Three Things Thursday

1.  I'm getting seriously nervous about my Spartan Beast.  Like, nervous enough to not want to do it.  I think my biggest reason is because I'm going it ALONE, which I've never done in an obstacle race before.  Plus I got the entry for free (volunteering at a Spartan is worth it!), so I keep telling myself I'm not "losing" money, hehe.  But then again, we've already made camping reservations down there and I really need to put myself to work like I said I would and follow through.  I think I'd rather get my arse handed to me in the race than to chicken out and feel like a complete turd for the rest of the year.  So yeah, I guess I need to step it up this next month!

2.  I've been overeating again since hubby has been gone the past two weeks.  It's totally unhealthy and I know it, but unfortunately I'm just an emotional eater, always have been.  I'm working hard at making sure my late night snacks (my biggest problem area!) are at least healthy ones.  Last night I wanted Doritos.  Like, seriously neeeeded them.  Instead I had organic while grain chips with homemade salsa.  The chips were mostly just crunchy spoons for mass amounts of veggies, so it was a bit better and calmed my craving.  Look at the image below and see if you're an emotional eater like me.  If so, it's a hard habit to break but you can start by making changes in WHAT you eat.  Tonight I've reserved myself to red pepper slices and Korean black bean dip.  Because I know I'll do it, I might as well plan what I'm allowed to eat and go to bed feeling like less of a glutton.

3.  I just heard about another woman getting harassed while running alone.  At least she didn't get hurt, but it was still sexual harassment and quite scary, and I happen to know her personally.  Every time I hear another story like this (or way worse), I get more scared.  I know that many women runners try to stay "empowered" through it all and take back their strength, blah, blah, blah....but honestly, it just scares the bujeezus out of me.  I've got my running pepper spray for trail running, but I've mostly just cut out trail running completely if alone.  I now choose to stick with one of the two places that I know is always populated and safe, no matter how boring the scenery gets over time.  I'd rather be bored than possibly unsafe any day!  I never ever run in the dark, unless it's through a well-lit neighborhood and still during normal waking hours.  It will get harder as it gets dark earlier, but I don't really care.  I'll miss the miles if need be or cram them in on a dreadmill.  I know some of you don't have the latter option, but I really think that it's getting scarier out there for female runners, and we all need to know how to stay safe.  For me, it's being overly cautious to the point of paranoid.  But like I said, I'd rather be bored than hurt.  So as the darkness comes and the trails get less populated, start thinking of ways RIGHT NOW that you can keep yourself safe this fall/winter.  You'll be glad you did when the time comes!

Let me know how you stay safe while running.  It's always good to hear new ideas!