getting strong now

(like Rocky)

This morning, the dog and I jogged 2 easy miles. We went to the end of the recently discovered sidewalk to a large vacant field. I let him sniff and dig but I didn't let him loose because of the nearby highway and because I still have to do some research about snakes. It's probably still too cold to worry about that just yet, but I've recently learned that there are six poisonous species around here: cottonmouths, copperheads, and 4 species of rattlesnakes. At any rate, it was a brilliant sunny morning and I've grown surprisingly fond of this airport-motel area. It has proven quite suitable for easy morning jogs: I have sidewalks, a bit of dirt road, and my favourite sort of scenery: open skies above open fields.

This afternoon, the boys and I ran 4.2 miles (4.5 miles total with cool-down walk). We went back to the first path we've run here and it was actually easier for me this time. I tried to be a bit more relaxed with the hills and keep my stride and breathing quick; I've occasionally noticed that I try to control my breathing too much on hills instead of letting it speed up naturally. And, perhaps, after getting chewed up by hills this week, I've gotten stronger.

I've had to adapt to different running conditions before: there were the sharp steep hills ("mountains") of Korea which sculpted some very shapely calves after a stiff month or two (I never got used to the Yellow Dust though), the altitude of Colorado which boosted my RBC count after a few weeks of burning lungs, and the summer swamp swelter of Virginia which soaked me mercilessly throughout, 5-10 minutes at a time at first, and continuously after a while. A week, or several, of discomfort yields to adaptation. There are tougher hills to come and more pain, but I feel fitter already.

And hungrier. My appetite has increased, so has my husband's (the dog is always hungry). There is extra work involved in counteracting gravity, after all. I bought some Ensure which has helped dull the hunger. Since we don't move into our house (and kitchen) for another week, we have been eating microwave dinners/vegetables and packaged salads--that stuff is expensive! And not as filling as our own cooking. Fresh fruit as opposed to frozen fruit smoothies is expensive too. It's kind of shocking how much we're spending on groceries, and the amount of trash we're generating is appalling too.

However, once we get settled and sorted, our diet will be amazing. I had no idea what was in store for us. http://eatwild.com/products/kansas.html And there are more farms across the river in Missouri. We'll probably sign up for a weekly CSA basket and buy a section of beef or a lamb, and there is hunting and fishing nearby. Plus we have space for a home garden albeit in pots not plots. But some plants are happier in pots anyway. Meanwhile, I am appreciating the convenience of frozen dinners and have become a bit of an Amy's gluten-free Mac & Cheese addict!