It’s called recovery. Or in my case curling up with the kitties. That’s pretty much all I did last week. Both body and mind needed recovery from the exertion of 42.195km.
Recovery
Accomplished
So Saturday night I bit off my freshly polished nails. Still, Sunday came and with it a glorious day with many friends and family cheering my dear runner buddy and I on and an unforgettable, long-suffering (17km of stomach pain and cramps…) 42.195km later I was accomplished: I am unofficially but beknownst to my closest people a marathoner.
I’m terribly tired from the lack of sleep the night before the race and of course from the exertion, but also proud, exhilarated, thankful, certainly stronger and – accomplished.
A big shout-out to all dear ones who have supported us by cheering and providing us with sustenance. I certainly couldn’t have done it without you!!
Nervous
Painted my nails tonight to ease my nerves. Didn’t consider that I might bite them right off once the real nervousness hits. (tomorrow morning at the latest, I reckon…)
Chill
With home office still on there’s nothing much to talk about but my run training, yoga and my furry four-legged roomies.
They sure know how to enjoy a Sunday morning… and pretty much every other morning.
Seamstress
My mom is a highly talented seamstress – way more so than I’m a doodler. So no wonder she patched together two versions of a face mask made from fabric remnants in just a couple of hours (if even that).
I love the fact that the fabric sports little dragon flies 🙂
I Believe I Can Fly
Sometimes running can feel like flying. It is – at least for some of us – a rather rare and thus highly precious feeling and one of the reasons that keep me going. Especially on the occasion when I feel like there’s not much left in the tank and then I end up soaring. Loving it!
Chicken Soup
I love all the animals I see when on runs or hikes. I cherish the young cows that are out on the pasture for the first time, curiously following hikers along the fence.
Same with horses, ponies and rabbits.
And then there are the chickens. We have lots of very lucky and undoubtedly happy chickens around here. They are allowed to roam large grassy areas, sometimes studded with bushes and trees. The chickens get moved around in a chicken-mobile so they can explore various surroundings.
For about a month now they have been in a field with low bushes in a tree nursery and when it last rained a puddle formed in one of the empty holes where a l bush had been dug out and the chickens used it as a bath. So precious, the sight was simply too sweet!
Bed Taken
And where do I sleep tonight?
Sand Blasted
Not only is there pollen dust in the air that covers everything and gets into every crack, in addition there’s apparently Sahara dust in the air and the bone-dry north-easterly wind blows up billowing dust clouds. So don’t be surprised if you find yourself sand-blasted to the bones after a long jog.
Zen Doodle April
I have a zen doodle book at home that I copy designs out of. Sometimes I create my own designs but I have to admit that the process of creating art as a copyist comes much more easily to me and has a heightened effect of relaxation for me.
I guess I still carry that child’s reflex of learning by copying in me. That’s how I learned back then and still do nowadays. So my credo is: Don’t give up what’s working well and brings you fun!
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