself from writing the same character into every story?
Great question. The answer I gave was something along the lines of, "I treat characters like different people, and every different situation requires a different kind of hero," but I'm not sure I like that answer. I typically don't like answers that boil down to, "My characters are real to me and they talk to me like real people," because those answers sound crazy and aren't very helpful.
Too bad so many situations in writing come down to that kind of answer: I don't know how I can do this, but it works so I don't question it.
I have another school visit this Friday and I'm super-excited! Will keep you posted on developments.
As for other things happening in my life, I am getting further in the marathon training. Last Saturday, I ran 20 miles. I have a few more super-long runs before race day. Here's the thing about super-long runs: you have lots of time to think. LOTS of time. So I did, and one of the things I thought about was the unique experience I have being LDS (Mormon) and a runner.
It is unique. There's a culture to running, and there's an LDS culture and set of values, and sometimes they overlap/clash. Frankly, I think it's funny. So here's a set of behaviors unique to the LDS runner:
- Making stink-face and passing by when I see that the free gel/goo on a long race is caffeinated (NOTE: This is a little bit of a cheat. Caffeine isn't outlawed for LDS people, but my family avoids it, so I do too, and thus it makes the list.)
- Altering training schedules so they don't require Sunday runs
- Searching for races that AREN'T on Sunday
- Looking ahead to see if the next Fast Sunday (a day we go without eating) is the day after a rare Saturday race, and being relieved when it isn't
- Being super-disappointed that the Disney Park marathons are typically on Sundays
- Trying to figure out the modest/comfortable running clothing balance
- Throwing away the "free post-race beer" ticket that comes in the swag pack
- For once, not being the only one in the area totally obsessed with chocolate milk
These are based on my experience, and while they are true for me, they may not be true for all LDS runners. I'd be interested in other people's experience. If anyone out there is LDS and a runner, comment with any others that I might have missed!
Wow, it's really coming up fast. I'm going to have a book launch on March 2, 7 pm, at The King's English bookstore in Salt Lake City, so I hope to see you there! It's going to be great, and I'm sure I'll have more information as the date gets closer.
As for today's post, well, I'm pretty much torn. Half of me wants to write something deep, meaningful...something that would be interesting to read.
But I'm also a week into training for marathon, and the run-ger appeared quickly and without mercy, so the other half of me wants to write an ode to peanut butter.
Which I got a whole new, full jar of today. HOORAY PT. 2!
I figure I can't have it both ways, so an ode to peanut butter it is.
Let's be honest: peanut butter is one overlooked food item. Banned from some locations due to allergies (although from what I've learned, that may soon be a thing of the past due to allergy-free GMO peanuts), it's still a staple in kids' lunches all over the country.
And for runners it's a freaking godsend. Peanut butter is a filling snack high in protein that I don't need to feel guilty for indulging in. It's the perfect recovery food, going well with chocolate to create a delicious recovery treat.
I know that peanut butter isn't much cared for in other countries, and having tried English peanut butter, I can see why.
I also know that peanut butter isn't as flashy or fashionable as sports gels, protein shakes, or nutrition bars. It's the kid's sandwich treat, after all. Everyone has a jar or knows someone who does. You don't have to go far to get a supply. We pair it with jam, bananas, marshmallow creme, or Nutella to dress it up on our bread.
But it still remains delicious and nutritious, supporting us whether we're running a marathon or just running late for work. Our humble jar of peanut butter.
I think that's admirable. Moving away from praising a food, I think the ability to do one's job well without seeking praise for it, just because the work is worthy, is admirable. It's why I love the character Sam Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings, as well as Frodo and pretty much every other character in that book. It's why I'm driven to admire characters who are good, honest people, and it's why I think Hidden Figures was such a powerful movie even beyond the discussions about race and gender it raised.
