Penny Thoughtful: All Things Books and Running

  • GVRAT1000k Week 11 – I’m a RAT!

    GVRAT1000k Week 11 – I’m a RAT!

    Monday, 73 minutes, 8.08 miles (3.31 miles walking)Summer has for sure arrived because even early morning runs mean running in high 70s, low 80s temperatures and high humidity. Mom and I talked for a while on this run which tends to slow the pace down a little and helps keep my effort honest. I look…

  • Refusing to Stay Silent

    Refusing to Stay Silent

    In this cultural moment, a lot of my focus has turned to speaking up for racial equity, towards learning how to become a better ally and hot to use my white privilege to effect as much change as I can. Last week the media I consumed both visual with a couple Netflix documentaries and written…

  • GVRAT1000k Week 10 – Chasing the BAT

    GVRAT1000k Week 10 – Chasing the BAT

    I may or may not try to get all the way back across Tennessee (BAT). Monday, 73 minutes, 8.13 miles (2.31 miles walking)Mom had an early-ish appointment so I offered to spend the night at their house and run in their subdivision. I loved getting started early and heading out at a reasonable pace throughout…

  • Birthday Thoughts – Mine and the Country’s

    Birthday Thoughts – Mine and the Country’s

    On Saturday, I turned 35. My birthday has always been a national holiday full of summer fun, flag waving, and patriotic declarations of freedom. Obviously, this year brought a whole lot more to the table with the global pandemic and growing awareness of continued racial inequity in the United States and across the world. As…

  • GVRAT1000k Week 9 – The One with the Birthday

    GVRAT1000k Week 9 – The One with the Birthday

    Monday, 73 minutes, 8.25 miles (2.44 miles walking)Mom came over and we ran in the morning, not quite as early as I would like but still with cooler temperatures than 3 in the afternoon. Of course, that still meant running with the temps in the high 70s and making sure to bring hydration along but…

  • Thoughts on White Fragility

    Thoughts on White Fragility

    I mentioned before that I planned to write an in-depth review of Robin DiAngelo’s book. Now that I have finished the book and have pushed myself to apply the concepts I have learned, I have chosen to not dive into a deep review of the book. Not only do I not have the skills to…

  • GVART1000k Week 8 – Feeling the Marathon Bug

    GVART1000k Week 8 – Feeling the Marathon Bug

    Monday, 73 minutes, 8.12 miles, (2.15 miles walking)I had a morning ART appointment which got my hips back aligned. They shift normally which is why I go for regular maintenance but all these extra miles lately made a difference. I could definitely feel the difference as I ran. The mechanics felt great. Leg turnover felt…

  • Throwback Travelogues – London Day 5: 2 Castles Run 10k recap

    Throwback Travelogues – London Day 5: 2 Castles Run 10k recap

    2020 Jen – I did not do much touring on this day for reasons I explain throughout the post. I clearly have learned so much more with travel and most definitely with running. I got to mark another item off my bucket list by running a race in England. I went into the race with…

  • Monuments, their Historiographical Role

    Monuments, their Historiographical Role

    Once again, monuments, specifically Civil War related monuments, have come under fire with many of these monuments torn down, defaced, or scheduled for removal. Opponents to the removals cry out that taking down these monuments erases history. Ask any historian and they will wholeheartedly dispute that charge. To fully understand the place of monuments in…

  • GVART1000k Week 7 – Embrace the Streak

    GVART1000k Week 7 – Embrace the Streak

    Monday, 73 minutes, 8.21 miles (2.13 miles walking)What an AMAZING run.I have no idea what one thing made the difference, the temperature, staying hydrated, or my amazing new shirt but I felt so strong.My heart rate never got up too high. The hills felt challenging but not killer. Then at the end of the run…

Got any book recommendations?