Archives for November 2018

a solid week of giving thanks

November 27, 2018

Hello, friends, happy last week of November to you. We are here at the farm taking deep breaths and settling into our coziest, happiest early winter vibes, having properly celebrated a full week of Thanksgiving. We feel deeply grateful. And full. Our hearts and our bellies are so very full. It hurts a little, but it’s ok.

Last week our gatherings were a delicious mix of romance and solitude, friends and family, and a dash of community outreach. We spent our days and evenings mostly together, and I loved it. Klaus’ brother Lincoln was also with us until Saturday, which greatly added to the holiday cheer.

We exercised gently when it felt good and we had the time. We ate endless feasts of our favorite traditional foods. We watched movies at home and napped shamelessly. We completed fun projects around the farm, had a couple of prayer meetings with precious friends, and started making big, happy plans for Christmas.

My parents hosted the local family on Friday evening. This year, none of our coastal siblings came to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving, and neither of my girls were with us (Jess was with her Dad’s family on Thursday, excited that her brother is in town from college, wahoo! Then she came down with strep throat, poor girl). We also are missing Grandpa Rex an awful lot. We could have focused on the people not with us, and in fact missing Jocelyn so acutely right now, I cried a lot on our drive to the City.

But somehow, the collective joy and laughter were powerful enough to drive out any sadness. I so appreciate this about my family. Everyone is so fun loving and light hearted, no matter what difficulty we are facing. Sometimes, I think, we are silly to spite what we are facing. And we have faced plenty over the years.

There’s a whole funny story about this moment that will probably lose all its humor in translation so just trust me here.

Mom, Angela, and I divided the menu, and I dare say conquered it. Three generations ate like kings and queens. Afterwards, everyone was able to fill their refrigerators with excellent leftovers.

We played board games after dinner, and thanks to some magical November weather, the kids played outside.

My nephew Dante and baby brother Phil. Love them so much!!

Our Dad built this swing set for us when I was still in middle school. Now the little kids love it, and I bet they don’t even know that once I fell from it and busted my head open and got stitches and still have the scar.

On Sunday, Handsome and I welcomed several close friends at the farm for a low-key Friends-giving. Two fine humans named Kellie and Mickey arrived early, rolled up their sleeves, and helped finish all the food prep while we all chatted about deep and joyful new things. I have to say, the four of us make an outstanding team, especially in the kitchen. It was lots of fun.

Kale salad with roasted butternut squash and pom seeds, and smoked deviled eggs form Dennis. Amazing flavor!!

About nine adults total gathered and ate buffet style, snuggled up in our living room, where Handsome had built us a gorgeous, crackling fire. Everyone who joined us is in a very different life chapter, a mix of hard and beautiful, but we all have been friends for several years and care so much about each other. It was good to catch up in a quiet atmosphere and count our many blessings. Lots of laughter, again. Laughter prevails. Our faces hurt.

Along the way, truly every day this past week, we have felt that glowy warmth of genuine thankfulness. Gratitude for so many huge and tiny blessings. We feel God up close to us and surrounding us, too. He is pressing in, and we press back. Or maybe it’s the other way around?

Guess who can flat foot jump onto a round bale of hay now?

What I know is that it is working, this ongoing effort to improve our perspective a little more each day. Widen our view. Count the blessings that are coming at us like a tidal wave. Love immeasurable and full of hope.

Thousands of prayers for these kids who are growing so fast…xoxo

Plus, it’s finally Christmas lights season!!

Thanks for reading, friends. I hope your Thanksgiving Week was also filled with love and pleasures. I hope you feel miracles brewing again. I would love to hear all about it.

Check back in soon for slightly more analytical thoughts on gratitude, whether it actually has power to change things.

Over and out!

XOXOXOXO

happy hippie holidays at the farm & sending our good vibes to YOU

November 22, 2018

Hey friends, and a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving Weekend to you! I hope this finds you feeling deeply peaceful, reasonably hungry, wildly loved, and a little excited. You know… all the exact opposite feelings of holiday stress. Because these times are meant for JOY, even when life is hard. It’s okay to let stuff go and lean into the celebration.

