Update: Why I Lost My Running Mojo

I wanted to give everyone a quick update on what's going on in my life. 

As you know from the last post, I have a busy schedule and my interests may be changing. 

I changed my blog name and I felt better. 

For a little while. 

Then, my sister texted me to tell me she couldn't find my blog. It didn't exist!!

I freaked out and got really worried that I wouldn't be able to have my original blog URL back. 

Thankfully, everything worked out and I'm back. 

I think I lost my running mojo for two reasons:

+ I'm always getting sick after my long runs.

+ A few of my favorite bloggers/runners stopped writing on their blogs. 

I am trying to figure out what is making me sick
and I'm moving past the fact I lost a few main motivators. 

Two things to work through.

Oh, and I'm a full time teacher and part time student. 

It's definitely taking up some of my precious running/outdoor time. 

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Other than that, I have some fun things to update you on!

1. I am running Ragnar Relay Del Sol this weekend! I finally decided to run it again. Remember that last time I dropped out? I wasn't feeling Ragnar Las Vegas for some reason. It may have been the group of people, may have been the steep price, may have been the 7 hour drive to get there, whatever. But I'm definitely doing this one!  And I'm super excited. I packed my stuff up early (strange for me) and I plan to do a full recap on it. The last time I did Ragnar, my recap was basically a bunch of photos. I was so overwhelmed by the race itself that I had no idea how to recap it. This time, I'm bringing a notebook along to jot down memories and things I don't want to forget!
   
   
2. I joined Tough Chik and I am also a Sweat Pink Ambassador! I want to talk about it more later, and do a bio on each awesome community. Coming soon!
   
3. My friend Kathryn and I are planning on running R2R2R next April. I am so excited about this. I am obsessed with the Grand Canyon (history, hiking, geology, etc) and so I'm glad I found someone to run across the canyon with...and back! All in one day. It's going to be epic. More on the preparation for that later.
   
     
   
4. I have an interview for the Girl Scouts of San Diego summer camp! It's next week and I'm a little nervous. It's a phone interview, which should be easier than a Skype interview. I hope it goes well. I really want to work there! Wish me tons of luck!!! 

That's it for now! I'll keep you updated. :)

Motivate Me! (please) Monday

 

Today, this motivation is deticated to other things in my life:

 

I've been thinking about my blog lately.
I'm not super impressed by it. It's just not what I want it to be...yet.

I've had this vision of a blog that I update at least twice a week, discuss hot topics and offer great advice. I was trying to do that for running, but my motivation has been low for it.

 It's really hard to write about something twice a week when you don't want to think about it everyday.

 

I love running but I'm not sure if I want to think about it all of the time.

I'd rather have fun with it and enjoy it.

Right now, I'm not enjoying it like I should.

I feel as if it's a chore that I have to keep doing every week.

And I know this happens to everyone.
Some fellow blogger friends have told me they stopped writing on their blogs (one of them had over 2,000 readers!) because it felt like it was becoming a chore rather than a hobby.

 

I have been considering creating another blog, solely for camp. If you don't know, I have been obsessed about being a camp professional for years. Ever since I went to summer camp about 17 years ago, I have wanted to become a camp counselor. Since becoming a camp counselor in 2005, that's all I have ever wanted to do. I even feared of getting a real job after college because I wouldn't be able to work at camp during the summers (thank goodness for the teaching profession!!).

After a few years working as a counselor, I wanted bigger and better things: aka the camp director position. So, I'm on a quest to become one!

 

If you have never been to camp or you hated it, what I'm saying would bore you to pieces.
Being a director is almost a full time job. It requires long hours of brainstorming, planning, paperwork, hiring, more paperwork, and keeping everything together.
I  have been working with two of the most amazing directors for the past seven years. They have inspired me to stay in the camp world, even if they didn't know that's what they were doing.

 

Camp has truely changed my life.

I always feel as if I have another family that I can return to every summer.

Everyone cares about each other (except for a few bad seeds that come in every few years) and it can be a real hippie-dippie kind of place.
We sing songs around the campfire, we give hugs at least 10 times a day (it's good for mental growth), and we stay up late in the bungalow, talking until midnight and listening to the owls in the trees (super hippie-dippie...am I right?).

But I love

every

single

second

of

it.

 

I wasn't sure about having two blogs. I know that if I go completely over to the camp topic, I will lose a lot of running readers (why would you want to read about camp??) and in turn a lot of friends (maybe not?).  

 

So, I'm considering merging the two into one new blog.

Running, hiking, backpacking, and of course, camp.

Basically, it would be a journal for my outdoor adventures and my journey to becoming a camp professional. I hope that it will be mostly outdoor focused but I want it to be helpful for others interested in camp as well.

