Just like that, snap, I feel so out of shape. I think the stress of working again, coupled by all the newness has just thrown me off a bit. So I as excited to get up early & meet ESR for a long run this morning. As ESR meets up a different locations each Saturday, I had to drive South to the Lake Sammamish area to join the group. The amazing thing about the Seattle area is how much wilderness & water surrounds each community. Last weekend, I was running on Lake Washington, this weekend a completely different lake only a few miles away. Completely serene, full of calm views that are literally to die for. I am trying to take in all the beauty as a newcomer because I know soon enough I will take advantage of it all.

Today, even though I was feeling a) fat b) sluggish c) tired, I opted for the longer run to tack on some hard miles to my week. The only people doing the long run were 4 guys, which pretty much sealed the deal for me. But the problem was it was a hilly run, something I knew would be tough for me to keep up with.

We headed out on Lake Sammamish & about a mile in, cut up & immediately came to a mile plus hill climb. As I watched the guys climb further & further ahead of me, I knew I was in trouble. But once we hit the top, I was able to quickly catch up with them. We ran alongside quiet roads, hit yet another lake, Pine Lake, which I remembered vaguely from my past, before heading back down to Lake Sammamish. At mile 8, I was counting the minutes until we could hit the finish, which seemed to take forever. My god, being out of shape feels awful. But soon enough, we made it. And I felt fine. Felt balanced again. How I love running for challenging me so. Plus, I think I found a new running boyfriend...a little young, but I can train him.

Distance: 10.3 miles
State of Mind: Yum