Today I want to tell you about a special event we hosted at the farm last week, and how I feel like it is already helping me roll gently into the winter festivities. I hope some of the vibes rub off on you, too.

Friday evening, Handsome and I, together with my magical friend Sheila, opened the farm to a couple dozen loved ones for an event affectionately dubbed, “Happy Hippie Holidays.” It was the brain child of ours from over a year ago!

Sheila and I first bonded over a mutual love for both running and holistic wellness, and often our conversations meander over to nutrition and “healthy” recipe alternatives. Well, sometime last autumn we had the idea to host a Christmas cookie exchange party but ask folks to bring more nutritious treats instead of the usual sugar bombs. (No offense, sugar bombs! You have your place in the world.)

We couldn’t do it last year, but this year was perfect. We decided to schedule it ahead of Thanksgiving to inspire folks to reconsider their well being in the midst of what is traditionally a needlessly stressful, overeating, under-nourishing, tension-filled season.

It was the simplest party ever. All we did was invite people to the farm for a simple vegetarian meal and a pot luck of healthy treats, plus outdoor yoga and tai-chi. Sheila volunteered to lead the yoga flow, and my friend Raylene, who is a certified tai-chi instructor, led that. Both were sublime.

Every single day since the event, someone has called or texted me to say how good the yoga felt and how fascinating and inspiring the tai-chi was. Raylene taught us several meditation-type thought framing exercises that I know will help us dissolve those building holiday tensions. (Draw energy from your belly, reorient it, feel the pull of a golden thread up your spine… All so good.)

And I have to say how thankful we are that the weather was mild that day. Perfect temperatures, trace breeze, absolutely gorgeous sunset. With the bonfire blazing we were perfectly comfortable, and by nightfall the sky was inky black to show off the stars.

We had brainstormed several more wellness activities and parting gifts, which didn’t quite come to fruition, but that’s fine. What we enjoyed Friday evening was perfect. Everyone left relaxed and happy and smiling, inspired I think. The other brilliant ideas will keep. (My husband is totally on board for hosting regular, maybe even monthly, wellness retreats here! Stay tuned!)

That above (blurry) photo is of a dark chocolate bark made with a variety of nuts and seeds plus honey. It was a sticky, crunchy, sweet and salty piece of luxury, and I felt pretty good indulging in a few nibbles. Yum. Other treats people brought to share were:

goat cheese truffles with cranberries, pecans, and parsley
shrimp ceviche
pumpkin bread
popcorn dusted with chili powder and cinnamon
banana oat muffins (flour-less and sugar free, still sweet)
walnuts and pecan halves with pomegranate seeds (Thanks Mom!)
vegetable curry with roasted chick peas
and YOGI TEA!!

Sheila and I collaborated on the unusual ingredients to make the Yogi Tea happen. It’s from Adrienne’s website, and it was a huge crowd-pleaser. Delicious! Soothing and energizing all at once. Just like yoga.

Overall the night was simple, nourishing, and peaceful. Our small crowd was a nice mix of both friends and family of all ages. My parents brought our youngest niece Kenzie (she is a dance student and was enthusiastic about yoga!). Our youngest daughter came and mingled so naturally with all of our friends (such a pure joy for my heart), plus she participated in deck yoga, which I later learned was her first time ever! How beautiful that my friend Sheila led Jessica’s first yoga flow, and my other friend Kellie was next to her giving pointers and encouragement.

I was also really happy that so many husbands joined the fun, haha! Since we had billed it as a vegetarian dinner and “please bring your favorite healthy treats,” haha, I got some teasing about what the heck would everyone else eat! Guess what good-looking white-collar hobby farmer grilled a tray of steaks and provided roasted potatoes and broccoli to the guys? It was so perfect. AND several of the men chose to do yoga with us!!

