balance

This is kind of how I've been feeling about running lately. It's all about building a solid foundation (bonus points if that foundation involves a cat and a satsuma), especially after the disappointment of my last race.

I'm discovering that my weekly Pilates class is hugely helpful -- it's like I get realigned and rebuilt every Tuesday night. My teacher straightens my feet (no more running with my right foot turned out!), loosens my hips and asks me to exhale audibly. She has me roll up and down, vertebra by vertebra. It is slow work, and my abs get tired.

"One day you will wake up and surprise yourself," she says. "One day you will realize how much stronger you've become."

And so I'm waiting.