I’M SO EXCITED, I’M SO EXCITED, I’M SO…

EXCIIIIIIIIIIIIIITED.

Here is something you should know about me (how many times have I said this? I should make a post about me and this phrase): I get really excited about things. I’m either really excited about something, or it doesn’t interest me at all. I have no middle ground. And you’ll know when I’m excited because it goes something like this:

Person: (mentions something that I am into)

Me: OH MY GOD OH MY GOD (proceeds to talk about it for fifteen minutes while person eyes all available exits)

Or, alternately, via email or text:

Person: (mentions something that I am into)

Me: OH MY GOD OH MY GOD (proceeds to talk about it for 70 texts/30 paragraphs)

I force everyone I know into reading a book I love (most recently, Making Faces by Amy Harmon) or a show I’m obsessed with (The Fall. Oh my god, I am serious, this show is the. Best. EVER.) I bug them until I know they have started it. I demand regular updates. I want to have in-depth discussions about plot points and characters. I abuse caps lock more than Kanye West. When I latch on to something, I worry over it and obsess and think about it and, if I’m being honest, neglect everything else until my obsession runs its course. I know no other way of living. It’s intense, but it’s how I do.

Lately, my excitement cup has been runnething over. The other day, I was so amped up about so many different things that I was exhausted by midday. I wish I was joking. Sometimes, the only way to relieve myself of all of this excitement is to share it with people. And that, my people, is what I am doing today.

Right now.

Top things I am excited about.

It’s happening.

Buckle up.

Enjoy the ride.

1. The Disneyland Half MarathonNow I know I said in my last post that running is boring, and I stand by that because, despite your amazing tips, I still want to fling myself off the treadmill every time I’m on it. However! This is not just running. This is FOUR DAYS WITH TWO OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE! It’s Disneyland! It’s carbo-loading! I love carbs and Disneyland and favorite people! My excitement for this is off. The. Charts. Cannot. Handle.

2. Beyonce and Jay-Z’s concert. You guys. I am attending this very special show tonight and it’s unlikely that I will leave AT&T Park the same person. Mister Jess scored us 6th row tickets, which means that Queen Bey and I will likely be sharing the same air particles. I spent the entire day at work yesterday asking all of my co-workers if A) they were attending (answer: yes) and B) if they were emotionally and mentally prepared for this spectacle (answer: no). ME NEITHER.

3. Mark Ruffalo. Generally as a human being, I find him delightful. However, he had a most adorable kinda-run in with Paul Rudd at Comic Con that I still can’t watch without literally clawing at my face because I can’t deal with how adorable it is. You can watch the video at Popsugar.

I mean. Come on.

Gif credit: Popsugar

Gif credit: Popsugar

4.  Soccer. Yep. Still obsessed.  Mister Jess and I went to see Real Madrid (my favorite team) play Inter Milan. Despite the fact that they lost (womp), my favorite player wasn’t there (EXTRA WOMP, #14), and it was miserably hot trying to get into the stadium (can’t even talk about it), it was amazing seeing a professional game in person. The love affair STILL isn’t over, futbol.

That's a beaut.

That’s a beaut.

5. Baseball. We are an Oakland Athletics family. Actually, first and foremost we are a Cubs family, but the A’s are near and dear to our hearts, too. This year they are gunning for the World Series, and by god, they just might do it. The excitement in our home is PALPABLE, people. Expect to hear our screams of joy if when they win.

Also, baseball stadium food is delicious, which is the only reason I attend Giants games (I don’t say this to other locals, for fear of being shouted at/smacked). The view’s not too shabby, either.

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6. The Fall. Seriously. Please watch it. Netflix. Do it. It’s amazing. Do it.

What are you currently excited about? Tell me so that maybe I can become obsessed with it, too. Clearly I don’t have enough on my list. 

Run DMZzzzzzzzz

Now that I’m back in the swing of things and training full speed for the Disneyland Half Marathon – which, by the way, is a mere 49 days away – I have had what some people (namely, me) would call an epiphany.

Running is hellllllllla boring.

I know some people love it. In fact, I’m sure some of you reading this are, like, “aca-scuse me? Running is awesome. It’s great!”

No.