 

Camp is something that I think about on a daily basis.
Running is something that I might think about every few days.

Why not talk about what I really want to talk about?

 

I would still participate in races, I would keep running with my trail running group and generally keep writing about staying fit and healthy. But, it wouldn't be the main focus. I could write about everything else too! With camp mixed in of course.

 

I won't end my journey on HEATRUNNER just yet.

I will need some time to create another blog.

A weekend won't do it for me.

It may happen during Rodeo Break or Spring Break.

And I still need time to think about it. :)

Advantages of Training on a Mountain

Finally! A chance to sit down and catch everyone up with my summer.

I did it! I graduated in May! I'm all done with school (for now, I may go to grad school in the future...) and I'm looking on to new job prospects. I am applying for full time at my current job so I hope that works out! *crossing my fingers*

Otherwise, I've been pretty busy. I'm working at summer camp right now on Mt. Lemmon as a counselor and manager, so it's been a little hectic. Haven't had time to post any updates. :/ 

But I've definitely been running! While I'm not specifically training for anything, I've found there are some benefits to living and running on a mountain. 

Advantage #1: The temperature difference! Compared to Tucson (with an current unbelievable high of 115), Mt. Lemmon is much cooler (high temps range from the 70's to the 80's). While there are still days that feel just too darn hot, the air definitely feels cooler and it makes for a nicer run. 

Advantage #2: Trail running! When I'm down in Tucson, I have to carve my own trails in the wash. But up here, there are a vast number of trails I can run.  I love that feeling of running free on a trail in the middle of a forest. 

A trail near Ski Valley. 

Advantage #3: Running buddies! I have a hard time getting people to run with me in Tucson. Not sure why this is. But at camp, I am surrounded with female counselors who love to get outside and exercise. It's never too difficult to find a running buddy (or 3 or 4). Also, we have a bear/mountain lion problem in the area and are discouraged to run alone. Fine with me. I love having someone to run with. Makes the time go by faster and the miles fly by!

Fellow counselors who share my love for running, thank goodness! 

Advantage #4: The strength training! Running at 8,000 feet isn't the easiest thing. First of all, the trails are never flat. This means a lot of uphill running. Usually, this wouldn't be a problem, but remember you are up 8,000 feet. So, breathing gets harder with less oxygen at that altitude as well. While the workout is tough, I feel stronger and stronger with every run. 

Advantage #5: The views! Running on top of a mountain gives you some spectacular views. It's always a nice reward for a difficult run. :)

A view of Tucson. 

So, if you ever have the option of choosing a cool mountain for training versus the summer heat, I recommend opting for the mountain choice. I have a feeling you would anyways. ;)

Back from Camp and Back to Training

I got my wish! It finally rained and I was able to go to back to camp. It only lasted for about a week but it was well worth the wishing, the waiting and the many, many rain dances. I also got a couple runs in. Yes, as in 2. However, so worth it. Cool mountain weather, scenic trails, being alone in the forest, etc. I even took the highway for part of my run, as part of my training for the Mt. Lemmon Marathon. It was really really difficult. Sometimes I ask myself if the marathon is the right thing to do. I wonder if I'll switch to the half at one point. I really do want to do this. Everyone tells me I'm crazy, which never helps my attitude about it. But at the same time, I tend to push myself more when people doubt me. I hope I'm doing the right thing for me. *crossing my fingers*

I'm currently in Week 3 of my training. I've missed a good portion so far but I plan to make it up in the next few weeks. Apparently, I have a 14 miler this weekend. Not sure if I'm ready for that. Thankfully, I've taken up the intermediate training plans so I can fall back on the beginner plans if anything goes wrong. 


I'm going to write a "Back to School" resolution list. This will help keep me on track with training and eating, for the most part. School is my biggest fear with training. I can get so off track with either one. One day, school is more important and my training lags, and then suddenly my training jumps to the top of my list and school seems the lesser of the two. I can't have either of those happening. I need to find a harmonious balance. This is my last year of my undergrad (stayed an extra year to finish my minor) so I would like great grades and fantastic recommendations from my professors. But I also want to stay fit and active. I tend to get bored if I don't have any races coming up. So, I'll work on a plan that meets both of those needs. 


A recap in photos of the past few weeks:

I went back to camp and I scared the CRAP out of one of the counselors by hanging these lovely men in her bungalow...

Played Quidditch at camp and bruised my face and almost dislocated my pinkie in the process...


Went swimming all the time...

On Mt. Lemmon after a rain...

On my breaks, I ran, of course!

Much of the forest in my area is burned and the trails are difficult to find, but I still had some amazing runs. :)

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.”

                                                                                                          ~ Napoleon Hill