Off and Running... and a Liebster Blog Award

I did it!  I ran today.... it was perfect!  I am so happy and so excited to be able to run again.

The Captain let me sleep in till almost 9 a.m. this morning.  I think all the stress and excitement of yesterday's events took a toll on me and I zonked.  But I woke up refreshed and hungry.

Naturally there were pancakes on the menu this morning.  It is Saturday after all.  Today's had pumpkin and cinnamon in them and were scrumptious and orange!



I did sudoku and crossword puzzles for a whole hour after breakfast, iin an effort to keep my brain occupied, waiting till my meal settled a bit before heading out.  It was kinda nippy so I wore tights instead of shorts, and a light jacket, but not cold enough for gloves or a headband... I ran my 3 km route, slowly and comfortably, in 21 minutes.  Then I did a 10 minute stretch while I chatted with another boater who stopped to visit on her way down the dock.

The boating community is so friendly and so casual.  It never occurred to me to stop my stretching while we talked and she never batted an eye.  I often see people doing yoga or tai chi on their docks, and no one cares or seems to even notice.  Love that.

3 km
W2 R21 W3
stretch 10 minutes

So, not a long run, but my first in 28 whole days so I wanted to ease into it and really enjoy every minte, which I did.  Hurray!

I also got out for a walk this afternoon, with The Captain... stopped by the library and picked up a copy of Run Your Butt Off!  Couldn't resist that title.

And on another happy and exciting note, yesterday I was awarded the Liebster Blog Award by my friend Sara who writes Words to Run By.  Sara is an experienced runner, a talented writer, and is currently a pace coach with MIT.  She is a kind and compassionate source of important information and on-going inspiration.  Sara is training for the Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge to be run in January 2012 at Walt Disney World.  It is a half marathon on Saturday, followed by a full marathon on Sunday.

It is likely that if you are reading my blog,  you already know Sara, but in the off-chance you haven't met her yet, please do go visit her blog and tell her I sent you!

Liebster means beloved in German and this awards is special because it specifically recognizes the generosity, support and encouragement that I have encountered throughout the blogging community. Now, as part of receiving this award, I am supposed to name 5 bloggers/blogs that I wish to name as beloved.  This is very difficult for me.  If you look at my blog roll you will see that there are many many more than 5 blogs named there....  I will narrow it down to some I don't think have already been chosen yet, and who have been particularly encouraging of my blogging and running efforts :

Vanessa, who blogs at Gourmet Runner.  Vanessa is currently training for a marathon and is a foodie with a craving for candy! 


Christy, at My Dirt Road Anthem.  Christy can jump higher than anyone and she has amazing guns!  She is very creative, and wonderfully energetic.

Jill, who writes One Tough Cookie and a Beer.  Jill is running the ING in NYC tomorrow and I am so excited for her, I am going to start watching a live stream at 6 a.m. just to see if I can spot her. 

Christina, who is The Athletarian.  Christina is the energizer bunny.  She is interested in everything and seems to have no fear!

Danielle, who blogs at Happy, Healthy, Strong.  Danielle is an all-round athlete, a foodie, and a sunset-lover!

I love reading all of your blogs... and that is why my blog roll is so long.  As you submit new posts, I get an instant notification.  Love that feature!