I’ve never been super gung-ho about running, to be honest. I started doing it because all my friends were and I’m a total sheep (I’ve talked about this before, I’m sure). This is just how my personality works: if other people are into something, I push past them in line and yell, “I WANT IT. I WANT IT. WHAT IS IT?” That’s why I have a closet full of things with the tags still on them. It’s why I have a bathroom closet overflowing with various makeup goodies. And it’s why I started running.

At first I’d just run a mile or two and call it good. I was only training for 5ks, so I didn’t have to worry about those longer distances. And that was boring enough, you know? I’d be running in my ‘hood or at Crissy Field, checking my Garmin every two minutes to see when I could stop. But now that I’m starting to run longer distances – the 5 miles I ran last weekend is the longest I’ve run at one time – I’m just…BORED. SO BORED.

I have tried various techniques to distract myself, including music, TV, story plotting, and bribery (i.e., get to five miles and you can go get yourself a latte, superstar). None of these things really work, sad to say.

Mister Jess and I were talking about this the other day when we were at the gym together, and he said that running is 90% mental. I’ve heard that before and now I know it’s completely true. My body is fully capable of clocking those miles. It’s my mind that’s my enemy: the can we stop yet, can we stop yet, can we stop yet, are we there yet mantra is constant and distracting. I’m continually trying to find ways to shut it up or tune it out.

The good news (I think) is that when it’s time for me to run the Disneyland Half Marathon, I’ll be with Meridith and Cam. I’m sure they’ll be the ultimate distraction while we’re running 13.1 miles (HOW WILL I DO THIS?!).

In the meantime, as always, I’m looking for advice. How do you keep the running boredom at bay? Is it as impossible, or am I just approaching it the wrong way? Talk to me in the comments!

A Day in the Life: Jess

Welcome to my exciting day in the life! It began with waking up. Always a good sign. Some other things happened after I woke up, including:

  • My child woke up (ready to party)
  • My husband woke up
  • We all ran around
  • There was a little getting-myself-ready action
  • There was a lot of getting-Bug-ready action
  • There was a LOT of sweating from getting-Bug-ready action
  • No pictures were taken during this time because it was too hectic, but trust me, it all happened
  • As per usual, our morning routine ended with running for the cable car to get Bug to daycare!
An old picture of cable car cuteness.

An old picture of cable car cuteness.

Once I sweated my way down three or four hills with Bug and dropped him off at daycare, I headed down a few other hills (THIS CITY IS ONE VERY LARGE HILL) to wait for the bus.

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Dear MUNI, are you there? It's me, Jessica.

Dear MUNI, are you there? It’s me, Jessica.

 

 

Then it was off to the second day of a two-day off-site meeting for new managers, put on by my company’s parent company. Follow that? Me neither. It’s okay!

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Notes, an iPhone and coffee. Not much else a girl needs, am I right? I spent the first part of the morning learning about business-y/manager-y things, but there was the small matter of USA playing Germany in the World Cup, which NBD. EXCEPT VERY BIG DEAL. Thankfully, my friend Heidi was kind enough to text me updates throughout the game.

I got overstimulated by emojis.

I got overstimulated by emojis.

Also thankfully, our first break of the day coincided with the end of the game, so we crowded around someone’s iPad to see the last four minutes and confirm that – phew – the US was indeed going through to the knockout round! Victory! America!

It's okay, America! You still made it!

It’s okay, America! You still made it!

It should be noted that I had no idea I liked soccer until the World Cup. But it’s great. It makes me sweat and feel like I am on the verge of death due to stress whenever I watch it. What a time to be alive!

More business-y/manager-y things happened after lunch, and then we were lucky enough to sit through a presentation about the history and making of champagne (yesterday, the CEO of a beauty brand presented to us, as well as a luxury retailer. Kind of a jackpot situation). Did you know that champagne (champay-nyuh if you are French) can only be called such if it’s made in the Champagne region of France? It’s true. Fascinating stuff. I feel so lucky to work for a company that puts on events like this for their employees. I learned so much!

And drank champagne. I mean,whatever.

So delicious, I can't even.

So delicious, I can’t even.

After a networking happy hour, it was off to my humble abode to see my precious family, after a pit stop to pick up some dinner for myself. Had to absorb the champay-nyuh somehow.

