Running is good for endorphin levels.

I know cause I can feel it!

And as a result of feeling good, I'm holding myself hostage until I clean my room.  Can you imagine how much more I'll enjoy the running endorphins when I have a nice place to kick back and absorb it?  Yesssssssssssss.

I'm looking out for a hero.

So, in training for an upcoming half-marathon... I've been going on long runs.  This past Sunday I took one of those, however, it was not a good run.  Maybe it would have helped if I'd eaten better the day before (sun chips and wine do not a healthy dinner make).  Maybe starting out fast was a bad idea - though I would have PR'd a 5k had I been running one.  Maybe I should have worn my vest or at least some extra layer to keep warm when I switched to walking halfway through.  Coulda, woulda, shoulda -- I know.

However... had I been running, there were some amazing things I would have missed out on.  For instance, wending my way up a curvy, deserted road surrounded by trees.  Well, that part I would have experienced, but I wouldn't have been nearing the top when I'd hear "pa-pat, pa-pat, pa-pat" and watch three runners peacefully glide past me.  Two of them looked to be in their 70s, accompanied by a woman around my age.  Their rhythm sounded like horses trotting on a dirt trail, and there was something down right magical about them.  I thought "Oh, I could run like that if I kept at it..." and the old man turned and looked at me and smiled.

About half a mile later, I'm in a charming part of the neighborhood, and I see a woman and her young son across the street.  They're in my periphery, so I haven't really glanced at them, just registered them on my radar.  The little boy stops to look at a construction site, and then runs to catch up with his mom.  Get this.  He's wearing a full-on Batman suit.  Complete with cape, and he's got the hood on too.  He chases after his mom, and she reaches her hand down to take his, never missing a step.

It was nice to see that even a superhero needs his mom from time to time.

On the verge

Do you ever have a feeling that you're at a point where your life might diverge into a way that you hadn't yet imagined?  Cause I'm feeling that way right now.  I feel apprehensive and excited, but also a little scared.  It's easy to feel brave when life looks like how you're planning it... but these surprises can pop out from anywhere!

It's interesting, because if you believe in the mysteries of quantum physics, then you have to consider the possibility that our infinite universe, always expanding, contains different worlds where these small little divergences occur.  It's like this tree, where there's all these root systems, but the history goes back to one single trunk of the universe coming into existence.  Sometimes I can sit in a chair and ponder this for hours.

The problem with thinking about these divergences?  As I'm recognizing these different opportunities, I need to give serious thought to how I want my future to look.  It's like the quote from Alice in Wonderland (one of my favorite quotes in literature, in fact):
"Would you tell me please, which way I go from here?" asked Alice.
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." Said the Cat.

So, where do I want to get to?  I'm not sure.  I'm doing a lot of thinking , and I think I need to call my mom.  She brought me into this world, I think talking to her might help me better determine where I want to go.

A further note, specifically about running...

For the past few years, ever since I began running I guess, I've experienced excruciating hip pain that would flare up for no discernible rhyme or reason. With my Pilates instructor training on the horizon, I wanted to get the go-ahead from professionals to pursue this goal, and I wanted to have a diagnosis for the pain so that I could understand what to do to prevent or mitigate the flares.

What I learned: I have ITBS, but occurring at my hips, rather than at my knees (which is where most runners experience it). This is great news! I have some strengthening exercises that I now do a couple of times each week, and I'm getting ready to inject slow but steady increases in my mileage/time spent running each week. My Pilates training will almost certainly be a boon to my body, helping to get my muscles working together better, and helping to stave off the pain.

I was almost a bit too optimistic when I began fantasizing about my return to running though-- I was trying to plot out marathon training so that I could run a marathon on my next birthday (in a few months). But looking at the amount of training, I recognized that (1) it was far too ambitious than would probably be good for my hips, and (2) I don't know how I would fit so much time/mileage into each week -- I've got a lot on my plate as it is. So, the good thing? I do think that I could comfortably manage a half-marathon. One of my best friends is in training for an earlier half, and I'm feeling inspired by her to really challenge myself to train for the distance. I can see how her hard work is paying off, and I admire that. Plus since the actual race will be on my birthday, I will walk when I want to and not feel pressured for any grand showing. Cause that'll make it fun for me!

I may do some writing on my Sasha in Seattle blog for a few, but then I think I need to dive into a spreadsheet with my calendar at hand, and really figure the next 12 weeks out! Hurrah!

Running and writing.

Yesterday, I browsed through my various blogs. And I realized it's been a long time since I've written in this blog, and so I got to thinking about why I hadn't written in here.

