Granted, there's the mega to-do list I've been creating all summer in preparation for these two weeks. And the out-of-town visitors coming in to play. And the many, many miles waiting for me to run in the six weeks leading up to the Twin Cities Marathon.

But, for the most part, I have to wake up every morning and ask myself what I'd like to do with my day -- and trust me, that's hard to do when you're out of practice with it! So far, I apparently want to get things crossed off the to-do list, cook and run. Yoga is coming soon. Maybe (OK, probably) some chick flicks. An afternoon nap might be nice. I think I'll try being vegan?

My mind is so empty! It's amazing! Eventually I know I'll have to tackle some of the big thinking, decision-making, etc. that needs to happen in the next couple of weeks, but for now, it's so refreshing just to lounge around in a little bit of me-time.

And, of course, to have a mind-clearing adventure or two -- which I recommend to anyone whose plate is a little over-full. Mine, strangely, was in the form of an overstuffed Suburban, no sleep and some good ol' gold lamè.

Don't ask me why, but I spent the weekend running [my 20.6-mile share of] 195 miles through Wisconsin and Minnesota with a 12-person Ragnar Relay team. I learned a lot about running, stress and myself -- so behold, my ultimate stress-relief prescription:

Run 6.6 miles in a gold miniskirt around 2 p.m. in small-town Wisconsin...

Then run 6.8 miles, alone, at about 1 a.m. on a deserted Wisconsin road... And top it off with 7.2 very hot, hilly miles right around noon in Minnesota...
Do it all in '80s gear -- and put your friends in mullet wigs.
Cram everyone and everything into a Suburban.
Don't sleep for 40+ hours.
Buckle up and settle in for the ride.


Trust me, when you get back (and sleep) everything will look a little less stressful, more manageable and overall clearer.

Balance comes in all forms. What's yours?