Ah, the bus. We meet again. It was packed. Hopefully you can pick up the vibe here – I didn’t want to take a picture of faces because generally strangers frown upon that. Weird.

Was digging this girl's bag, too.

Was digging this girl’s bag, too.

Hello, family!

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Literally so excited to see me.

Literally so excited to see me.

Before I dug into my food, I picked up after said precious family, because that’s what moms are for.

The before:

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Surrounded by barbarians.

 

And the after:

Moms get stuff done.

Moms get stuff done.

FOOOOOOOOD from one of my favorite Mexican places nearby.

Me: "Hey food, be delicious." Food: "OKAY!"

Me: “Hey food, be delicious.” Food: “OKAY!”

Tried to shake off this little vulture, but he was persistent so I caved and gave him some morsels.

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Then we moved on to the Get Bug to Sleep portion of the evening, which typically includes a bath (not pictured for obvious reasons), some playtime, milk and PJs and then crib city.

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And that brings us to now, when I’m stretched out in bed, and will be ending the evening with some intense reading.

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And that’s all she (I) wrote! I wish I could share the noise of the ambulance that seems to be driving right through my bedroom right now, but alas. You will have to imagine it.

So! Are you Team USA or Team USA? Who’s tuning in for the match against Ghana on Tuesday? Who’s your favorite player?

*chants* I believe that we will win! 

 

Back in the (Running) Saddle

After a several-week hiatus due to some asthma ridiculousness, I’m back to training for the Disneyland Half Marathon. What whaaaat.

No, seriously, WHAT WHAT?!

I’m so behind in training that I’m a little paralyzed about how to get back on track. I should have run 8 miles this weekend in order to be up-to-date, but instead ran about 2. The good news: Mister Jess and I are signing up for a gym so I won’t have to drag myself up the hills of San Francisco, muttering expletives to myself the whole way. The bad news: …hmm. Yeah, I’m still behind.

I have 65 days left to train, people. 

Now, I know this doesn’t seem like a super dire situation, but since I’m running with Cam and Mer, I want to make sure that I’m not going to be holding them back (I can hear them saying, “no no no, you’re not going to hold us back, it’ll be fun no matter what, yay team!” right now). And I definitely don’t want to have a miserable time along the course because I didn’t get my ess (that’s shit in short-hand) together. Also, I’ve never run a race longer than a 5k, so I am kind. Of. Freaking. Out. Here.

Part of me thinks I should just try to quickly catch up to the longer weekend runs I’m supposed to be doing. However, I’m enough of a running novice to know that I’ll probably end up injuring myself doing that, and then my whole fun weekend and half-marathon-finisher status thing is a moot point.

So, here I am asking you all for advice once again. In times of question, I either run to Google or you super-smart peeps. How can I get back on my half training track by August 31st? Talk to me in the comments! 

See Jess Run: Volume 3

Okay, admittedly, perhaps this playlist should be titled “See Jess NOT Run.” Unfortunately, I’m having a wee bit o’ the asthma flare-up, so I haven’t been training. With any luck, that will be turning around this week, but I have been feeling pretty guilty about my lack of running.

In that vein (and also since I don’t have much running-related things to share this week), I decided to make a guilty pleasure playlist. You know what I’m talking about: it’s the reason you’d tackle someone if they tried to steal your iPod and browse through your downloaded songs. This playlist includes the kind of songs where, the first time you hear it on the radio, you say to yourself, “Ugh, what IS this?” But by the fourth or tenth or twentieth listen, you’re singing along to lyrics you didn’t even know you knew. For any of you who have seen Easy A, it’s the playlist equivalent of “Pocketful of Sunshine.”

Please note that my sharing of this playlist required a lot of courage on my part.

[8tracks width=”300″ height=”250″ playops=”” url=”http://8tracks.com/mixes/4222098″]

P.S. Please ALSO note that it took everything in me to include Backstreet Boys in this playlist, because I am strictly *NSYNC. But I mean…As Long As You Love Me is really good. I guess.

So now you know my musical secrets and shame. In return, I want to know what your guilty pleasure song is. Tell me in the comments! 

I Like Good Books and I Cannot Lie

“She had always wanted words, she loved them; grew up on them. Words gave her clarity, brought reason, shape.” 

