High Summer

Yesterday was Long Slow Distance day with strong emphasis on SLOW.   I had an unfortunate pairing of shoes with sox which created an almost instant blister on my right toe.  It's been years since I've had such challenges running;  in my partial denial I decided just to continue my regular loop, with poor results.

I wanted to run out and back to the beach, but wasn't feeling my 'mojo'...and glad now that I didn't.  I think I'll keep that goal for slightly cooler mornings, and meanwhile kept to my usual longer loop, stopping at John Williams to cool off and hydrate.   I took a bottle/belt this time, and really dislike the extra bulk and weight.  Even so, I was glad to have that liquid on the long stretch up to Griffin and on my last leg home.   I was out at the pool a few days back, and the sun was so intense that just after an hour or so I burned.  Summer is not playing with us this year!

TS Emily is forming in the Atlantic, with likely paths now honing in on us.  I can tell by the cloud formations that a Big System is lurking around.   If you are elsewhere in the states then you are contending with the heat, the severe weather and other summer stuff all the way around.   It may be that Mother Nature is beating me at my own game.   Some days I seem to acclimate to heat, and others like yesterday are bust.   I walked a good bit, including when I finally took off my shoes and walked in my sox back towards home, just to let my toes out of their shoe prison.   Anyone have good recommendation for shoe types that are not so minimal, but still breathable??  Barefoot is not an option for this old gal.   But I'm open to suggestions.

So we'll see what the running gods have in store for me this week.   Today was yoga day.   I'm happy with the results from my 'ancillary' trainings....I've got good core strength and continue my medicine ball, free weights, lots of stretching.   Still, there are chronic 'flare-ups' that seem to be the result of a body mostly 'parked' in neutral (counseling=sitting sitting sitting)....which is suddenly employed to run.   Clearly, this takes some balancing from one extreme to the other, and Summer, you aren't helping on this one!

We do what we can do with every day and the elements built into our experience, whether that be the atmospheric conditions and weather, the agenda of our loved ones and friends, or the inner needs of the body and soul.   The nature of change is sometimes in staying aware of every opportunity to choose what heals, builds and connects, even when that looks like doing nothing at all!!  We let our bodies  heal when we rest, but rest too much and the strength from exertion will not take place either.
I choose to respect the Power of Mother Nature today as she levels me back to an appreciation of who, exactly is Boss!