Wellness for all, according to his or her own tastes, ok? Ok. Yes.

I feel like it was a good, gentle, quiet way to step into the winter holiday season. I like having not only “healthy” food ideas in my brain but also some de-stressing techniques in my pocket. Breathing, stretching, visualizing techniques and the reminder to be grateful daily, constantly.

I intend to remember all winter long the sparkling deck lights and stars hanging heavy above us, the feeling of peacefulness and ease, my belly full of warm vegetable curry, and so much meaningful, face to face conversation with good people. It all opened my heart and slowed my pulse. When the holidays try to speed me up too much, when things are suddenly more complicated than they need to be, I will do some yoga outside and try a few tai-chi moves. I’ll eat softer, cozier, more nutritious food and hydrate really well. And I will trade electronics in favor of three-dimensional fun with humans. And I’ll remember that it’s okay to say no and edit details and keep things simple. It might even be better that way.

Happiest possible Thanksgiving to you, friends! I have something else I want to talk to you about, but that will keep too. I hope you thoroughly and mindfully enjoy everything you choose this weekend. Love your people. Give thanks aggressively and let your hearts crack wide open.

Find What Feels Good.
~Adrienne Mishler
XOXOXOXO

our dewali experience

November 18, 2018

Last weekend my husband and I had the unique opportunity to attend a Dewali festival in Oklahoma City. It’s an Indian Hindu tradition, and it was beautiful. Our dear friends Mickey and Kellie joined us. Here are some memories, incomplete though this writing will be. It’s just impossible to capture everything from such an extraordinary evening. xoxo

We entered the building at the back, walking through double doors and into a foyer, just like in any North American Christian church. (In fact I think this building used to be a Christian church.) To our left, three Indian men were seated at a long table, all dressed in colorful floor length garments. They smiled and bowed lightly to their folded hands, welcoming us.

The hallway in front of us was adorned on the floor with colored powder, mandala-like designs, abstract lotus flowers maybe, but other symmetrical images too. Tables, windows, children and adults were all covered lavishly with silks and linens and embroidered cottons in every color, mostly jewel tones. Lots of gold. Lots of pink with red and pink with purple, every shade of green and blue, more gold, and a few striking black ensembles edged in silver. Breathtaking, inspiring color everywhere I looked.

We wandered briefly before our friend Kiran appeared. Petite and smiling, she glided down that lotus-strewn hallway and greeted my husband and our friend Mickey. Kellie and I watched as she hugged and welcomed them and they smiled warmly at her, so much curiosity about the evening piquing. I could see the feeling of belonging wash over both men. Kiran directed all of us to remove our shoes. Piles of high heels, sneakers, boots, and flip flops were stacked and arranged along the far end of the long hallway. A few teenagers giggled and walked quickly through our group. I could feel that happy holiday energy.

Our husbands were ushered to the main auditorium to sit up front with the men. Inside, a visiting guru dressed in solid orange robes was already speaking, the language unfamiliar but soothing. Lilting and energetic.

Kellie and I followed Kiran. My eyes feasted on the parade of color, and every person who made eye contact with us smiled warmly. I felt happy, welcomed and loved.

This whole time God was whispering to me again about gentleness and Love in action, not just ideas. Real True Church, in this unexpected setting.

I cannot relay the full experience of the evening’s message, because even with some abbreviated translation we only caught snippets. But what we did glean was powerful, and I was thrilled to discover so much common ground with my own faith:

Religion is not full spirituality; it is only a part of life. But it is important. Religion is the salt that gives life flavor.
In true community, it doesn’t matter who you are or what you have; it only matters what you bring to the table, what you can do to help others, and how you contribute.
Light dispels darkness. New life erupts from death. Good wins over evil, in the end. Love is it.
Life on earth is filled with many tangled, curving, meandering paths offered by demons and evil, paths that lead to destruction, but only God (yes, singular) shows the path to salvation.