Good people, humble people, who are always there, supporting others. Whether they themselves are the hero in the story, or just the hero of their own story, they are powerful, likeable characters who can share so many important lessons with a reader without needing to be preachy.
Well, huh. I guess I could have it both ways, after all.
First thing first, today is the last day to enter the Arts and Thefts giveaway on Goodreads. If you're interested in winning a copy, you'd best act now!
Speaking of Arts and Thefts, the publication date is coming up really fast! Five weeks from tomorrow! It snuck up on me, I admit. I'm trying to figure out book launch plans, though I realize that the launch may be a bit late, or might not happen, because of my dilly-dallying. I hope it happens; I have some good ideas to make it fun!
My vacation was a good one. It was very, very cold, though; toward the end, Pennsylvania got hit with a bomb cyclone, which looks a bit like this:
A hurricane of snow and winds and bitter cold. To put it perspective, it's now around 40-45 degrees F outside in Utah, and I've been walking around in a thin long-sleeve shirt because it feels warm and springtimey to me right now. It makes a nice change.
Overall it was a good break. I saw a few movies (The Last Jedi and The Greatest Showman - the latter was really worth watching although it hasn't gotten the Star Wars hype) and got to spend some quality time with my family, which is always the best part. I also got some time to rest my mind, which lasted a few days before the ideas started jumping for a new project.
Yes, I know I have a lot of new projects. The really funny thing is that they're all middle grade. I used to have a grand total of zero middle grade ideas, and then I had one, and now I can't stop them from coming! I'm pretty excited about this one, and I've already started writing it over the break because I needed to start getting it down.
So, a new work in progress or two might be something I work on this year. Another thing is a marathon.
Strange as it sounds, I do want to run 26.2 miles for kicks and giggles. I've wanted to for a few years, and I think I might be able to make it happen this year. I just looked up a schedule, and boy, this is going to be interesting. But it gives me a good timeline for training. I now need to look up races nearby that will make a good first marathon that work with that timeline. Utah has some great marathons, but I'm a beginner, so I want one that's chill and easy. Okay, easier. It's not like I'm qualifying for Boston.
So...we'll see how this year goes. I'll be busy writing, reading, and running. And probably watching my sugar intake (sob) as I fuel correctly for the marathon.
I'll keep you posted on any adventures this year brings, and I hope you do the same for me!
First things first, did you know there's a Stranger Things mobile game? Because there is, and I've spent half of the last week playing it.
It's like Legend of Zelda meets Stranger Things, and I've having more fun with it than I have a right to. But...season 2, guys. Season 2.
Second, I want to remind you about my Arts and Thefts ARC tour. If you're interested, follow the link I just gave you, and you'll find all the information on how to join. I've already sent the ARCs out to the first readers!
Third, I want to tell you about this thing I'm doing through SCBWI. It's called BookStop, and it's a promotion for children's books. I made a page for it (you can find it right here) so come and visit me! I have information about my book, a little piece of trivia about the writing of it, and a video review.
You can also visit the BookStop homepage, which is pretty fun on its own. There's a good list of children's books that have come out in the past year, so you can browse and look at all the lovely books. Hey, Christmas is coming; if you know a book lover, this is a good place to start!
I should probably get to the meat of the post here. I'm two weeks out from the Haunted Half Marathon, which I do every year. What's new this year is that I have a time challenge for myself: I'm trying to do it in under two hours.
I should be able to do it. My training has been promising and I know the trail, which is a mild one. Still, it's requiring me to keep a faster-than-comfortable pace, so I've been finishing my training rather spent. Ergo, loss of water and nutrients. Ergo, headaches and crankiness all day.
Naturally, I don't like this, so I've been trying to find ways to refuel better. A couple weekends ago, I bought a bottle of chocolate milk for my post-run, since I like it after a race, so why not also after a training run?
Oh.
My.
Goodness.
I don't think I've ever really appreciated chocolate milk before now. I mean, I knew that it was a good post-run drink, but I don't know if I knew it.
