What To Look For In the New Year

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It's that special time of year when I skip workouts, avoid scales and revert to my college wardrobe of sweatpants and t-shirts regardless of what the social occasion calls for. God, I love the close of a year. 

Bad personal hygiene habits aside, I also enjoy the end of the year because it signals a chance for a fresh start in the new one. That's right, I'm a resolution girl. Nothing makes me happier then to pull out pen and paper and catalog the ways I will be not only better but PERFECT in the New Year. 

Here's a glimpse into my "Dena, only better" goals for 2013.  

  1. Write Every Day. Could be 50 words, could be 5,000. I will write new words every day and blog posts don't count. No time off for holidays, birthdays, weekends, etc. either. Write, Dena. W-R-I-T-E.
  2. Publish 4 Magazine Articles. 
  3. No TV for January. I know I can't go all year with no TV, but I'd like to spend less time zoning and figure cold-turkey is the way to go. 
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The First Annual Barefoot Josh Elevational Invitational Halfish Marathon

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Today at 9 a.m., with great fanfare (we said, "Ready? Let's go."), four of us set out on The First Annual Barefoot Josh Elevational Invitational Halfish Marathon.

This thing kicked my butt. The only saving grace is that going in, I knew it would. The route is only a couple of miles from our house and Josh and I had run it years ago when training for The Blue Ridge Relay and Blair ran it when he was training for the Grandfather Mountain Marathon. It's a nasty 2.7 mile stretch that Josh--in his evilness--decided we should all run five times, out and back. 

The course. Check out the elevation profile. I walked that big mother of a hill you see in the beginning of the course. And walked several short hill stretches on the way back. Plus, I only made it 4 laps. I could have struggled through five but Josh was practically ready to lap me at that point and everyone else had already quit running, so I was happy enough to call it quits with close to 9 miles under my belt. 

It's too bad a lot of people had to cancel last minute because it was a beautiful run and the weather was perfect. Plus, Blair and I put out a post-run spread of bagels, almond butter, chocoloate-chip cookies, rice-krispie treats, and Costa Rican egg-nog (oh my God... YUM) and coffee. 

I've got a couple of 15-mile trail races coming up in January. After today's run, I expect they'll seem like cake. 

Cheers,

Dena

Smug Marrieds: Pilot Mountain Challenge

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At base camp with nowhere to go but up.This weekend Blair and I ran the Pilot Mountain 5-mile Ultimate Challenge. The race started at the campgrounds at Pilot Mountain and the trail wound its way to the peak. 

This marked the first time Blair and I have run a race together. We've been in races together before, but never stayed together. I was a little nervous that we'd end the day chucking pinecones at one another in a passive-aggressive fury. Blair was a little skeptical of the endeavor as well, especially when I kept nudging us closer to the front of the pack at the start line. 

"I like starting in the back," he said, pulling me back as I tried to elbow my way around some teens. "I enjoy going slow. You've got to get your mindset away from racing this thing."

I turned to him, took his hand in mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Oh honey," I said. "If I were racing, I would have left you at home." 

We ended up having a great time, even if we didn't necessarily stay together the entire race. About halfway through, Blair got trapped behind a woman who was taking her time going up the mountain. I'd skipped around her earlier, chasing after the guy she'd started with who I'm assuming was her husband. 

Later, when I told Blair he should have gone around her, he jokingly said, "Where I was raised, people have manners. If they hear someone behind them, they step aside to make room without you having to ask."

"You don't have to make a big deal out of it," I said. "Passing is expected. What you should have done is politely tapped her shoulder and said, 'Excuse me, but I believe my wife is up there spanking your husband and I'd like to get around here and do the same to you.'" 

I'm not sure Blair's going to run races with me in the future. I just can't figure out why... 

Cheers,

Dena

Small Movements

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I read an article last week that stressed the importance of small movements in daily life. I usually blow by these articles with their standard "take the stairs instead of the elevator, park far away in the parking lot instead of circling for a spot, yada yada yada" advice. 

I run 23 miles a week including a sprint workout. I lift weights 2-4 times a week. Sometimes I throw in yoga or the stationary bike or 20 minutes on the stairmaster. Daily movement? Thanks, but I'm good. 

Or am I? What popped for me in this article was a study that found that hard core exercisers were often some of the most sedentary people out there. It's as if (ahem!) a hard 5-mile run gives a person permission to sit at their desk or veg out on the couch for the rest of the day/evening. 

That hit close to home. How many nights do I spend immobile on the couch, reading a book or watching TV, smug in my knowingness that I've "earned" the right to do so because I "killed it" in my workout earlier that day?

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