I was late getting to packet pickup, to the race, to everything… It was like my head wasn’t in the race and when I finally got my bib and started to pin it on my racing tank, I realized that I didn’t even have a shirt with me and I was going to have to race in my sports bra.
I looked around and finally found an old granary next to the starting line where I could duck in and change into what running clothes I had with me. Inside the dusty building I could smell the aroma of grain that instantly took me back our family farm and my childhood. As I lifted one leg to slip on my shorts, a tiny feral kitten jumped up and grasped my bare leg with his sharp little claws. As he slid down my leg, my flesh opened like little razors had sliced through it causing rivulets of blood to drip toward my feet. When I switched and lifted the other leg, another kitten repeated the same mischievous actions as the first.
As I turned toward a sound in the doorway, someone dressed much like a character from the Game of Thrones walked past, ignoring the kittens and me. Just as he was about to exit out the door on the other side of the building, he turned and said, “You’d better hurry. The race is about to start.”
Back outside, I lined up for the race far too close to the starting line for my current racing pace. I looked down at my blood-covered legs and realized that I’d left my shoes in the old farm building, but didn’t have time to retrieve them before the race started. Somehow, I was going to have to race in flip-flops…
Less than a week later, I was toeing the starting line of yet another race while wearing thick fluffy socks suited more appropriately for lounging in front of a warm fireplace. The bulky socks barely fit into my running shoes and made me question why I’d worn them instead of my usual running socks. My thick cotton tee was getting heavier by the minute as a steady rain started to fall. With each raindrop my hair frizzed a little more into a curly mess and I cursed myself for leaving my ponytail holder at home.
As the horn sounded for the race to start, I slapped my wrist to start my Garmin only to realized that it was at home keeping my ponytail holder company. And even though the race had started and we had crossed the starting line, the horn continued to blare…
I rolled over in bed, turned off my alarm, stretched, and scratched my head as I made my way to the bathroom wondering what in the world would cause me to have two such similar, yet odd dreams only five days apart…
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On the blog this week, on Tuesday I’ll post a letter to my sixteen-year-old self as part of my contributions to Skin Cancer Awareness Month. To read other articles I’ve written over the last few years, click on my Skin Cancer tab.
In case you missed it, on Monday I talked about my most recent melanoma scare in my blog post, Listening To My Gut Instinct Paid Off… Again, as we kicked off Skin Cancer Awareness Month. On Wednesday I wrote When Imagination Runs Wild as part of my monthly Wednesday Word linkup, and on Saturday I joined Deborah and Coco for their monthly Ultimate Coffee Date where I shared Cinco de Mayo and A Shocking Lack Of FOMO.
And since this is a weekly wrap of my workouts, let me just say that this was an incredibly busy week, both with work and socially. I didn’t hit my cross-training or walking goals and I found less time than usual to practice yoga (the yoga I did was shorter sessions). Here’s how my workouts went down…
Fitness tools beyond the equipment in my gym that I used during the week included:
- Rodney Yee’s Complete Yoga For Beginners (affiliate link)
- Rodney Yee’s Intermediate Yoga (affiliate link)
- Rodney Yee’s Yoga Conditioning For Athletes (affiliate link)
- Tony Horton’s Ten Minute Trainer (affiliate link)
- Teeter Hang Ups Inversion (affiliate link)
Cameras used for blog photography include:
- GoPro Hero 4 (affiliate link)
- Canon Power Shot Elph (affiliate link)
- iPhone 6S (affiliate link)
- And the occasional picture taken by Bill
- Questions:
- Do you have weird dreams about missing a race or having worn the wrong clothes?
- What do you think my dreams mean?
- Did you race this weekend?
Have a great week!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on the blue product link and then make a purchase, I will receive a commission for referring you. You will pay no more or less for the product; however, Amazon will show their gratitude for my referral by paying me.