To say it hit the spot would be an understatement. I felt like a video game character with my little health bar increasing with every swallow!
Much like Elsa, I'm never going back. I don't think I need this heavenly nectar after every run, but after the long ones, it's amazing. I feel so much better; my hunger is abated, my energy is higher, and I'm happier because, hey, chocolate milk.
Thank you, chocolate milk, for all the strength you give me. After my race, once I (hopefully) have made my goal, I will celebrate in your loving arms.
Or, you know, those of your alter ego, the Wendy's Frosty.
Here is this week's debut:
Young Adult:
Nikki Katz - The Midnight Dance (10/17)
We'll get to the blog post topic a little later, but I'm sure you have questions about the title here. Believe me, I do too.
First, though, Happy Pioneer Day to those of you in Utah or with ties to Utah!
I celebrated this morning by running Provo's Temple-to-Temple 5K. It's free and all downhill, so it's a good way for me to get a Personal Record in the 5K distance.
And I did. 21 minutes, 31 seconds. I'm feeling very good about myself right now.
I have also learned that 1) you should not skip water stations in a July race, even when you didn't mean to, 2) 8 am is WAY to late to start a summer race, and 3) Powerade or Gatorade really is helpful in preventing post-race headaches (thanks, Mom and Dad!).
In other news, I am visiting the Orem Library on August 1st. It will be a good show (I hope) and you should all come!
And, now, for the reason you clicked on this post.
Okay, so as much as I love good movies and stories, sometimes I want a simple, stupid one. Sometimes, I want mindless fun, and sometimes, bad movies are entertaining in ways they never meant to be. But mostly, mindless fun.
One of these movies, for me, is the Disney Channel movie Teen Beach Movie. If you haven't seen it, the basic premise is that two teenagers get sucked into a 1960s surfer musical and wreck it, and then have to fix the movie to go home.
As far as mindless fun goes, it's pretty good. Catchy music, and enough references to 1960s musicals to be entertaining outside itself. They play with the tropes in a fun way, so it has some delightful meta moments. The message is good and the story is interesting. The characters are also likeable. Nothing amazing, but nothing I'd feel ashamed of myself for watching. It has an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.
And then, this week, I watched the sequel.
I know. I know. Sequels. Should have known better. The premise of this one is that the two teens, back home in the real world, are visited by the main characters of the movie and they have to get them to go back to the film.
Going to warn you, there are spoilers ahead. You are hereby warned.
This movie left me with a lot of questions, some fairly easy to answer, like:
- Why are the characters so out of character (Mack is fine with breaking into song and dance)?
- Why isn't the music as fun?
This is because it was a sequel, and when it's a musical set in modern day, as this one is, the characters have to be willing to sing and dance (even when nothing's forcing them to) and the music doesn't sound like the '60s. It sounds like modern stuff, and isn't as unique.
But the plot left me with lots of questions that aren't as easily answered. I finished a bit confused, so here we go. Share my confusion.
- I thought Mack hated that movie. What changed?
- If the protags are so different, how did they become a couple in the first place?
- Do the movie characters just relive the same segment of time over and over? Do they remember doing this?
- Did the movie change in the real world when the main characters left it?
- If the characters turn all modern clothes into '60s clothes when they put them on, why didn't, in the first movie, the modern kids turn the old clothes modern? Is it a movie magic thing? But if the movie was set in the '60s. why have this trope anyway (the clothes wouldn't change)?
- Why is everyone at school cool with singing and dancing, since they're NOT musical characters? Especially since it's been made clear, in the world of the movie, it's weird to spontaneously break into song and dance?
- How did the "Gotta Be Me" musical number do anything to fix a relationship? Nothing was furthered there. They just danced at each other!
- If Lela's actions in the movie changed it so much that Mack is the one who loved it, not Brady, and they never met because of it, didn't that mean that the old movie never existed and Mack and Brady never went into it and never met Lela, and thus never inspired her to change her life?
