Northern Soul

‘Where where do you belong
And where is it you long to be
Far away from all of this
Out where the lights from town can’t be seen

And where where does the soul reside
Is it deep down in the bone
Fighting the flesh for freedom to roam
Just aching to go back home’
–GLOSSARY/Your heart to haunt (Feral Fire)

This song reminds me of being up north.  This past weekend I had an opportunity to run on the Gandy Dancer State Trail near the Siren, WI trail head.  It was pretty amazing, I was running on the trail near dusk (7-8ish) and I think I even saw a bear crossing the trail far ahead of me.

Family hike looking for the rare Calypso Orchid up north

Right now I have my training plans pretty well laid out and I think I’m getting in the sync of fitting in workouts, etc.  Though I did get a weird bug this week that caused me to feel extremely lethargic with a really, really bad headache for about three days (no, I’m not making this up as an excuse not to run)  which caused me to miss a couple workouts, but nothing too serious.  I also attempted to do the Whole30 diet (similar to the Paleo diet, but at least this diet acknowledges how unlikely it is that there’s any scientific basis to intentionally eating like a Cave Person. “Cave People” had like a 25 year life expectancy).  Anyway, I did the Whole30 for less than a whole week before I realized I really like half and half in my coffee.  Frankly, I think it has to be just as good for you as the equally processed ‘coconut milk’ I could’ve used as a substitute.  I did however successfully avoid most sweets and only succumbed to jelly beans once when I was feeling particularly crappy so all in all, I consider this past week and half a huge success.

TRAINING UPDATES:

For training I’ve decided to do my long run on road or non-technical trails, two days per week dedicated to running on more technically difficult trails and hills and two days per week just wherever I can run, treadmill, trail, road, whatever (because this is a public blog I’m not going to post specific locations or when but if you know me and ever want to run with me, just let me know).  I’m also doing the Gorrilla Workout series (it’s a cell phone APP you can check out for a couple bucks, each day it only takes about 10 minutes and it LOOKS easy but I think you’ll be surprised if you actually try it.  Burpees suck!  Another APP I really love is Full Fitness, it describes in detailed written description AND video how to do just about every lift imaginable as well as walks you through all of the typical gym equipment.  It’s a lifesaver for someone like me that takes a really long time to figure out physical activities and needs to see something over and over again before I “get” it. I don’t say this as self-depricating, it’s just simply true, I’ve never been a particularly “good” athlete, and I certainly have no natural talent other than just stubborn persistence.  Though I actually have two different gym memberships, I prefer my own weights and weight bench at home, mostly because it’s at my house and I can wear whatever I want, don’t have to feel self-conscious and can really focus on my technique and not if I smell or look gross at the gym, etc.  It was suggested to me by my old trainer to purchase these weights, they save space, they work SO well, I absolutely love them.  Along with these weights and assorted exercise videos, at home I have a weight bench, a treadmill, and an elliptical.  That’s more than enough for me (or most people, I’d suspect).

STAYING MOTIVATED:

As for staying motivated, that’s been pretty easy, this week.  I’ve really been enjoying the “Zombies Run” smart phone running series, but I find it’s much better for the short runs than a longer run.  On a longer run when you want to zone out I find it distracting.  Music on the other hand is one of my favorite things about running.  I realized when I started running about 5 years ago that unless I was running I basically didn’t get to listen to “my” music, and frankly, I think I’d even forgotten what “my” music was after a decade of kids’ and spouse music taking precedence…so despite what the running purists says, I rarely turn off my music, only when I’ve been running a really, really long time and I’m just sick of hearing it.  And I’m always looking for new music to inspire me.  This year I think I might also check out books on tape, I’ve realized the Zombies Run game is essentially just a book on tape and I’ve mostly really enjoyed it.  And obviously for me it’s really motivating just to simply get out on the trail and see all there is to see.  You notice things many other people don’t get the chance to see when you’re out on the trail.  It’s amazing to see the trail go from snowy and barren to a dense, lush wilderness of green. And little things, like I think this was a really good year for morels, I’ve seen at least 10 morels without even looking, and I’ve seen nodding trillium twice this year when I’ve never seen it before.

Though we’ve had a rainy and cool start to our long-awaited “summer”, running keeps me sane, happy and focused on the many awesome days ahead!

Really, how many people get to see this?

Also found this on the Red Cedar Trail!!!