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I’m linking up with Holly at HoHo Runs and Tricia from MissSippiPiddlin for their Weekly Wrap. Be sure to check out not only the hosts, but the other great bloggers joining in on the fun!
I rarely dream about running, even rarer about racing. Then again, I rarely remember my dreams. I did have a nightmare last night — someone trying to choke me, I think, and me not being able to scream (although I woke up making some sort of noise). It’s been a while since I’ve had the sort of dream.
I have no idea what to make of yours!
Judy @ Chocolaterunsjudy recently posted…Becoming our moms: Spilling over tea/coffee May 2017
I don’t like scary dreams, but I have had a few over the years. I still vividly remember one I had right after my grandfather died when I was in third grade. It, too, involved a kitten who acted like it wanted to be petted, but attacked me when I reached out toward it. My dreams are usually just wacky (not scary) and I often remember many details (as you could tell from my post).
I have those anxiety dreams all the time before big events bc I always think I will forget something or miss my alarm.
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner recently posted…May Ultimate Coffee Date
I wonder if I miss racing subconsciously, even though I don’t realize it on the surface?
Oh wow, that was a really crazy dream! I used to have dream a lot when I was younger, but not so much now that I’m older.
I didn’t race this weekend but I have a half marathon coming up in less than 2 weeks.
Kimberly G recently posted…Airbnb Brooklyn Half Marathon Training Recap – Week 10
It’s hard to believe that your half is only two weeks away! My son and dil will be moving from Chicago to norther NJ this summer so I’ll be scouting out races in NJ/NY next. 🙂
So glad that was a dream, ha! So odd how things from our subconscious seep into our sleep. I haven’t had any odd running dreams lately.
I love your goals, such a good mix of things and so well balanced!
Thank you! It’s extra good on weeks when I meet those goals.
When I was still horse showing (and this is NOT a dream), the zippers on the back of my tall boots exploded the morning of year end finals. And I had to buy a new pair of boots and break them in during the show!
That sounds awful! Do many boot zippers explode easily or was it just that brand?
I have strange random dreams more lately than I ever remember, but nothing as scary as having to run a race in flip flops 😉
AmyC recently posted…Breaking the Unintentional Run Rut
Could you imagine? I’d be better off barefoot.
Yikes! DO you have a fear of cats, by chance? My biggest anxiety with races is the fear I will not hear my alarm (or forget to set it the night before), and not get to the start line on time. Of course, most of my races are at least 45-minutes away…so the traffic is always a possible obstacle.
Yes! I raced this morning!
Kimberly Hatting recently posted…Spring Has Returned!
I actually love cats so that makes the kitten part really weird. I think my dream would make more sense if I had a big race coming up, but I don’t. Perhaps I’m more frustrated with my current running status than I realize.
I can’t wait to read your race recap!
I still have dreams about missing a whole semester of class! Yesterday we went cycling with friends and my husband forgot his cycling shoes – he managed to pedal on his clips in his loafers!
Coco recently posted…Choosing Challenge
Yikes – your poor hubby!
I don’t have dreams about running, but the night before this weekend’s race, I had a really weird dream where I giant rat made an appearance. That’s all I remember…
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Race Recap: Door County Half Marathon
Eew, a giant rat? I’d rather have vicious kittens!
OMG Deb at first I thought this really happened to you!!! ARRRRG!!!
but yes, I’ve had running/racing dreams before where I can’t get to the starting line to save my life, where I don’t have the right running kit, where I am still looking for a dixie and the race has already started…. in fact I just had a dream like that maybe 2 weeks ago about the Rock’n’Roll Dublin Half … Personally I think it’s just anxieties of race day spilling over into your dreams. Worry much? (this was the question I asked myself when I woke up from that particular dream!)
No racing this weekend, but got my longest mileage in before my Half in less than two weeks. Now it’s basically only some gentle jogging in the meantime as my knee is acting up again…
Renée recently posted…Here We Go: Week 18
I think you’re right about the anxieties. Since I don’t have a race for a couple of months, I think I’m anxious because I haven’t been running well because of a few lingering injuries… I hope your knee cooperates as you approach race day!