I think I know why. I started this blog with the intention to document my road trip plan (you can replace "plan" with "fantasy") of two years ago. But I think that really I should have looked at the "write or run" portion of this blog's address. Writing and running both bring me great pleasure, and I know that things are going well when I have enough time to feed those pleasures. However, I think I find it hard to make time for both, and therefore it's hard to get enough of either one.

Basically... what I'm saying is that I need to channel this blog back onto the things that bring me pleasure in life, and in that way I'll document the metaphorical road trip of life that I am on. I'm getting to a point in life where I am feeling closer to balancing out the work-play factor, especially as I'm striving to find ways to make work feel like play. I do hope that my parents will know how grateful I am that they introduced me to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic.

W-R-I-T-E cheerleaders

So today I felt productive. I wrote on my Sasha in Seattle blog, and took care of a *ton* of things around the house. Okay, really, more like 50 pounds of things around the house, I tend toward exaggeration. But really, it felt fantastic to have time to write. Which is probably why I'm doing it again, seated across the ping-pong table from a wonderful man engaged in his own creative pursuit (which is awesome... I can't wait until he's done so that I can show off his creativity).

Maybe I should let you know... I applied for a part-time writing job the other day. I'm nervous, because I feel that there's likely a vast many amount of writers who have more experience, more pizazz, more whatever than I do. "Oh Sasha, be positive" I hear Camille saying to the computer, loyal reader and friend that she is. I know, I know. Let me remind you of the heading of this personal blog-world. Sometimes, I'm not. Ask me again in ten minutes if I'm feeling optimistic, and you'll have the answer you're used to hearing.

Perhaps the case of nerves indicate that I want this position much more than I was initially willing to admit to myself. When I started my current job, I knew that I wanted to transition into something more creative. Given the size of the company, I thought that opportunity would be fairly quick in coming, but of course... these things take time. I imagine I've withheld from applying for better-fitting jobs in the past due to fears of failure. What happens if I do this, this thing I really want, and I fail?

It's interesting to be at a point in my life where I'm feeling brave enough to take that chance. Life is full of risks; there's chances of failure around every corner. But when I'm pursuing something that feels right in both heart and mind, something where my heart races even though my breathing is even, there's an excitement to that risk. Because I know that in everything I've attempted and accomplished, that possibility of failure was there too. If I hadn't taken the shot, there was no way it would ever go in.

Besides, there's something positive to come of every experience. Even those with less than satisfactory outcomes (ahem, exes, business plans, and a few other grand ideas that didn't successfully come to pass) still taught me something that I needed to know to proceed. I think it can be hard to fully extract the lesson from everything, sometimes it takes me years to have the perspective I need to best understand why something needed to happen... but, with time speeding up these days, at least it feels like I'm getting it quicker!

Anyway. Writing = Good. Food (oohhh home cooking) = Even better right now.

Love to my peep(s)!

Oh, Hi!

There are numerous changes since my last post!

• Met a man, fell in love.
• Moved to Seattle.
• Spent the summer trying to stay cool and sane.
• Realized my savings were rapidly dwindling, found job.
• Took class in editing, have no income yet as a result of that investment.

So there you have it! No time for blog-posting, and hopefully you won't hold it against me. Oh wait, except I did find time to start another blog and occasionally post. What's that address, you ask? sashainseattle.wordpress.com

I anticipate alternating my sporadic postings between these two blogs. Until I figure out which one I like better, or maybe decide that each has their own unique flavor. SashainSeattle is somewhat chronicling my life in Seattle, though that's between apologies for not posting in awhile, and promises to improve. Let's face it... I don't write as much as I want to. I think the only person who realizes and is disappointed (maybe) is Camille.

But here? Why, maybe I should just be silly! I've been having all these ideas of fun things, and this could perhaps be a source of ideas for those willing to take it further! Except I just launched one of those ideas... This kinda looks like a face is where I'll be uploading photos of things that, well, kinda look like a face. Occasionally they'll probably kinda look like something besides a face, but who knows. I sure don't. Anyway! That blog accepts submissions, so please, be awesome, and keep your eyes peeled for things that kinda look like a face. That's one way to make use of your cell phone camera that isn't dirty.

Oh, oh, oh!! But you should also check out the Huffington Post! Bellingham is the best place to eat local in my mind, and so I shared it... and it is most awesome!!! Now you know my HuffPost name, but that's cool. It's not like I post flaming comments or anything to be ashamed of.

Okay. I love you, tons really! But I need to go to the grocery store before I go to work. Loves!