The above quote is from The English Patient, but I’m convinced Michael Ondaatje wrote it about me.

This is, perhaps, the most important thing you should know about me: I love words. I always have. As soon as I grasped language and  reading, as soon as I understood the enchantment of books, I was lost to them. I read voraciously as soon as I was able: Dr. Seuss books (all of which Bug now has in his room. Vintage!), Shel Silverstein, Lois Lowry and C.S. Lewis and the list goes on and on and on. I loved diving into different worlds. How cool was it that one minute I was me, a super-cool kid with kickin’ style, and then the next I was a girl in search of dragons? That is the absolute magic of  books: that through the power of words and imagination, you can be whoever you want to be.

To this day, you’re more likely to find me with my nose in a book (or a Kindle, despite my fervent belief that it takes away from the purity of reading. Where’s the book smell?!) than glued to the television. Being in a library or book store borders on a religious experience for me. Growing up, I spent many a weekend curled up in the corner of either. Ain’t no party like a library party, ’cause a library party won’t STOP.

You’re probably starting to understand just how cool I am. But that’s what being surrounded by books does to me. I’m taken in by the smell of bound paper, by row after row after row of books, all of them teeming with their own lives, with unique worlds that are just waiting to be discovered.

All the books hanging out at the famous City Lights Bookstore. This place is magic.

All the books hanging out at the famous City Lights Bookstore. This place is magic.

THE SHELVES ARE ALIIIIIVE, WITH THE SOUND OF WOOOORLDS (I tried).

THE SHELVES ARE ALIIIIIVE, WITH THE SOUND OF WOOOORLDS (I tried).

The community bulletin board, where people shout out their favorite poets. I loved this one.

The community bulletin board, where people shout out their favorite poets. I loved this one.

The past couple of weeks, I’ve been caught up in the voracious kind of reading that I used to do pre-Bug. The kind where I’m sneaking off during my lunch break and hiding in bathrooms just so I can get through a few more pages. The kind where I’m staying up late just to finish this page – well, the chapter’s almost over, can’t stop, won’t stop – oh, this is an odd-numbered page and I hate odd numbers, gotta keep going – wait, how is it MIDNIGHT? That kind of reading. The swept-up-into-a-world kind of reading. The BEST kind of reading.

Meri, Brooke, Bec and I have been texting constantly on this subject lately. And the bonus to all of this reading? It inspires my writing. It gets me daydreaming while I’m running, which is an awesome distraction on those brutal hills (there, now this isn’t completely off topic).

I might not be naughty by nature, but I’m a sharer by nature, so for all of you fellow bookworms, these are the books I gobbled up recently. Note: I have book boyfriends in each of these.

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

This is the second book in the series – the first is Daughter of Smoke & Bone. Let me tell you: this is one of the most gorgeously written, inspired and creatively told series I’ve ever read. The world Laini Taylor built, the sheer magic of it, is just beyond. I’m not usually into fantasy, but this is the stuff right here. It transcends genre preferences due to sheer perfection.

Book boyfriend: Akiva

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

The third and final book in the Smoke & Bone series. My heart! Seriously, READ THIS SERIES. And then let’s talk about it.

Book boyfriend: Akiva (again and forever)

We Were Liars by e. lockhart

This was a recommendation from Brooke. I blazed through this one in a few hours. It reads effortlessly and is super brilliantly written. I can’t say too much about it without giving things away, but read it. Read it. Read it.

Book boyfriend: Gat

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

This is the first in a three-part series and, again, sort of in the fantasy realm. Also again, a very engrossing and beautifully written start to the series. The second book, called The Dream Thieves (book boyfriend: Ronan), is also top-notch.

Book boyfriend: Gansey

Lola & The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (a re-read)

It’s set in San Francisco, so I had no choice but to like it. The reasons for loving this book were A) Cricket Bell (book boyfriend) and B) Lola’s dads, whom Stephanie Perkins wrote as beautifully well-rounded people rather than a rubber-band ball of stereotypes.

There were some fluffy romance novels mixed in there, too, but these have been the ones to stick with me recently.

And now I’m left yearning for more words to gobble.

So! Recommendations for what to read next (I promise I read books that aren’t young adult, too)? Have you read any of these books and want to discuss? My part of the discussion will probably involves ALL CAPS. Let’s talk in the comments!

