Addicted to Sunshine!

Spring is finally here!  Today was an absolutely beautiful day in Tacoma.  Blue skies, the temperature was around 60 degrees and just a light breeze.  I was really glad that I had the day off from work and was planning a 6 mile run in the afternoon!  And get this one- I actually wore a TANK TOP to run in and my running skirt with my new compression shorts underneath.  And my new running hat which I am loving (although I think I look like a dork in a hat, but whatever) kept the sun off of my face perfectly.  I was not too hot or too cold the entire run and the sun felt sooo good.  Nothing like a good dose of Vitamin D to go with your runner's high right??? 

I ran down on the waterfront and it was really busy down there.  Which is kind of cool because it means lots of people took advantage of our nice weather, but dodging dogs and strollers and skate boarders was an added challenge that didn't really occur to me.  Oh well, I had the added bonus of people watching while I ran!  I originally had planned to attempt an 8-8:30ish pace, but once I started running I could feel that was not going to happen.  My legs were heavy and for some reason my breathing was not that great either.  So I adjusted and decided to just keep it under 9 as best as I could.  Total time was 53:26 for a pace of 8:53.  Not too shabby.  I had also done a boxing class a few hours earlier at the gym so maybe that contributed to my heavy legs.

Some things I am addicted to right now:   sunshine, kiwis, strawberries, peanut butter, tomato soup, dove promises dark chocolates with almonds (what?  they have cute little sayings inside!), magazines, books about running, foam rollers, running, scrabble, coffee and Adele's new CD (which I play a minimum of 2 times every shift I work). 

I also forgot to mention what happened to me last Friday at soccer.  Now I am fully aware that playing the keeper position on a coed adult league is probably not the ideal position for a girl to play.  Guys definitely kick the ball hard, and some girls do as well and it is my job to stop the ball with my body parts.  I get that, and for the most part feel like I do a decent job considering I just kind of said "hey, I am going to play goalie" and then got in the box without any sort of practice.  People tell me I do a good job, including the other teams so I guess at the very least I don't suck at it! 

So last Friday the team we were playing were short on some players and we had some extras so we gave them 4 people, one of which was my good pal Ray.  He tends to get a bit frantic when he has the ball and his main objective was to score a goal on me.  Which he did (twice I think) and then about 8 minutes into the second half of the game Ray comes down towards me, gets the ball and just hoofs it right towards my face.  I put my hands up but the ball sailed through and basically clocked me square in the jaw.  I believe I yelled something along the lines of "Ray I am going to kick your ass later!" 

Darrell (the ref) asked if I was ok so I did a quick check for blood since it felt like I had bit my lip really hard.  It seemed like I was fine so I told him to play.  Then all of a sudden a headache set over me and I realized that my jaw felt misaligned and HURT really bad.  I don't like to be a wimp so I tried to just suck it up but it was actually messing with my vision so I figured I should probably get out of the goal box.  Jaime took over for me and I took some ibuprofren and ended up having a good cry session.  I just couldn't help it, the tears would not stop!  Ugh, I hate crying in front of people.  Once I got myself under control I did what anyone else would do- went out to play the field a bit!  I couldn't just sit and watch the last 10 minutes of the game!  Overall we had a tied up game 7-7.

I have never in my life been hit so hard like that in the face.  I think I saw stars and my jaw hurt up until yesterday.  How in the world do boxers stand to feel like that all the time?  Ray told me I should stop being keeper.  I told him he should work on his aim a little bit.  Why would you kick it straight at the goalie?  At least I stopped the ball - even if it was with my FACE!