Since Kellie and I spent most of the first session on the back row, we had a glorious view of the whole room. We could see the small group of men up front, the gurus in orange, and the male children who spoke on stage (irresistibly cute). We saw dozens of women of all ages glide in and out, and we oohed and ahhed together over our favorite saris and scarves. We made secret plans for what we would love to wear, given the opportunity.

Kellie and I also smiled about the many ways this “church” experience was similar to our own American-Christian “church” experiences, things that, the more I think about it, are maybe just human experiences:

People chatter politely even when there is a revered speaker on hand.
Friends and family are happy to see each other, especially on a special holiday occasion like this, and you do not need to understand the language to understand the emotion.
And they love to dress up in extra special outfits for special occasions. It was different, of course, but it sure brought back happy memories from all through my life (and my daughters lives) of wearing a dress to church that was purchased just for that holiday.
Little children wander and play freely between the aisles. They just do. Here, though, we noticed that everybody helped. Instead of insisting that one parent do all of the corralling or correcting, all the adults in the room seemed to care for all the little children, and it was so gentle and loving. It was such a communal feeling that we couldn’t really tell who belonged to whom.

After a while the entire group exited this main (unadorned) auditorium and reconvened upstairs. We crowded happily into a room where everyone sat on the floor, men up front again and the women behind a dividing rope. I felt the excitement building and could also smell food fragrances wafting up the adjacent stairwell. (A delicious community feast would follow.) We all faced one wall that bore this expansive and ornate collection of icons. Wall to wall and floor to ceiling, three dimensional artwork, stunning stuff. They were all images with which I was somewhat familiar from literature or folklore. It was a carved and painted display of gods and goddesses, and it was breathtaking. In front of the artwork were tables strewn with food offerings as colorful and abundant as everything and everybody else. Also, dozens of strings of electric lights. A feast for the senses.

I want to mention here that every time Kiran or her husband anyone else from the community (Kellie and I received hints from friendly neighbors here and there) addressed their gods and goddesses, it was with a gentle tone of… not ambivalence… but rather, caution. I understand that vital intricacies can get lost in translation and language barriers, and these are sacred topics. So that could be part of it. But also, the more we learn about this faith the more we see that their beliefs are much more like our own than we had previously grasped. The Hindu God is actually singular and is manifested or personified in many different ways. There are myriad stories and practices which honor so many incarnations. This feels familiar, right? Okay, this is a fascinating topic for conversation. I have lots more to learn before I feel qualified to write about it. But please know that this community, these treasured friends, took us deep into curiosity about our common ground. And we appreciate that so much.

Seated on the floor surrounded by so many women in those luscious colorful garments, Kellie and I did our best to follow along. We prayed silently while they all sang, and we thoroughly enjoyed their happy songs. Children toddled around us, the gurus in orange swayed and bowed, everyone was happy. We absorbed it all and wondered together how our husbands were feeling. At some point we saw that they were being dotted on their foreheads with red ink and received woven bracelets.

I meditated with eyes wide open while the group sang in unison. I tried to guess what they were singing about. As if she could read my mind, an older woman behind me tapped the back of my left arm and leaned in, answering, “It’s a song to worship God.” She said this with firmness. I loved the clean, dark-denim sound of her voice.

During a part of the ceremony when the fluorescent lights were low and everyone was holding a small ghee candle, I couldn’t resist glancing around and behind us. So many beautiful dark brown faces, waterfalls of shining black hair, and ebony eyes illuminated by that firelight. It really took my breath away. The women were gorgeous beyond my powers of description. Glittering, glowing, calm and energetic.

We all rotated our candles in front of our seated selves, clockwise I think, and when I fell out of sync with the group, that same solid woman behind me offered gentle redirection. Later, my husband and I shared the observation that the prayers here closed just at the exact moment that our little ghee wicks extinguished themselves. Beautiful.

This evening offered us so much. We stayed long enough to meet more people, friends old and new, and Kiran loaded me up with a platter of delicious (I mean SO DELICIOUS) Indian foods and handmade candies. We were gifted books to study and were invited to Delhi, haha! Kiran and her friends answered every question we asked.

