Long Run Report with Bonus Feature

Long Run Report:
Next Sunday is the 10 mile race. Yikes. Today I was supposed to do 8 which turned out to be only 7.47 because I guess my route wasn't long enough. Today's run was better than the last two weekend long runs. I felt better. I would have felt great if I would have finished today feeling like I had some left in the tank. 2.73 to be exact, but I think I will have it next weekend. I did feel better this run, and I was getting hungry and was thirsty around mile 6, so I am hoping that will better nutrition and a couple days rest before I'll be able to pull through. I'm just using this 10 mile as training for Grandma's 1/2 anyway. I will be doing 5 minute run/1 minute walk probably. I'm at a point where I don't have the base miles built up to cover that distance with stamina. I'll get there though. This is all good news because I feel like there is hope for the 10 miles next weekend. Last week there was none. This is good.

Bonus Feature:
I've read brief parts, heard about, talked with others about the book Skinny Bitch. I hate this book. I don't find anything humorous about the authors attitudes or the fact that they call the reader names. How is negativity supposed to get me motivated? I don't get it. One person's blog I read mentioned the fact that at least it's an easy read and entertaining and the in your face style get attention for the lifestyle they are trying to promote. Maybe I just hate it to argue because I hear people raving about it. That and I'll freely admit that I've never understood vegetarianism and sometimes we dislike what we don't understand. That's not a good way to be; I'll admit that too, but that's how it is and I something I need to work on.

BUT - I bought this book today called The Food Evolution - How your diet can help save your life and our world. I like it because the guy is promoting making choices that make us feel good about ourselves. He's promoting vegetarianism as a healthy lifestyle without any name calling (to the reader or the dairy/meat industry). He's says "I care whether you live in accordance with your values, whether your life has integrity and purpose, whether you act with compassion for yourself and for all life." I can certainly get behind that. I want to live a healthy lifestyle and I want to be a good steward of the environment. Because here's the thing. Do I like the fact that we consume so much chicken and beef that the industries have had to come up with ways to mass produce this product the cheapest way possible which I am sure is not in the animals best interest? No. But what about the 2-3 cows that my cousins raise each year and then take them to a local butcher and sells the meat to friends and family? I think there is a HUGE difference there and my conscience does not feel guilty about eating that meat. This book makes me feel like I can make good choices for my health and the environment and I get to choose what that means for me. Which I'm pretty sure will always include eating meat, but I might modify my diet based on what I learn. Who knows. So it turns out that I hate that other book because of the way it is written, not because of the ideas they are presenting. Which is a good thing, because I like to think that I am open to listening and learning regardless of whether I agree or not.

I like this book and I'm only on page 21. I just find it interesting and the author seems like he is writing from love, not from hate. Whether or not I ultimately agree with him, I respect his opinion much more because of that.