Running and Reviews

When I lived in Great Falls, I forced myself to get outside and run, regardless of the incessant wind. Since moving west of the mountains, I've become spoiled. If the wind is above 15 mph, I now choose to be lazy and do something else with my time. The result? Not much running until this weekend. I need to rethink my strategy.

By Saturday, the weather mellowed and I went out for an 11 mile run. Some of the trails and logging roads were snow packed, and I chose a route with some very long, gradual hills. It ended up taking me over two hours. It was a little frustrating because the new snow was slushy so it stuck to my yak-trax. I tried running without them, but would hit icy patches and go flying. On and off came the yak-trax, adding to my time outside. I did try the nuun electrolyte drink. It tastes pretty good, but is a little too "fizzy" for me.

Today, my running group ran an out and back on roads near Strawberry Lake. It was icy, so we tried to stick to the crunchy snow on the side of the road. My legs were fatigued from yesterday and by mile 8, I was tired. Lucky for me, I ran with Tom on the way back, who entertained me with stories and ideas for future running routes. We ended up doing 12 miles, and then had a huge breakfast. When I got up to walk again, I felt pain. Sure enough, I've got an egg on the side of my foot. I don't remember twisting it, but I slipped a few times on icy spots, so may have overstretched a ligament. I guess that is a good excuse to rest and read a good book.

Speaking of...the latest reviews. This is for friends who complain about "too much running talk" in this blog!

BOOKS
"Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality" by Pauline Chen - Really good to read, even for those of us not in the medical profession. I've got the title linked to Amazon to encourage you to check it out.

"Mercy" by Jodi Picoult - One of her earlier books. It wasn't my favorite. Too much going on at the same time.

"The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court" - I thought this would be really interesting. Steve and I both tried to finish it, but neither of us did. Not a very objective view.

MOVIES
"Juno" - Awesome movie about a teenager and her decisions regarding an unplanned pregnancy, cool soundtrack, definitely one to see.

"The Bucket List" - One of those good "what to do on a windy Saturday" type movie about two terminally ill men who make a list of things to do before they die. I love both Morgan Freeman and Jack Nickolson, so would see pretty much anything with the two of them.

Next on my movie list (recommendation from Ruth) is "There Will be Blood." Anybody seen it? What did you think? Worth going to? On the book list (borrowed from Danni) is "Skinny Bitch." We'll see about this one...