Monday and tips for getting out the door

Mondays are ruff.  

(see what I did there?)

My weekends are more helter skelter -do a hundred things, than relax and sit on the couch.  I am not complaining, I love to be busy and enjoy the hustle and bustle, but Mondays can be a little rough because of it my non stop Saturday Sunday.  I woke up Monday a lotta tired and a little sore.  I am not sure if it was the Saturday Body Pump, or the Sunday Yoga and hike, but I will say I love that sore feeling as a reward for the hard work I put in the day(s) before.  

Getting out of bed Monday was quite a challenge, and getting motivated to do anything after work was even harder.  Being prepared and one step "ahead of my brain" seems to help me.  For instance, if I am really tired at work and know I have to go ride right after, I will change right in the office.  Already in my riding clothes with my saddle and such in the truck, I have little to no excuse to bail on riding.  This little "technique" worked well and I headed right to Lyme after work  Monday afternoon to ride the new horse for my trainer (Faline pictured below). 

After riding this horse, I still had to go to my parents and take care of our four horses.  Stalls cleaned, hay dropped, water buckets filled, grain for everyone, sweep and close up the barn.  

At this point I am ready for bed (mind you it is only six)  and Olive the ball of energy is about ready to jump out the window and run to Texas after sitting around the office while I work and waiting in the car while I ride.    I justify riding as great exercise and cross training so I could have been happy calling the day at that.  BUT, Olive was nuts, and I hadn't run since my 8 miler on the track.  And after all the track/treadmill running I could really use some hills in my life.  

So I stuck to my technique of taking out distractions and excuses.  When I got back to Chester, I put my watch on in the car, set it to find the GPS, and the second I got in the house, immediately changed  grabbed my stuff, and was out the door.  I didn't sit on the couch, I didn't turn the TV on,  I changed and was out the door before I could convince myself that watching Modern Family reruns was a better idea.  It was already 6:30 at this point, and completely dark out, so I go grabbed all of my night gear:

I put all of my running gear and "tools" in a bin right by the door, 

making it easy for me to grab what I need and go. 

Head Lamp 

Blinking Light Ring
Reflective Vest (me)

Reflective Vest (Olive)
Dog Harness

Waist Leash

Phone

Headphones 

Chapstick

Garmin

Poopy bags

We headed out for the Three Mile Hill Loop as I like to call it by my house. 

The first mile was a little rough as my achey muscles loosened up

(and I braved a few hills).

Second mile felt a little easier, and by the third mile, I was cruising on some down hill feeling awesome.  I felt so good that I decided to tack on another mile.  I think my splits speak for how good I was feeling toward the end. 

 I would have kept going and made it five if I didnt have dinner plans with Amateur At Large.   Stacie had not been to Otto, Jonathan Rapps new pizza restaurant in downtown Chester, so we headed there for some pizza.  It was Stacie's first time so I let her pick the pizza.  Egg Bacon Potato Pizza with ricotta and Thyme.  

Oh it was so good.  

A Running Blog talking about pizza?  

Yep.  

Everything in moderation.  

We each had 3 small/normal slices, and brought a slice home for the next day. 

(I probably could have uncomfortably eaten the entire pizza if someone let me)
 Dessert did not look appealing and we skipped the wine.  

(Iheartwine)

That my friends, is give and take.   

In my blog at least.