Sometimes I will have a dream the night before a race. Usually it involves forgetting something like my Garmin or over sleeping! I have been getting much more than 10,000 each day on my fit bit so I recently decided to up my steps and I was going to do 15,000 but I thought that may be a little too ambitious so I changed it to 12,000. That way I don’t feel like I didn’t do enough on days I don’t reach my goal…haha.
Lacey@fairytalesandfitness recently posted…Weekly Wrap May 7th
What surprised me most was having these dreams when I don’t have a race scheduled until July. I think maybe I miss racing more than I realized. Yay for increasing your step goals!
Wow, what a dream! I wonder what it means?? Sometimes I get pre-race anxiety and a bad dream before the race, but wow!
Great job on your workouts, you always keep busy and active!
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets recently posted…Buffalo Half Marathon Training Week 6 Recap
I try, but keep in mind that I’m in the fitness industry so I often workout between clients.
Maybe the stress of your incredibly busy week led to your crazy running dreams! I will admit that it took me a couple of sentences before I realized that you were probably recanting a dream. Whew! That would”ve been terrible if true! I think I’ve told this story before ..but my very first 5k ever, I was in the restroom when the gun went off (they started early) and had to sprint to catch up with the back of the pack. I had a couple of dreams after that race of it happening again, only with a trail of toilet paper flapping in the wind from my shorts! Thankfully, that part didn’t happen.
Hope this week is much calmer and you have dreams of setting PR’s ….fully clothed! 🙂
Teresa recently posted…Keep on Dreaming!
Oh my goodness – running a race with toilet paper stuck out of the back of your shorts… Thank goodness that was a dream, but it sounds like something I would do!
I haven’t had a running dream in a long time. I wonder what yours mean.
Jennifer @ Run Jenny Run recently posted…Weekly Workout/Training in Review 5/1-5/7
It’s funny because I don’t remember having running dreams before my first marathon and I was really keyed up then.
I think having no running shoes was the least of your worries! It’s so weird about the bloody cat scratches. I dream a lot about missing a race or running on all fours! Yep, like a dog. I’d hate to know what that means. LOL. Thanks for linking, Deb!
On all fours? Oh my goodness, you have a creative mind even when sleeping! 😀
OMG! Those dreams sound so vivid and scary!! I’m very restless the night before a race, but thankfully no dreams. I did however have a really big scare in March. We had driven all the way for a race in South Africa (around 4 hours from home) and at 10pm as I was laying out my race clothes in the hotel, I realised I had no clue where my running shoes were. It was late so I couldn’t even go and buy some new ones for the morning. I kept thinking how could I travel all the way to another country to race only to leave the most important thing behind! Thankfully we found them!! But those moments when we were looking, felt absolutely awful!!
Shathiso recently posted…Diacore 10k, Race Recap (6/17)
Oh my goodness, I would have been freaking out, too! I’m so glad you found them and that you hadn’t forgotten them. I actually wear my running shoes when I travel to out-of-town races just so I’m sure they don’t get left behind.
You totally took me by surprise at first, I though no way you could forget thigs like this!
I too have had similar dreams, I’d love to know what they mean and why I’ll go weeks without remembering a dream then all of a sudden one so vivid wakes me up!
Thanks for joining in the Weekly Wrap!
Tricia@MissSippipiddlin recently posted…Weekly Wrap 92 Hello Post Racing Season
Wouldn’t it be interesting to understand just what makes us dream these crazy things?
Wow… those are some scary dreams. Although I have woken up with a few scratches on my legs from my evil cats.
vicki recently posted…Soba Noodle Bowl with Roasted Radishes
Oh dear – kitty attacks in the middle of the night… It sounds like my kitten dream would make more sense if you had dreamt it. 😀