Meanwhile, in my living room

Today, I didn't want to write. I want to curl up in a blanket and stare at my bedroom's ceiling tiles, not confront all of the deadlines looming right after Thanksgiving. Despite the funk, I'm up and about.

Days like this are the reason that I exercise. Even just 15 minutes of yoga or running or lifting weights has the almost magical ability to get me back to emotionally level within a few hours. This week, my schedule is riddled with deadlines and bartending shifts. Between the seven remaining deadlines and quite a few hours behind the bar, I'm seeking out all the things I can do instead of knocking out deadlines early.

The problem is that fitness won't wait. If I put it off, my mood suffers, but if I commit to it, I'm diverting precious energy with the knowledge my energy levels will eventually increase exponentially. It may sound like lip service to the proven research on science, but it's true. Though I want to melt into the couch, I won't.

In my years on this planet, I've experienced the ups and downs that come with living fully. The sadness and joy and love and craziness that accompany it are natural parts. These emotions are vital to being human. They're also so powerful that they can control the path of life, but exercise can help to regulate them.

Even if a short yoga session only serves as a quick mental break, the time spent will be well worth it. As a science, tech and writing nerd, my brain is usually stuck in high gear, and running or lifting slow my thoughts just enough to keep me sane. So, if you need me, I'm unplugging for the next 45 minutes before I go in to Octane.

How (not) to run a 5K

Last Saturday, I ran my first 5K. Though I did walk at some points during the Monkey C Monkey Run race, I ran every hill and beat my time goal. That said, I didn't care for myself well in the days leading up to the race. In fact, I could have injured myself badly during the race due to my stupidity.

In the future, I will get a good night's sleep before a race. Last Saturday, I worked a bar shift, and got four hours of sleep. Adam drove me to the race so I didn't have to stress out about parking or having an accident, but I get even clumsier when I don't rest.

I will pace my first mile better so I don't burn through all of my energy. Even though I beat my time goal, my energy level was shot for the rest of the day. Interval training will also help me to build endurance so I'm not bedridden for the weekend.

Speaking of training, I will do more cross training and yoga. After the race, I didn't cool down properly. Even after 45 minutes with my torture tube -- errr -- foam roller, my gluteus maximus is still pretty sore. Again, it's something that I usually do religiously, but my sleep deprived brain rejected stretching in favor of huddling under a towel during breakfast.

Despite the number of silly ways I undermined my race, I did do a few things right. The day before, I over-hydrated. I stretched out well before work and stuck to the dinner and snacks I had packed. I ran once early this week, and worked out my core so I wouldn't fatigue my legs.

After setting a benchmark time, I have signed up for another race on November 16th. By that time, I will most likely have started training for a half marathon (a what? a half marathon). Right now, I think this distance will be more of a challenge than anything, but I have an amazing resource in the coaches and classes at Resolute Running. Just knowing that I'm not training alone is a huge comfort.

When I race in November, I plan to run the entire route without stopping and to improve my time. These goals may be modest, but they're doable as long as I exercise regularly. The bump in energy and productivity that regular activity can provide me with the impetus to work through my to do list and to set new goals. From there, the possibilities are endless.