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Dogs, bears, mountains, OH MY

/ Sloan / 3 Comments

Yesterday’s long run was more or less supposed to be a gauge on how my body is feeling. A gauge to see how my body is functioning, if I can continue to train hard, up my mileage and attempt to keep up with some of the big boys. Well, I know that I’m just too slow to actually keep up with them, but being able to talk about the trails, knowing them, having higher mileage to show off—to me that’s keeping up.

Notice that I didn’t write about running in NYC. I was there for a week and sadly I guess I have to admit that I only went for one 35-minute run. Embarrassing, I know! I KNOW! I did walk a lot! Like, a lot a lot! So that counts as exercise, right? I think so! Anyway, I went from running roughly three miles the week before last, so you’ll be as surprised as I was when I counted up my miles this past week—I ran a total (roughly, trail miles are hard to calculate) 35 miles! I’ve never run that many in my life! Pretty sweet. Sweet, just like my long run with my friend Darcy and her herd of doggies yesterday.

Abby after here mud bath at Four Corners

Abby after here mud bath at Four Corners

Ember

Ember

There was one other doggie, but he wouldn’t stay still enough for me to get a picture. These girls are like speedy bullets and probably ran twice as far as we did! Ember ran super far ahead of us and then was a speedy bullet on her way back towards us and just about knocked my legs from under me! Pretty sweet dogs if you ask me!

There were a couple really awesome reasons my run was so awesome yesterday morning. First: we started at like 7:30 and the temperature was PERFECT. And we basically had the entire mountain to ourselves. There were a couple mountain bikers but they were cool so that was okay. Sometimes mountain bikers are kinda rude and think they own the trail, but these guys were really nice.

Next awesome thing: we saw a Mama and baby BEAR. Maybe they were hanging out for an early Mother’s day, I don’t know. But they were HUGE and pretty close and it was amazing to see them!! I was sorta worried about the dogs, but they were fine and the bears just ignored us and walked along on their way.

The bears. Okay, there were a little more ferocious than these

The bears. Okay, there were a little more ferocious than these

Conversation. That’s the next awesome thing. There’s something about running with a good friend that can be more helpful than paying a therapist to listen to you talk. Have you ever had that experience? I feel like some of my best friendships have been formed over long runs.

So, perfect temperatures, bears, good friends and lots of miles. You really can’t beat that. Later in the day I tried elevating my legs to recover, I read that somewhere that works and I’m not so into ice baths. So I decided not to bathe and read my book with my legs in the air. But quickly got bored and went to lounge in the sun with some friends and go for a bike ride to the Goodwill. I’m a bigger proponent for ‘active recovery’.

My favorite socks: legs up!

My favorite socks: legs up!

I think the bike ride and sun bathing were the best ideas. So far I feel pretty good today. We’ll see how I feel after 6 hours working retail. But over all a great running week, pretty stoked on it!!!

I’m a Loser, Baby (about music, see what I did here?)

/ Sloan / Leave a comment

So, I don’t really listen to a lot of music. I mean, I do, when I’m at work and when I’m just chillin’ in my room, but I don’t keep up on it very much. So I listen to a lot of the same stuff that I did in high school, or Pandora does a great job introducing me to some new stuff by matching what I tell it I already like. (Does that sentence make sense?)

Anyway. I’m sitting here avoiding getting ready for work and a song comes on my Pandora and I realize I like it! and I’ve heard it before! But I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where I know it from. It sounds different than the last time I heard it. It’s not necessarily better or worse, just different. And then I realized that what I’m missing from this version a couple high school students dancing and singing around with lockers behind them. Yep, Glee is who introduced me to that song.

It’s amazing how media shifts, changes and influences our lives. Way to go New Directions, you’ve beat my non-hip ass at music once again. I think I need to buy and I-pod and get someone who is up to date on all that stuff to load it with good running/work out music. I currently run and lift to the beat in my own head and if you know me at all that’s not a very steady one! You can buy me one here.

 

ANYONE else have this problem???

Important ‘Things’: Goodbye (Part 2)

/ Sloan / Leave a comment

If you know me, you know that I’m easily distracted from where I am, perhaps in hopes of being somewhere else or discovering something new. Some call me nomadic, others flighty, others have told me I have the Wanderlust. My Dad, at a young age, told me that I was a Child Of The Planet. I listen to stories of people who have traveled and seen the world, have gotten lost to only find the most magnificent of places and I yearn to be one of those people.

 

My last post highlighted some amazing unforgotten friendships. One that I skipped is my friend Quincy. Q and I know each other only because our Dad’s grew up together, him and I recently in the last few years have become good friends through chance and mutual love for having fun. Whenever I travel to NYC Q makes up his guest room like a perfectly cozy hotel, complete with mini shampoo and conditioner bottles and a snack. Being in Brooklyn, seeing shows, slowing down and being there makes me want to be in New York City all the time. I end up feeling more like a local than a tourist because Q knows how to do New York.

Fabulous date night with Quincy!

Fabulous date night with Quincy!

The hustle and bustle, the creativity that flies around the Village is tangible. Jazz music wafts our of bar doors, dancers walk down the street hoping to catch the next 6 train up town. Even the shops are eclectic and hold my interest for much longer than the chain stores in Soho. There are fortunetellers on every corner ready to tell you your future.

I was also was able to meet up with an old high school friend who was a director of one of my schools shows. I watched him audition people for a one act he’s directing, silently pleading him to need to cast a curly haired brunette and then beg me to stay in New York to perform. And then I’d eventually find a job, an apartment and make my life there—poof! If only life was so simple.

Q, being the caretaker he is, gave me the number for a car service to call that morning to get me to the airport from Brooklyn safely and on time. Eventually I’ve had to say goodbye. Goodbye to Manhattans in Manhattan. Goodbye to easy public transportation, fashion, cheap but amazing street food. Goodbye.

Walking below ground at Union Square with my director friend, we embraced, promised to keep in touch—my dreams of off-Broadway fame fleeting as quickly as the subway cars taking tourists to 42nd street. He going uptown to his day job (because being creative won’t make anyone money,) and me heading back to Brooklyn to soon fly back to the left coast, we let go. It was hard. Saying goodbye to my past and perhaps a future I may be destined to have one day; I said goodbye too much on this trip.