New Shoes Test, Going Outside and Attack of the Hair

I tried out my new running shoes today. I wanted to really like them. But I didn't. I felt like a horse clopping along. What are the rules to returning shoes? I've got 90 days, but I ran quite a bit in them. I had to get my run in! Guh, I dunno.

The other day, something that seems very depressing to me happened. No, not like a death or something like that. Just... let me explain. I had past my dad who had just woken up from falling asleep in front of the television. As I passed by I heard him say, "Wow, it's pretty hot out there today, isn't it?"

I paused. He had just woken up from a nap, he hadn't been outside. "Dad," I asked. "Have you been outside at all today?"

"Hm. I guess not. I just saw it say something on the weather channel."

Pictured: What nature feels like from the comfort of your home.

That? That depresses me. I know my dad is kind of a vampire (he burns to a crisp), but to spend the entire day in front of a TV, dozing off every few hours? What kind of life is that? Sure, he's an old man but that's just sad. Life was meant to be lived! At least step outside for a couple of minutes.

From that point, I made a little resolution for myself. Never spend an entire day indoors during a beautiful day. Why waste what nature has to offer? If I have a book, I'll read it outside. Maybe it'll inspire me to actually do more activities while outside. I just don't want to spend my live inside forever, wishing I could have spend more time in the sun.

In other news, my hair is getting ridiculous. If I don't push it to the side, I'm blinded by a sea of golden brown strands.


Sadly, this is the picture that looked the least like the girl from The Ring.

 I suppose it's good for covering the ever-growing brows. I just need to make a hair appointment.

What personal maintenance have you put off? Made any mini resolutions recently?

Running, Napping, and Safety

It's almost the weekend, and seeing how finals are coming up I'm not sure how I feel about that. Ooh boy.

This has been one weird week. Last night I managed to get to bed a half hour earlier than my usual, but I was so drowsy this afternoon I dozed off for a 45 minute impromtu power nap. It wasn't really the most expected thing, seeing as I was going to go for a run. The room mate walked in to see me drooling in my bed wearing a full workout outfit. This includes having my tennis shoes on. Let me repeat that: I fell asleep on my bed in tennis shoes. What is this?

Afterwards, I was able to get a pretty wicked run in. Running more miles than expected, but not feeling super sore from it? Aw yeah.

The times that I enjoy runs the most are when I start daydreaming about situations, scenarios, and making plans. On today's run, that meant going back to a daydreaming topic that I think about frequently. The question I ask myself is what I would talk about if I was a guest on Chelsea Lately.

...It ends up being a discussion on things that I'm interested in. And not being famous for reasons like Kim K.

One thing that sometimes comes up when I talk about running with people is safety. I've had some family members get uneasy when they hear about my adventures outside, worrying about people coming after me. Luckily, I know that where I run is really safe. No high crime rates, areas where people can see me. I also make sure that I run with my phone and identification, for the worst case scenarios. However like they always say, one can never be too careful. With this in mind, I received a certain gift from my mother: Pepper spray.
Now, I know that it's a good thing to have, but there's only one problem. I keep on forgetting it. Really, what's the use then? Thankfully, I keep remembering it earlier and earlier, so perhaps next time I will actually remember it before I run. I think this will be a reminder!

Oh goodness. Not ready for next week, and it's coming too soon! Night everyone!

What precautions do you take when exercising?