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.

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.