Life's Lessons

It has taken me 23 years to figure certain things out.

1. Follow the directions on a recipe. Just because all the ingredients end up together in the end doesn't mean you can just combine them as you wish. (I swear laws of physics or chemistry could prove this wrong but I guess cooking laws cannot be trumped!)

2. Even though cleaning always sucks, it is so much more fun to wear a tiara while doing so. I certainly feel better cleaning as "Princess Jo" instead of just "Jo". This amazing bat tiara on the right has a bat wand too! And it's only $5.95 from the oriental trading company - What a deal!

3. When in doubt use a comma. It is easier to justify using too many than not enough.

Ok, now on to the serious part of this post. There are 2 things I've learned in my 23 years involving running. Since I know we all struggle at times with staying motivated to run, I figured I would share what I've learned that helps.

1. Buy a really good pair of running shoes. By this I don't mean go and buy the most expensive shoe. Go to a running store that has people trained to examine your running style and the build of your feet. Also, make sure they have a treadmill in the store. The Boulder Running Company is an example of one such store. They aren't the kind of store where you browse their selection and pick which shoes you want to try on. Instead, they examine your feet and running style (by video taping how you plant your feet as you run on their treadmill) and bring out shoes that work for the way you run, i.e. pronating, extra support, etc. While the shoes they bring out might not always be the ones you would pick off the shelf, I promise you that much of the pain you experience now will disappear when you have the right shoes on your feet instead of the prettiest ones, which in turn will keep your motivation level up.

2. What you listen to can make a big difference in your run. I have found that listening to books on tape are great. #1 your mind can't think about being tired or sore if you are focused on the story, and #2 you are killing 2 birds with 1 stone - reading and running! I haven't tried just any book on tape to run to. I like to listen to self help books like "For All Eternity" by Dr. Lund and "Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage" by Dr. Laura. Since I run in the morning, I'm hearing great ways to be a better wife so it's in my head all day and can use it instead of reading before bed and forgetting it the next day. So really you are killing 3 birds with 1 stone. Running, reading, and strengthening your marriage! For those times when you just have to listen to music, I have one word for you. . . Yanni! Remember him?


Who could forget?
Well, I really enjoy running to his music. It helps me to relax when I run which makes it more enjoyable. A word of caution, don't just listen to any song. Pick the ones that have a quicker tempo otherwise you end up running a 20 min mile!

Hope this helps! Also, if anyone has any other suggestions I'd love to hear them. Happy Running!