In Pictures: Disneyland Half Training, Day 1!

In my post last week, I asked for advice on half marathon training programs and got some amazing advice. Which, let’s be honest, I was totally expecting because you all are the shizz. So, thanks to your advice and specifically to Juliana for hooking me up with a runDisney plan that is perfect for me, I set out Tuesday night to conquer Day 1. I put Bug to bed at 7, laced up my sneaks, and hit the city streets!

As a runner (I use that term loosely) (for now), I love and hate training in San Francisco. Quite obviously, it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Truly. I couldn’t ask for better scenery. But the f&%king hills, you guys! Oy vey. My runs are usually planned around avoiding the steepest ones, but inevitably I always end up having to climb at least one. Still, my run last night was more of a fast walk, so the hills were conquerable.

And because San Francisco is so stunningly gorgeous, especially last night when it was in the low 70s at twilight, I had to snap some pictures and share my route!

Ready to rock with Weezer!

Ready to rock with Weezer!

Excuse the blurriness of the above picture. I took it fast because I was afraid a neighbor was going to catch me selfie-ing.

Forget Weezer, Britney was the name of the game.

Forget Weezer, Britney was the name of the game.

 

These are the kind of hills I like: the ones that go down.

These are the kind of hills I like: the ones that go down. But seriously, look at this steep-ass hill. 

Runners! Hello, fellow runners!

Runners! Hello, fellow runners!

I love these houses. They could be mine for a mere something-million dollars.  I like to dream whilst I run.

I love these houses. They could be mine for a mere something-million dollars. I like to dream whilst I run.

 

Now, I will admit to making a pit-stop at two places: Walgreens, so I could get some water, and Bob’s Donuts, to pick up a donut for Mister Jess. I was wondering why he was so eager for me to go running until he said, “Hey, while you’re out…” But I am so committed to my training that I didn’t even get a donut for myself.

How stupid awesome am I?

Mmm, donuts.

Mmm, donuts.

 

A hill going the wrong way.

A hill going the wrong way.

Another hill going the wrong way. What's with all of these up hills?

Another hill going the wrong way. What’s with all of these up hills?

And finally, after about 40 minutes, I arrived home safe and sound from the streets of San Francisco.

Celebrating with my friend, the creepy cherub.

Celebrating with my friend, the creepy cherub.

I even had enough energy for a Katy Perry dance party in the elevator. Gotta love those endorphins!

My next run is tonight – another 30 minutes – and then Saturday I’ll run 2 miles. While 13.1 still feels incredibly daunting, I’m excited to have a plan in place. I’m ready to rock it!

Do you have a favorite route you run? Do you prefer out in the world or indoors? What’s your favorite donut? Tell me about it in the comments! 

Oh, Yeah, I Signed Up For a Half Marathon

I’m running a half marathon at the end of August. That’s four months from now.

Yes, I know you all know this. I just need to remind myself. I seem to have forgotten, just a little bit.

I’m a little stressed out. Being a full-time mom and a full-time employee leaves me very little time to do anything that is just for me. That includes, but is not limited to: eating at any speed slower than breakneck; sitting down; laying down; sleeping; and, of course, exercise.

I know I sound totally whiny. I feel whiny. I am whiny. But there just aren’t enough hours in the day to do what I need – and want! – to do.

That said, I spent a lot of money to participate in the Disneyland Half Marathon, so I need to set aside my lack of time and my stress and figure out a game plan. So far, my game plan looks like this:

1. Start running.

Look at me go!

Look at me go!

….

Aaaaaaand that’s it. It’s a little overwhelming in its simplicity, I know. In the interest of getting my butt in gear, Mister Jess has offered to create a training calendar for me so that I can see what I need to do each day in order to complete my ultimate goal. Which is, in case you’ve forgotten (because I have!), the half marathon. But that means I need to have a training schedule, and after doing an informal poll on Facebook as well as a Google search, I did gather some great information on what training programs have worked for my half marathon-finishing friends.

But, of course, in true me fashion, I want to throw it out to you Scoot readers, too, because you are a font of information! So here it goes:

What program have you used to train for a half marathon? Loved it? Tell me all about it! And give me a kick in the pants for motivation while you’re at it. 

