Day 26

Had a great 2 and 1/2 mile run this morning! I woke up thinking it was not going to be a good run because I woke up with a cold and an insanely stuffed nose. I still ran anyways and the running actually cleared my nose up a little bit. For the entire run, I was very focused on my breathing. I did not get a single side stitch and maintained control of my breathing to the point where I was not out of breath running. Although it takes a lot more mental effort to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth, it is a much more effective way of controlling breathing when running. About a half mile into the run, Jen yelled at me from behind and right as I turned around, 2 deer were bounding across the road. It was really cool. I don't think I have ever seen deer on campus before. As I was running today, I also realized how much I enjoy the abundance of snails even though I have to watch out and avoid stepping on them. I did accidentally step on 1 today though and I felt really bad. I feel like they greet me every morning I run and encourage me to keep going, even though they are just sliming around on the pavement. It really was a great feeling run this morning. Picked up my spirits from this week a little bit. I have also realized how much I love taking off my shoes after I run. The feeling of scrunching your toes and stretching them out is incredible. It may sound weird, but I don't really know how to describe it. And last thing for the day, this little tree frog was waiting at my door for me when I got back from running. He is super cute. Here is a picture because I think he was really neat looking!