- Seriously, doesn't that cause a paradox?
- Their personalities didn't change. Why is Brady not a fan of the '60s musical when he used to love it, and why is Mack, the one who thinks singing and dancing is stupid, the one who does?
And, last:
- I get that the message is supposed to be "girls can do anything" and "make it your own story," but Wet Side Story becoming Lela, Queen of the Beach seems a little tyrannical to me. So, the whole movie became about how one character is better than everyone else? Is that the message? How do the other characters feel about their world being Lela's and they're just living in it?
I'm reading WAY too much into a Disney Channel movie. But I have to get my kicks somehow, even if it just winds up confusing me. #GottaBeMe
Here are your debuts for this week:
Middle Grade:
Corabel Shofner - Almost Paradise (7/25)
Young Adult:
Candace Ganger - The Inevitable Collision of Birdie and Bash (7/25)
Alison Gervais - In 27 Days (7/25)
Amanda Foody - Daughter of the Burning City (7/25)
Lauren Karcz - The Gallery of Unfinished Girls (7/25)
Kristen Ciccarelli - Askari (7/27)
V.V. Mont - The Elementalist (July)
So, I just came back from a vacation where I ran two half marathons. You saw the report on the first race, in the Grand Tetons, last week. Now I'm going to tell you about the second race in Yellowstone.
The conditions in the Tetons were perfect: a relatively flat, paved road to run on, ideal temperatures, and sunny sky. Yellowstone, not so much:
This is a picture of my brother and sisters running the 5K the night before the half marathon. I don't know if the picture shows it, but it was cold and very rainy. It was miserable, and I feel so bad for my siblings. They were soaked through by the end.
The next morning, it was rainy and we even had a little sleet, but that ended by the first mile. After that, the sun came out and we had a bit of wind, but the worst part about the rain was all the puddles it left behind. The trail (yes, trail) was covered in huge puddles that you had to dodge. The mud was also thick and slippery.
Add to that that yes, it was an actual trail with exposed rocks, weedy patches, and even small trees, and the run became that much harder. We also had some steep hills we didn't have in the Tetons.
But the thing that burned me up the most about the race was that my brother of the Spartan Race fame, who is fit but doesn't run long distance, kept pace with me the whole time and even pushed it so I was running faster than my usual, dashed forward at the end and beat me by two seconds. I will get him back for that. There's no justice in this world if someone who doesn't prepare can beat someone who has spent weeks preparing. He says that keeping my pace kept him from burning out, but still.
Revenge ideas are appreciated.
But, as a result of our running together, I got a PR on a hard trail: 2:03:29, two minutes faster than my previous PR. I was 14th in my age and gender division. And, now that I know I can do it at altitude on a difficult trail, I'm thinking I can beat a 2 hour half marathon on an easier, paved road at a lower altitude. All I have to do is imagine my brother a few feet ahead of me the whole way. I helped him pace, he pushed me faster. It's amazing what stubbornness, pride, and sibling rivalry can do for you.
It was a beautiful trail, though, through pine forests and along a river. I'm glad I did it. I got three shirts and three medals out of it, too, which, as any runner can tell you, is a very good thing.
The center medal in the picture with me with three is for the Grizzly Double. Doing both the Grand Teton and Yellowstone half marathons earned me and my parents an extra shirt (which is great) and a third medal (which is fantastic).
It's interesting that we did the "Grizzly" Double, since when we drove back after the race we actually spotted a grizzly bear near the Tetons. It was my first time seeing a grizzly in real life, so that was amazing and the timing was perfect.
I just hope my brother was sore yesterday, or there really is no justice in this world.
Here's this week's debuts:
Young Adult:
Meg Eden - Post High School Reality Quest (6/13)
S.K. Ali - Saints, Misfits, Monsters, and Mayhem (6/13)
There's a release date, a nice summary, and everything. It's also up on Goodreads, but that one doesn't have the cover art yet. But hey, if you read Under Locker and Key and are waiting for information on the sequel, here it is!