Eventually the four of us found our shoes and walked to the parking lot, the air cold now and smelling of snow. We drove to our respective homes, chattering about the event, and I ate all the candies on our way back to the farm. (So good.)

In the coming hours and days we had lots to distill. The experience offered far more than I can write about here, and we have all been hungry for the spiritual feast. I hope this writing at least marks the memory so later we can come back to it and summon the feelings, the new thoughts, the echoes and truths rediscovered.

In addition to so much else, Dewali tradition also celebrates the power of knowledge to win over ignorance, which is especially meaningful to me. We had first walked through those double doors curious but plenty ignorant. We left better informed, despite the language barrier, and I think that Love did most of the work. This community just welcomed and loved us, and softened us with genuine hospitality. Along the way God spoke to our hearts. He translated for us. We still have oceans of knowledge to gain, but this feels really good for now, and I am so thankful.

Happy winter, friends. Happy Thanksgiving week. Happy Advent (soon) and Dewali (belated) and happy everything. May light dispel darkness in your world. May Love overpower sin and worry and evil. May knowledge fill all the ignorance gaps.

XOXOXOXO

friday 5 at the farm: surprises this week

November 10, 2018

Whew, happy Friday!! What a great week this has been!

Since last I wrote, between and among all of our beautiful daily routines, several delicious little things have happened. Taking note of some of them feels really good. (When the exact opposite things might happen, the negative versions, we would complain, right? So let’s celebrate the small victories and pleasures.)

001 My first November fartlek run felt easy: 8 miles total at 9:31 average (1 up/1 down, 6 in the middle just casual intervals) Ahhhh you guys it felt really easy and I had so much fun. Had that day been less hectic I would gladly have started earlier and tried several more intervals. Anyway, it was kinda messy but overall a decent pace, and it didn’t tax me at all. The day before I had run 10 easy, so I was happy to be zero tired. Progress. Another type of progress, also kind of a surprise: I had to skip running two days in a row this week (Wednesday and Thursday) just due to life obligations, not a lack of motivation, and I was conspicuously un-bothered by it. At least, less bothered than I would have been not long ago, ha. Learning to keep the long view and keep running in balance with life is a sign of emotional progress. (And you can bet that getting out the door this morning to grab ten solitary miles was like pay-day, ha! Super refreshing.)

On Sunday we were surprised by a cluster of hot air balloons above OKC, so beautiful!

002 An unplanned visit from Jess! On Tuesday afternoon our youngest texted asking if she and her (very sweet) friend Mercedes could come to the farm for a visit. They arrived just as Handsome had pulled the truck and trailer in with a load of winter hay, and both young women jumped right up to help. They kicked and shoved with their strong legs four mammoth round bales onto the ground, all the while keeping Meh and the horses held off. Then we played with Klaus (of course) and caught up with each other. These girls are so smart and such fun conversationalists. We all four ate a dinner of baked chicken, roasted butternut squash soup (yes please let’s add a drizzle of coconut milk!), simple green salad, and buttery French bread, toasted. Jess and Mercedes stayed after dinner to play a board game, and we all had a blast. Such a happy surprise for us.

003 Lunch with Handsome at Lido in the Asian District, OKC. We used to eat here pretty frequently years ago but hadn’t been in so long. On Wednesday we found ourselves in town at the same time and he had just enough of a window to eat, so we ducked in and it was great. I had a bowl of vermicelli rice noodles with chicken. It was on top of a big pile of shredded lettuce and had carrots, mint, and crushed peanuts. Delicious. I love when unfamiliar restaurant food is flavorful and filling without a ton of syrupy sauce. And I love surprise lunch dates with my guy.

Also, three cheers for piping hot jasmine tea! So good.

