the gospel according to RW

Runner's World...that's like my Bible these days. If I had a dollar for every time I repeated to Glenn some little gem gleaned from those glossy pages (chocolate milk is the perfect recovery drink), I'd be a much richer lady with no credit card debt and a closet full of Ann Taylor Loft clothes and a bureau full of cute running skirts.

My run Friday was all Runner's World, all the time. I read this article in the May RW about "mindfulness" while running - sort of running as meditation. Well, now, I like that. Once a upon a time, I used to meditate a lot - the sitting down in a candlelit comfy place breathing in, breathing out kind. I thought, I want to try this - being aware of every bit of the running experience (if only for a 1/4 mile).

So, I did. I focused on my breath - the sound of it, the feel of fullness in my lungs, the tickly way it exits my nose. I listened to the wind rushing in my ears, felt the air glide across my sweaty arms. I heard the crunch of my feet on the road grit along the shoulder of Walnut Street, the rooster crowing at 5:12 pm.

Then, I moved on. Meditation, check. Now, on to the RW Sock Review article. On Friday, I ran with new socks on, sent to me by my sock buddy Kerry Ann. So, in my head, I cataloged all the pros of the sock - it had pink on it, it had cushy parts, it was a woman's sock (my regular socks are gender neutral). At the end of my run, the sock as pretty dry. Cons - those cushy bits also rubbed a bit weird, and there was a big seam along the toe.

Then, there was the contemplation of speedwork. RW always has stuff about how speedwork will make you faster (because it will). Beginners should add fartleks once a week...I thought about doing that, picking up the pace for a bit. Then, I realized...I don't want to. This run was already hard enough (I only got about 3 hours of sleep the night before because of a sick Claire...and the temperature was hovering at 86 degrees).

Runner's World, thank you. For the distraction you provide me as I trot along. For the bathroom reading material, for being there while I sit in my car with a sleeping preschooler who refuses to nap anywhere except for her Britax marathon in the backseat.

WWRWD.