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Track Shack Ladies 5k – Saturday, 2.1.2014

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Track Shack Ladies 5k - Saturday, 2.1.2014

Bright and early on Saturday morning, I ran a 5k as part of the Track Shack Winter Series and to follow through with my New Year’s Resolution to get out of the GYM and back to the outdoors!

It was a cool, humid morning and a scenic route through Mead Gardens made the run unusually easy. In fact, I set a PR of 28:14, the fastest time I’ve ever recorded – and that’s counting treadmill runs!

I took this picture immediately post-race (I tried to capture the massive crowd at the finish line behind me) because I wanted to remember this moment: how PROUD I felt of myself for setting a goal (get outdoors & run under a 29 minute 5k) and achieving it.

As my fellow yo-yos will likely attest, it’s easy to forget the successes you have on your journey to fitness, but oh-so-easy to linger on your setbacks and failures. To help remind myself of how far I’ve come, I’m making a conscious effort to take photos (even if they have to be the baneful selfies, like this one), just to ensure that I can’t deny myself the joy of this memory.

My next run is coming up on February 15th: The Run Around the Pines! It’s the best course in Winter Park as it’s flat, scenic, and not overly crowded. My goal is to break the 28:00 minute mark! Wish me luck!

Bon appetit and happy journey, my friends!

~ Tori

Life Lessons

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I just wanted to take a quick moment to share some life lessons I’ve picked up in the last 24 hours.

Don’t worry, I’ll be quick.

  1. It’s a bad idea to sign up for GymPact the evening before you have an out-patient surgery. Out-patient surgeries typically don’t allow you to do strenuous workouts for a few days after the procedure to ensure you don’t exacerbate the injury.

  2. It’s an even WORSE idea to ignore the post-op care and attempt to go for a run 24 hours after your procedure. Popped stitches = owwies. But I’m not losing my $5, damn it!

  3. If you’re hungry but don’t know what to eat, drink a Fox Barrel Blackberry Pear Cider. Fucking delicious. 130 calories. And Paleo!

  4. Ciders [or the alcohol inside them] numb your stomach and you no longer want to eat every piece of junk food in your house.

  5. Sweat REALLY burns when it gets into your stitches.

  6. Seriously. Sweat + open wounds = bad idea.

That being said, I skipped my workout on Monday but went today, primarily because I didn’t want to lose money on GymPact and I needed to hit 5 workouts by Sunday at midnight. With Monday a wash, I couldn’t skip a second day.

What did I tell you? I’m motivated when I have a goal – especially a financial one – on the line!

Bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori

Why I Run

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I wrote the following poem between sprints on the treadmill at the gym.

Consider this my attempt to make up for not having my video blog ready to post on Sunday, as originally anticipated. Editing’s not easy work, folks!

Why I Run

Until the bitter voice,
of self doubt
is silenced,
forever.

To escape the demons
of my insecurity,
the evil whispers
of my skewed vision.

To be free.

No matter how far I go,
I cannot escape the ghost
of my former
self.

She haunts me
Taunts me,
Mocks.

And so I run.

The voice cannot shout
louder than the wind.

Faster.

********

Video blog coming this week, I promise!

Bon appetit,

~ Tori