Now, in other news, guess what?
I ran another race.
This one was near Grand Teton National Park and was held by Vacation Races. It was a half marathon, and it was beautiful. I mean, look at the finish line!
This is where we sat and stretched and ate green bananas and gloated over our new medals! And it looked like this the whole way! I ran 13.1 miles with the Grand Tetons constantly visible!
I loved it. So glad I get to do it again, kind of.
Yes, this weekend will be Part 2 of my running vacation, when me, my parents, and my brother will run another half marathon near Yellowstone Park. It's supposed to be a little hilly, but I'm really looking forward to it. I love being able to do this much running in a week, especially when the runs are races.
Racing is fun. There's the crowds cheering, the finish line, the medal, the free food...but also the feeling that I'm accomplishing something special. That I'm pushing myself to my limits and achieving. I get that feeling as I run, and also as I write.
It's nice to have a vacation where I can experience both.
Here are this week's debuts:
Middle Grade:
Lauren Albright - Exit Strategy (6/6)
Gareth Wronski - Holly Farb and the Princess of the Galaxy (6/6)
Leah Henderson - One Shadow on the Wall (6/6)
Alexandra Ott - Rules for Thieves (6/6)
Young Adult:
Natalka Burian - Welcome to the Slipstream (6/6)
Sarah Tolcser - Song of the Current (6/6)
Alexandra Ballard - What I Lost (6/6)
Kayla Olson - The Sandcastle Empire (6/6)
Rebecca Christiansen - Maybe In Paris (6/6)
A.V. Geiger - Follow Me Back (6/6)
I'm sure you're all busy with the aftermath of Christmas and with spending time with family. I know I am. Which is why I'm going to keep this post short and hopefully hilarious.
I run. This is no secret. I've posted about it before. In fact, a number of my past posts have been about me being surprised with the changes that come to body and mind as I become more and more of a "runner." You see, I didn't start out thinking I was a runner. I was one of these people:
Because this is where I started and where I grounded my identity, I still kind of see myself in these terms. So, now, I keep doing this:
"Oh, man, when did I become someone who likes flax seeds?"
"I ran six miles this morning and I loved it. Who does that?"
"Personal best. I broke the eight-minute mile. That's gotta be a mistake; I don't do things like that."
I could keep going (I'm still trying to verify the less-than-eight-minute-mile thing). But my favorite thing was when my priorities shifted to a very strange place. For example, if I get up and look outside in the winter and the sidewalks are caked in ice, I will 1) get annoyed because I can't run, and then 2) decide I can't run because if I do I could slip and break a leg which means I wouldn't be able to run for a long time. That last part in italics is the big, horrifying problem.
What?
Another example: I got sick for a few days. The cold was in my chest, and they suggest that if the cold is in your chest, you don't run. In your head is fine, though. But it was in my chest and I reluctantly skipped my runs those days because I didn't want to get worse and not be able to run for even longer.
I have become a person whose priority in staying healthy and safe on runs is so I can keep going on runs. I want to stay safe so I can keep running. It sounds like an odd priority to me, the newbie runner who still doesn't quite see herself as a capital-R Runner, but believe it or not, I'm not alone in it. Which brings me to Christmas.
As a runner, I got a lot of running gear for Christmas, including this reflective vest:
Now I can go running in the dark and be better seen by cars! It looks like it works; you can see the gleam where my flash reflects on the vest.
So, good, I have a reflective vest for running. I wanted one, and now I have one. But then I see the side of the package:
"BE SEEN. RUN LONGER."
So, they're telling the buyers that they should get this vest so they'll be seen and be able to run longer. It's hard to run if you've been hit by a car and have broken bones, damaged organs, or are dead. But they don't say, "Be seen. Live longer." No, they say, "Be seen. Run longer." You don't
want to get injured. Be safe out there, because if you're not, you won't
be able to run, and that would be a disaster.
