Our mom is on a fabulous vacation this week, so I have taken on her routine of phoning Grandma each morning on my way to work to check in on her and see what she's got planned for the day. She's always got something interesting to talk about, but each day also includes progress on her spring house cleaning. My thought was, spring just started on Monday, but Grandma is nearly finished with her cleaning...just the garage to go and she's waiting for a warm day so she can hose the floor. I haven't done much in the way of spring house cleaning yet, but chatting with Grandma usually inspires me to do one or two little things to declutter. My desk is actually looking pretty good! That got me thinking about running and how I could do a little spring cleaning on my running program to rejuvenate myself. I came up with these physical and mental items I could do: 1. Toss or donate any winter running clothing that is worn out, ill fitting or I just never wear. I know there are tights, shirts and gloves that have seen much better days. I will also look for sales on winter gear for next year. 2. Look through my old running shoes and keep only my current running shoes, one set for walking, one set for working outdoors and toss or donate the rest. I wear out my shoes fairly quickly, so the old ones can pile up without my noticing. 3. Check the calendar and be sure the races I have already registered for are written in and check the dates for other races I enjoy and see which ones might fit into our schedule this year. It's financially advantageous to choose and register early for the best prices. Sometimes we have three runners in a race, so saving $5 each adds up. 4. Decide on any training plans necessary for races and count back the weeks to be sure I get started on the right day. This sounds easy, but I am currently doing 21 weeks of a 20 week training plan because I failed to check the race date and count back accurately. I hope that repeating Week 9 is worth it! 5. Clear out the mental clutter. This might be much more difficult than discarding tights with holes in them...negative thoughts are as sticky as molasses, but making room in your mind for positive attitudes is crucial. My yoga instructor always tells us, "Don't judge it; just notice it." So if negative thoughts are running through your head, try not to give them life by engaging them; notice and let them go. I promise, this will be one of those housekeeping items that has to be done and redone on a regular basis like laundry and dishes. 6. Embrace an attitude of gratitude for the longer days and warmer weather. Our Minnesota seasons are short, so enjoy the one you are in today. Today is National Puppy Day. Charlie already celebrated with a 50 minute run this morning. He might be the most spoiled dog ever, but he's also a fun little companion. He had his checkup this week and the vet said his running program is good him...also that he is now full grown and should not gain any weight. Keep running and watch those treats, Charlie! Here's to hoping your running program is keeping you fit and healthy just like Charlie. Happy running! Missee
Care to Comment? What is the status of your spring house cleaning? Will you try any of our running-related cleaning tips this spring?
1 Comment
Stephanie
3/23/2017 04:39:40 pm
My spring housecleaning is usually done in the summer. I like your cleaning list #6. It's a great idea to embrace each season!🌷🌤
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AuthorMissee and Stephanie are two Minnesota sisters and moms who love to run. We are not experts in running, parenting or anything else, but we do have years of experiences that may be helpful or entertaining to others. Archives
May 2020
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