 

 

Finding Balance on the Scale

The scale and I have been having a disagreement lately. I get on it in the morning and it gives me a number I don’t like. I give it a look, eat my way through the day, and then get back on it at night. It still gives me a number I don’t like. Rinse and repeat for the past two months. That number really isn’t budging. It’s frustrating. It’s irritating. It’s disappointing, even.

I’ve been slender for my entire life. Before I had Bug, my metabolism was epic. If I gained a couple pounds and was unhappy about it, all I had to do was cut back on my calories for a few days and I’d settle back into my happy zone. I ate what I wanted for the most part. Didn’t have to exercise all that much to maintain a slim, not-too-squishy build. I had a flat stomach! And guess what? I still complained about my weight. I still looked in the mirror and thought “hmm. Not good enough.”

So maybe the problem isn’t my weight. Maybe my real problem is that I am never satisfied with my body. This body, which has carried me through 31 years of life and given me a crazy-amazing kid and kept me healthy, is still a disappointment to me. And I think it’s okay to feel uncomfortable when your weight creeps up to a higher number than you’re used to, or want. But the fact that I weigh myself, on average, 2 to 3 times a day sets off alarm bells in my head. It puts me in the danger zone. It means that I hear words like “thigh gap” and “ideal build” and think that my body, for everything it’s done for me, isn’t good enough. That my body, when it’s not perfect, makes me somehow less than. It’s not true, but it feels true.

I think about how I, a fairly reasonable adult who has the maturity to understand on some intellectual level that my weight and how I look doesn’t define who I am as a human being,  struggle with this problem on a daily basis and I’m a little befuddled. I have thighs that jiggle. I’ve got a booty on me (look out, JLo, I’m coming for you). My stomach is soft and I have to hike up my jeans when I sit down so my little pooch doesn’t flap over my waistband. I’m carrying around 10 extra pounds that I’d love to take a hike. But that doesn’t mean that I’m not a rad person. I totally get that, and yet I don’t. I look in the mirror and think “ugh.”

Then and now (this was not fun to post).

Then and now (this is not fun to post).

This is not just my struggle. I love and hate that I’m not alone thinking these things. And I’m using Scoot as my diary today because I think that speaking these fearful thoughts out loud gives them less power. Also, I’m not going to turn down a pep talk or a “me, too” from you wonderful, kind readers.

I am working on living a healthier life. I hope that by default that sort of squashes the argument between me and my scale; I hate when we fight. But I know at the end of the day, the argument is really one-sided. It’s just giving me the facts. I’m the one who’s skewing them. I’m the one who’s making them uglier than they need to be.

Anyone else out there who feels the way I do? Or do you have some advice for me? Let’s talk it out in the comments. 

Slowin’ My Roll

The other day I had some extra time before work, so I decided to go for a run along Crissy Field. Which, by the way, is easily one of the most idyllic runs in San Francisco.

I mean, seriously.

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Seriously.

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At any rate, I fired up my RunKeeper app to keep track of my distance and pace. I decided to do a mix of running and walking since I’m trying to ease myself back into running (it’s been a while). Once I was warmed up and jogging, I decided to check my pace and was really surprised at what I saw.

I was running a 9:45 minute mile. Say wha?!

Now, I will admit that when I was running on the regular, I was averaging at around 10:30 per mile. But I did notice that if I wasn’t paying attention and really pacing myself, I would speed it up to a sub-10 minute mile. The problem with that is I 100% cannot sustain that pace. My body is like “hey, actually this is effing hard and if you don’t slow your roll soon I am going to cramp so hard on you.”

I am, of course, thinking ahead to the Disneyland Half in August and how I will need to sustain a reasonable pace for 13.1 miles (that sound you hear is me crying a little bit, thinking of running that many miles). I know for a fact that my reasonable pace is NOT sub-10 minutes. However, my body just seems to automatically click into that faster pace when I go for runs.

So, this is where I ask you, wonderfully informative and smart Scoot readers, for your advice on the matter. How do I force myself to slow down? My goal is an 11-minute mile, which I think – or maybe HOPE – is sustainable throughout the half in August.

Help! Give me some tips on how to slow my roll in the comments. And tell me what your ideal pace is while you’re at it.