Run Jen-nay, Run!

In my recent jogging experiences, I have noticed that I have adopted several mental strategies that make up my style (if I say I have a style, it makes me sound like a first-class runner!). First of all, I find it best to focus on everything that's going on around me, rather than keeping my mind on my breathing and my pain (yes, pain...running is hard). When I notice myself complaining to myself too much, I start trying to notice the people around me on the jogging path. Luckily, we live right next to a park and can easily get on the park's jogging path, which is nearly one mile around. Another thing I have noticed is that I become my own trainer in my head and I refuse to let myself re-negotiate distances. For instance, once we make it to the playground, I tell myself that I won't let myself stop short until the covered bridge which is a couple of minutes past it. Herein lies the trick, though, reader, because my #1 hard and fast rule is that I will NEVER allow myself to get to the bridge and then NOT finish a complete loop around the park. The completion of the loop is probably two or three minutes past the covered bridge, so if I can make it to the playground, essentially I'm golden. Of course, my training is about to get to the point where I must go past the one-loop mark and continue on around back to the playground again, which necessitates struggling on to the bridge, and then by force going all the way back to the loop, and then eventually doing that yet again. And all of this for a body that, hopefully, will not stay slim for long as we are hoping to have more children before long. Is there a point to this? Finally, the new strategy I adopted is the nonchalant attitude toward running demonstrated by Penny on the Big Bang Theory. She recently stated something along the lines of, "I run until I get hungry, and then I stop and buy a bearclaw."

I jogged for 14.5 minutes the other day, which BJ (who was patiently jogging behind me) stated was equivalent to 1.2 miles. I complained on the walk home, "I can't imagine that I'll ever be able to continue my jog by another two miles!" He helpfully said that I don't have to. I only have to extend it by 1.9 miles. The difference in that tenth of a mile is huge to me though, folks, because it takes it from the 2's to the eetsy beetsy 1's. And that I know I can do.

Also, I just have to shout out, Go Pokes! We were supposed to suck this year, and now people are actually predicting that we'll beat Nebraska at home next week. I can't believe it. 6-0 in a season where some predicted we wouldn't even have six total wins. To all the nay-sayers, I say "Suck it Trebek!"