virtual reality run

November 16, 2009

i thought i’d do something a little different . . .
with this post! i worked half of a shift today from 10 am to 3 pm, and at 7:30 AM i realized that it was going to be either running or blogging — not both! the weather was a crisp 48 and it was blindingly sunny, so i just coulnd’t resist. i headed out.

BUT — instead of dry stats, i thought perhaps i’d try to share the run with you! the path that i frequent is so pretty, and i have grown to know and love its gentle slopes and curves. i’m a total creature of HABIT/ROUTINE (duh), so i actually love having one path that is ‘the usual.’ of course, i can add to it (like i did today) or subtract to alter the mileage, but it always begins and ends the same way!

i brought our flip video camera with me, since it’s super-light and easy to carry, and i stopped at a few key points. it probably detracted from the value of my workout a little, but hopefully it was worth it! here goes . . . a pictorial (and video!) tour of my AM chapel hill run routine. the goal: 8 miles at 10K pace + 40 seconds.

heading out! my sun-dappled street. i don’t have to contend with too much traffic here.


right near whole foods and trader joe’s (where i need to head shortly!)


a turn, and then it’s down this treelined street back to the booker creek trail

close to 2 miles in, i reach the booker creek path.

the path is about 0.8 miles from end to end, even though this sign says 0.85


i love this path!


into the ‘enchanted forest’ portion of our run. so much green . . .


and our naturalistic grand finale: some video!

i tried to capture more of the run on film, but i don’t have photo editing software that allows me to put multiple short clips together! you probably didn’t want to hear me much longer than a minute, anyway. excuse the odd pronunciation of ‘roll’ midway through. i sound part southern, part speech-impaired. i am neither.

the dry stats: 8 miles in 1:06:44, average 8:20 pace (with a few film-making stops along the way — and yes i stopped my watch!)

TO DO
☑ plan out this week’s dinners
☑ grocery shop
☑ read
☑ clean the bathroom
☑ take out trash
☑ get more sleep
☑ laundry
☑ catch up on top model

aaaaaaand, it’s already 5 pm. i guess i will have to triage. it’s like the ED all over again!

☑ plan out this week’s dinners – level 1
☑ grocery shop – level 1
☑ read – level 3
☑ clean the bathroom – level 3
☑ take out trash – level 1
☑ get more sleep – level 2
☑ laundry – level 4
☑ catch up on top modellevel 5. unfortunately.

maybe we’ll do a whole foods salad bar dinner / stock the kitchen trip. i actually really need a vegetable and vitamin infusion as i’ve been eating like a picky 13 year old, hence the highly prioritized shopping trip and meal planning. the couch is looking really tempting right now, though. ahhh . . . we’ll see!

7 Comments

  • Reply Kath March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    Can&#39t wait to run there with you!

  • Reply Carrie March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    I liked the photo tour! Do you usually run on concrete? Doesn&#39t it hurt your knees or ankles? I also liked your triage ranking for your to-do list, I&#39m going to try that next time I have a long list.

  • Reply sara March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    i hate to admit it because i live in beautiful California now, but gosh, your photos and descriptions of places in/around is really making me miss the east coast, NC especially!

  • Reply Anonymous March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    thank you for sharing!! that looks so amazingly lovely 🙂

    good call triage-ing your to-do list. although i might have to disagree with the antm placement 😉

  • Reply atilla March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    great blog wish I could run

  • Reply Susan March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    It looks so pretty there! Especially in the fall. 🙂 I love having a "usual" run where you can put on autopilot and get lost in the run. That was one of the hardest parts about moving…not having my routes that I&#39ve run on for a gazillion years!

  • Reply Denise March 10, 2019 at 7:28 pm

    Oh how I miss Chapel Hill! I was just thinking about the run I used to do there by East CH High School.

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