I have been laughing all morning. All I can think of is this:
"If you get hit by a car because no one sees you, you could be killed. Or worse, you won't be able to run."
Running really does change the brain. Good to see I'm not alone.
Last night I checked the weather report because this is Utah and it's December and I wanted to know if it was feasible for me to do my habitual fast run on Monday morning or if it would be too snowy or icy. Weather.com said a winter storm was coming late Sunday night, so the ground would be covered in snow the next morning.
I thought, "Fine. I'll run Tuesday and sleep in tomorrow."
Feeling good with my decision, I fell asleep. Well, I wake up this morning early, look outside, and THERE'S NOT A SINGLE FLAKE ON THE SIDEWALK!
So I ended up doing my run. I'm happy I was able to do it before any snow could get here this week, but at the time I woke up (having come to terms with my decision), I felt like this:
I feel the same way when I'm planning a run and then I look outside and see something like this:
Winter weather can really ruin a perfectly good running schedule.
But I don't let it because I'm stubborn and I really do like running. I've learned how to run as safely as possible in the winter, even when it's snowing or has snowed recently. These last few weeks I've had to remind myself of what I've learned, which is this: Allison K. Hymas's Rules for Running in Winter:
Watch the weather report. If it's calling for snow and ice and you can change your schedule, do it.
If you can't or won't change your schedule, consider changing your route. Some places maintain trails and sidewalks better than others. Time changes (later in the day, when the sun has melted some of the ice) also work well.
If that fails and you end up running in snow, slow it down. Running fast is fun right up until you slip.
Know your route. Where are the places where water tends to pool? Any gutters? Broken sidewalk? Remember those and slow down for them, or avoid them altogether.
There is gear for running in snow, like Yaktrax. Look into that if you can.
Choose your steps wisely. Look ahead, and if you see clear sidewalk, aim for it. If it's shiny, DO NOT STEP THERE!
Snow isn't as slick as ice. If you have a choice between ice and snow, pick snow.
Look for patches of salt. They mark ice, but they also mark ice melt and they themselves are gritty. Step on the salt, not by it.
Leaves. If the leaf is stuck flat to the sidewalk, don't step on it. It's wet and icy. If it has texture (dry leaf), step carefully. It might give you traction. It might also be hiding stretches of ice.
Watch yourself when crossing the street. Cars slip. You may think the car can stop by the time they reach your crosswalk or stoplight, and maybe they think so too, but they might not. Extra caution is always advised.
I've been trying to keep all of these things in mind as I run, which adds a mental effort to something that's already difficult. Winter running is hard. The air is cold and occasionally full of snow, so it's hard to breathe, and I'm carrying extra weight in my jacket and thicker clothing, to say nothing of the darkness of a winter morning.
Too bad I enjoy the feeling of racing downhill at top speed so much, or the peacefulness of running slowly while the snow quietly falls in the early morning, the houses around me adorned with Christmas lights.
Yeah, I think I'll keep up the winter running.
Before I go, I'd like to report that I had a meeting with my writing group to talk about the work in progress, and I am SO EXCITED to finish this book now. I have so many new ideas that change, somewhat, my original plans for the ending, but I like my story better with the changes. Also, my group is great. They're so helpful and they know how to give criticism without making me feel like me and my book are worthless. Also, one friend made a movie cast for my characters, which I enjoyed seeing. Maybe I'll post her cast when the book is finished.
And one more thing. A fellow 2017 debut writer has a blog where she's interviewing other 2017 debut authors. If you'd like to learn more about some of the up-and-coming MG writers and their books, follow the link below and check out her blog! Melissa Roske - Ask the Author: Patricia Bailey
I will also be interviewed on this blog as my book approaches publication, so stay tuned!