004 Water tank repaired two whole days early!! That is a very happy surprise when you are excited to get caught up on laundry, ha! The repairman was scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday), but earlier this week he advanced our appointment to get ahead of a possible snow this weekend. He spent most of Thursday replacing our ancient well pump and the house water tank, and throughout the day he taught me a lot about how our rural water system works. It was pretty interesting. Klaus assessed the situation as training for when he finally gets to attack an intruder. He used his big boy voice. A lot.

005 Our first true cold snap surprised me. We have already had some cool nights and chilly, breezy afternoons the past month or so, but yesterday and overnight into Friday morning we felt the first blast of truly cold air. That autumn air that is so cold is tastes sweet and almost smells like something else, and certainly, when you catch a whiff of wood smoke from someone’s chimney, that perfume is stronger in the cold. Our kaleidoscope-colored oak, pecan, and maple leaves are abandoning their branches and drying to a crisp on their way to the ground. Already I am raking or sweeping up great oceans of them twice a day. But there is beauty even in the trees’ increasing bareness, and the cold means more soups and thicker socks and that deep sense of rhythm that the winter holidays provide. I’m ready. Tonight our heaters are on and my flower pots are indoors.

Related: I saw the above tee shirt at Old Navy and it is my motto for a few days. Starting next weekend, our calendar is packed all the way through to the New Year, so this weekend I intend to crate and hold some space for breathing and stretching and being cozy. I want (NEED) to gear up for the season in some quiet ways. Soak up some details. There is some winter nesting to enjoy.

After I run. : )

Any surprises in your world this week? Are you fully invested in the season change now?

Thanks for checking in!!

“The moments of happiness we enjoy
take us by surprise.
It is not that we seize them
but that they seize us.”
~Ashley Montagu
XOXOXOXO

motivation monday: october wrap up

November 5, 2018

Hello, and happy Monday! Today I am posting a recap of my October running, mostly for my own records and to distill what went great and where I need some work. Overall I met my (extremely simple) goals. If any of this is useful to you, then Happy Motivation Monday!! If you have some advice for any parts of it, feel free to share. Thanks for reading, friends.

Most Exciting Workout:

Of so many great workouts this month, it was hard to choose a favorite. But Sunday, Oct 14th is it. That morning I ran a mildly fasted (I had eaten well the day before, just no breakfast) and spontaneous half marathon all by myself, at a pretty smooth pace (9:38 average). I didn’t set out to run that long, but it felt great! Every mile felt better and better, and I had some spare time, so eventually, I just went for it. It’s far from my ultimate time goal for 13.1, but considering I did this with no breakfast and no hydration or calories along the way, I’m excited. It gets me thinking of what is possible when I am properly fueled. And I had gobs of energy all day after that! It’s crazy. Adaptions are happening.

Worst Day:

I tried running on the very first day of Shark Week* this month, and I paid the price. My other symptoms had been so mellow leading up to “Day One,” I thought surely a 6- or 7-mile easy day was possible. But I struggled through 2.5 then walked another 1.5 while talking myself out of a pity party. Ha. It’s fine. I went home and poured my limited physical energy into other things and counted my blessings that a difficult run was the worst of my health challenges. Then I moved on with my life.

Longest Run:

Wednesday, Oct 24th: 15 even at Lake Hefner, with Mickey bicycling beside me. This was actually my longest run in several months, and I was pleasantly surprised by not only a steady pace (9:46 average) but by the fact that I was not really tired afterward. Nor was I the least bit sore the next day. Like, overall, it felt just like an average 8/easy day. Big thanks and high fives to my friend for keeping me company!! The miles went by happily, and I got to hear so many great stories about his life. I hope we do that together more often!

Fastest Overall Run:

Early on Sunday the 21st I surprised myself by running a little over 8 miles at an average pace of 8:47. For me, that is pretty snappy. I rode endorphins the whole rest of that fine day, which we spent driving Klaus up Route 66 and doing a little hike, just the three of us. Then we had a very special dinner with our Sperrys, and my heart was so full. (My trick that day was knowing that I only had about an hour to run, so I just crammed as many miles in as possible, then rounded it out to 8, ha!)

