I haven't blogged since July and I clicked over here just to remind myself that no one really reads it anyways and saw that I have had a lot of visitor's and, more importantly, so many adventures that I want to share and keep in this space of mine! So far this summer we have been to Maine, Southern California, Cape Cod, and all over our lovely city doing all sorts of fun stuff. I have literally thrown in the towel on anything that doesn't involve getting every last drop of summertime in, which is saying a lot since I have a very comprehensive list of house projects to work on. I am going to overshare the hell out of some Disneyland pics soon, so please bear with me.
But, for now, let's talk about how I broke up with my Nike Plus Running app and have gone rogue.
I use a Garmin when I run most of the time because I like to know my pace and really like to know my distance (I have no sense of direction at all and will keep running if my watch doesn't tell me when to turn around). More and more lately on my Saturday runs with my run club I just wear my Apple Watch because I care more about socializing than I do my pace, and I cannot help but look at my Garmin if I have it on and know how rude it seems to do that when someone is talking! I never want people to think that I care about my time over my company, plus the Apple Watch means I can see any text message SOS' from home (aka get iced coffee, or check out the kids being cute) without having to dig my phone out. And, until last week, I always had my Nike Plus on as a back up. I liked that it has been tracking my miles since the beginning of my running journey and it is cool to see the thousands of miles add up BUT I feel like it causes a pressure that I am not willing to entertain anymore, including against myself.
The average pace of my running career is just not helpful or motivating to see. I have run when I was a new mom, new runner, leaky mess who just wanted to get thru a half a mile without stopping. I have run when I was just out with friends going as slow as I needed to get back into it after my second baby. I have run three marathons with it. I have run my fastest miles, which I never thought I could do. I have done so much that I no longer feel like I want some electronic counter of what I have accomplished because, really, I know by looking in the mirror. I know by the medals in my closet (yep, just hanging on a hanger next to my new dress I can't wait to wear on my wedding anniversary). I know, most importantly, by the number of friends in this crazy awesome community that I have because of 7am runs on Saturday mornings.
So, I deleted it. The update sucked and I decided to kick it old school and start journaling my miles on good ol' pen and paper. Instead of just pace and route I want to note who I ran with, if they told me about their birthday coming up so I remember to get them a card, if we went down a new street that I had not run or saw a new place to get dinner later, if I like the underwear I was wearing or if they bunched. You know, the important stuff. And of course I will have my distance and my pace but sometimes that isn't going to matter to me, and sometimes it is (like when I try to PR my last PR!).
And now, I feel kind of free, which is silly that it was having such an affect on me, but really I don't need other people to know when I run or how many miles each month, because sometimes I run over 100 in a month and sometimes I eke out 30 because SUMMER and KIDS and LIFE. And sometimes I DO want to share what bad ass I was and I will (trust me, I will) but maybe I will just take a picture of my journal now :)
Also, this whole epiphany came just in time because I had the WORST run I have had in ages this weekend (do not EVER eat an apple and then start running) but as I walked and ran and stopped and puked I was pleased with the fact that it was back to basics and just me, my run and whatever pace or mileage I had going on in that moment.
So, here's to paper and pen and bringing it back to basics.
But, for now, let's talk about how I broke up with my Nike Plus Running app and have gone rogue.
I use a Garmin when I run most of the time because I like to know my pace and really like to know my distance (I have no sense of direction at all and will keep running if my watch doesn't tell me when to turn around). More and more lately on my Saturday runs with my run club I just wear my Apple Watch because I care more about socializing than I do my pace, and I cannot help but look at my Garmin if I have it on and know how rude it seems to do that when someone is talking! I never want people to think that I care about my time over my company, plus the Apple Watch means I can see any text message SOS' from home (aka get iced coffee, or check out the kids being cute) without having to dig my phone out. And, until last week, I always had my Nike Plus on as a back up. I liked that it has been tracking my miles since the beginning of my running journey and it is cool to see the thousands of miles add up BUT I feel like it causes a pressure that I am not willing to entertain anymore, including against myself.
The average pace of my running career is just not helpful or motivating to see. I have run when I was a new mom, new runner, leaky mess who just wanted to get thru a half a mile without stopping. I have run when I was just out with friends going as slow as I needed to get back into it after my second baby. I have run three marathons with it. I have run my fastest miles, which I never thought I could do. I have done so much that I no longer feel like I want some electronic counter of what I have accomplished because, really, I know by looking in the mirror. I know by the medals in my closet (yep, just hanging on a hanger next to my new dress I can't wait to wear on my wedding anniversary). I know, most importantly, by the number of friends in this crazy awesome community that I have because of 7am runs on Saturday mornings.
So, I deleted it. The update sucked and I decided to kick it old school and start journaling my miles on good ol' pen and paper. Instead of just pace and route I want to note who I ran with, if they told me about their birthday coming up so I remember to get them a card, if we went down a new street that I had not run or saw a new place to get dinner later, if I like the underwear I was wearing or if they bunched. You know, the important stuff. And of course I will have my distance and my pace but sometimes that isn't going to matter to me, and sometimes it is (like when I try to PR my last PR!).
And now, I feel kind of free, which is silly that it was having such an affect on me, but really I don't need other people to know when I run or how many miles each month, because sometimes I run over 100 in a month and sometimes I eke out 30 because SUMMER and KIDS and LIFE. And sometimes I DO want to share what bad ass I was and I will (trust me, I will) but maybe I will just take a picture of my journal now :)
Also, this whole epiphany came just in time because I had the WORST run I have had in ages this weekend (do not EVER eat an apple and then start running) but as I walked and ran and stopped and puked I was pleased with the fact that it was back to basics and just me, my run and whatever pace or mileage I had going on in that moment.
So, here's to paper and pen and bringing it back to basics.
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