Special Meals Worth Sharing Because Food is Fuel:

I continue to favor my weird “warm breakfast salad” over cold protein smoothies for post-run nutrition. Chilly mornings just beg for something cozy, you know? It’s oats cooked with spinach and zuchinni, topped with two eggs. Bam. Love it.

I am also loving big, crisp apples and roasted peanuts, chicken breast sandwiches for lunch, and veggie-heavy soups and pasta dishes at night. Some roasted veggies with sticky rice is great the night before long runs. Yes to gorgeous salad bars, always, and salads at home get topped with warm stuff like roasted acorn squash and mixed with kale for substance.

I cannot seem to eat enough eggs and peanuts the past few weeks. I do not understand why. Oh! And crepes. Jessica invited me over for brunch one day, and along with the most beautiful salad ever, she made us a big platter of warm, thick, chewy, eggy crepes. So perfect and delicious. We opted for savory over sweet that day. I am so proud of her and her cooking confidence and artistry.

Horrible Mistake I Will Never Make Again:

Last Monday evening we were out at a costumed event later than expected and just decided to grab some late dinner at Taco Bell. Taco Bell, friends, around 9:45 p.m. This is not my life.

I ate one of those “power bowls” with steak and some tortilla chips with very very very spicy homemade salsa. It was all delicious, but I had let myself get too hungry. I slept okay then early the next morning tried to run with my speedy friend Sheila. It was not fun. My meal was not digested yet. I had to cut the miles short and walk back to my car. Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb LOL!

Fresh Running Lesson:

Vertical Oscillation had already been on my mind when I ran with Mickey that day at Lake Hefner. While bicycling behind me, he observed that with each stride I circled up too much (think, Tigger the bouncing tiger, or maybe an elliptical machine instead of straight-forward motion). Mickey offered a couple of form suggestions, which I tried. Immediately my posture streamlined and my next couple of sprints were at my max speed without any extra effort. It just clicked. Amazing! I practiced the toe-roll for several days after that and think it is helping me waste less energy. Thanks, Mickey!

Weather Considerations:

From heavy rain all month to a surprise tornado one day and constant temperature swings, our autumn weather has kept local runners guessing. I braved the treadmill just a few times, enough to see that my boredom endurance is abysmal, haha. I have some serious mind callousing to do, you guys.

Anyway, I am so thankful to have met my October goal with so many days that could have gone very differently. And the season change has been breathtaking to watch. I am not at all complaining. Oklahoma has not seen this much color and such high water levels in many years, and the early morning skies, my gosh. I am in love with it all. Just incredibly thankful that so many miles were enjoyed outdoors, which is my favorite.

Little Extras Still Happening?

Yes, mostly. All month I did the dynamic warm-ups faithfully, and I stretched a little after each run, but maybe not enough. I grabbed 8 baby weightlifting days and about as many yoga sessions, but I could be more disciplined with that. Some core work and deep stretching in the evenings are probably in order, too. It’s just a matter of finding sustainable habits.

Total Miles: 223.1

These miles were mostly easy effort, long run pace, super relaxing, and happy! My October goal was 220, just 10% up from September. It felt pretty effortless, so I am thrilled.

Well over half of my miles were past this exact tree. I watched it change colors every week. So beautiful!

What’s Next? My goals for November are to:

keep my energy way up and my discomforts way down so I can enjoy a month of both running and holiday festivity
eat more mindfully, not like I am in a panic all the time, ha!
run 180 miles (a little step back) including two hard Hansons workouts per week
lift somewhat heavier and more often (maybe every 3 days)
yoga yoga yoga yoga yoga

I am super curious how much progress I’ll see from strength training and coordination drills. After that, I will be a stone’s throw from my “Run the Year” goal of 2,018. Wahoo!!

What’s new in your fitness and wellness universe?

*Shark Week, for this blog’s purposes, shall always refer to a woman’s natural reproductive monthly cycle. And “Day One” is the worst day for me. I feel like you knew that already. But thanks for following the asterisk.

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