Let’s Be Honest…

Some of you who will read this, won’t understand.  You’ll wonder why I’m sharing this kind of personal information and photo.

Mostly it keeps me honest.  It reminds me who I am, where I was, how far I’ve come. 

More importantly, why I keep moving so I DO NOT become again…

In the late 1990’s – I was a youth director at a local church. I was very physically active and this photo was taken while we were on a Habitat for Humanity site in Kennebunk, Maine.

Yep. That’s me in the tie-dye shirt in all my glory – right before we tore down that shed.

Fast-Forward to September 29, 2011:

I was looking through some paperwork to shred and I found this receipt.

My last trip to Vegas – my final day, I decided to ride the ROLLER COASTER AT NYNY RESORT.

I had some time on my hands that day and I was happy to just do things on a whim… because I could.

That’s why I rode that roller coaster*.

Because for the first time in a long, long time I FIT in the seat with the harness and safety gear in place. 

It was a celebration!

I’m reminded every time I run – how far I’ve come, and yet how far I need to go…

Life is a Journey to CELEBRATE!

*I wasn’t afraid of the ride, but I questioned my choice when we hit the first corner and I got jerked around the in the car – ouch my back/neck! Whiplash!!

If I Can Dream

There must be lights burning brighter somewhere
Got to be birds flying higher in a sky more blue
If I can dream of a better land
Where all my brothers walk hand in hand
Tell me why, oh why, oh why can't my dream come true
Oh why
There must be peace and understanding sometime
Strong winds of promise that will blow away
the doubt and fear
If I can dream of a warmer sun
Where hope keeps shining on everyone
Tell me why, oh why, oh why won't that sun appear
We're lost in a cloud
With too much rain
We're trapped in a world
That's troubled with pain
But as long as a man
Has the strength to dream
He can redeem his soul and fly
Deep in my heart there's a tremblin' question
Still I am sure that the answer, answer's gonna come somehow
Out there in the dark, there's a beckoning candle, yeah
And while I can think, while I can walk
While I can stand, while I can talk
While I can dream, please let my dream
Come true......right now

Grateful

I've got a roof over my head
I've got a warm place to sleep
Some nights I lie awake counting gifts
Instead of counting sheep
I've got a heart that can hold love
I've got a mind that can think
There may be times when I lose the light
And let my spirits sink
But I can't stay depressed
When I remember how I'm blessed
Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful
In a city of strangers
I've got a family of friends
No matter what rocks and brambles fill the way
I know that they will stay in the end
I feel a hand holding my hand
It's not a hand you can see
But on the road to the promised land
This hand will shepherd me
Through delight and despair
Holding tight and always there
Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful
It's not that I don't want a lot
Or hope for more, or dream of more
But giving thanks for what I've got
Makes me so much happier than keeping score
In a world that can bring pain
I will still take each chance
For I believe that whatever the terrain
Our feet can learn to dance
Whatever stone life may sling
We can moan or we can sing
Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed
And duly grateful

Sometimes We Don’t Realize…

… how much we need them.

Not Exactly…

…as I had planned.

I was scheduled for a 40 minute run.

It was a beautiful day – sunny and 61 degrees on the 23rd of January! There was a bit of a headwind, but the thought of running outside excited me.

However, I didn’t sleep well last night.  My stomach has been bothering me all day.

I tried.

1.44 MILES before I called it quits and headed back home.

I’m .5 miles over my January monthly goal.

I’ve got 370+ miles in since March of 2011.

Mama said there’d be days like this…

That’s okay. 

Tomorrow is a chance to do it all over again.

I wasn’t sure…

… I had so many doubts about this morning’s workout. I’m still taking antibiotics for WHAT EVER WAS LEFT OVER from last month.  I’m feeling better – so very much better.

My training schedule of 30 minute runs had changed to include an hour and 15 minute run.

That scared me.  It’s a long time to be running.  I haven’t run over 4 miles [about an hour of running] since OCTOBER and that was outdoors on the trail. I knew that I was going to have to do 75 minutes indoors on the elevated track.

Ugh.

I just couldn’t think about that much time being spent on the track running in circles.

If you wanna HANG WITH THE BIG DAWGS, you’ve got to put in the work.

I’m one of those people who is easily overwhelmed.  I’m a musician – when I’m learning a new piece – I have to break it down into sections.  Most music is COMPOSED IN A-B-A FORM, therefore, if you learn the ‘A’ section – you’ve learned 2/3’s of the song!

I do the same thing for running.  When I run the track, I can’t keep ‘lap’ count – believe me, I’ve tried.  I can get to about lap 6 and then after that it may as well be lap 17, I’ve lost count.  Because I’m training with a 5/1 [five minutes running – one minute walking], I timed myself running for 5 minutes.  It’s approximately 4 laps.

I’ve been running 4 laps and walking one – I try to run at the same pace and walk FASTER than I think I should to keep the time steady.  It seems to be working for me.  I’m completing the times and racking up the mileage.

Still – conquering 75 minutes when I’ve been running 30-40 minutes?

HARD.

I sat in the car for a good 8 minutes before I could summon up the courage to go into the gym.  I was dreading the run, but I knew I had to do it.

I won’t kid you – it wasn’t easy. 

I bartered with myself: Just get through the first 4 laps.  That’s all you need to do… 4 laps. Then you can walk.

And I kept doing that – over and over and over.  45 minutes went by…

I was physically becoming tired and I knew I had a choice to make because I wasn’t able to sustain running 4 laps.  My pace was slowing down.  I figured rather than just walk the rest of the time – I’d break it down again.  I ran two laps and walked one lap.

I fell into that groove and it was worked. 

For a while.

Rather than walk for the final 5 minutes, I changed it up again and ran one lap then walked one.

I did some HARD talking to myself.  HARD TALKING those last 30 minutes of running.  It took everything I had to keep moving, but somehow, when I broke it down – I knew I could get through it.

I was pretty close to GREAT RACE 2011 PACE for a 10k.  That surprised me – I figured I’d lost a lot not having run so much these last few months.

A 10k [6.2 miles] is only half-way to the 13.1 miles I need for the Half Marathon and I will need many more L-O-N-G training runs.  I’m going to have to dig deep.  DEEP to get through them.

I’m encouraged.  I’ve got the motivation again…

I BELIEVE.

January is for Walking…

… not really, but I figured since I’d been sick earlier this week AGAIN that I should really get out the door and do something productive before Winter decides to actually show up.

My active trainer said that I was scheduled for 20 minutes of cross training – which can be walking, strength training or swimming.

How could I miss out on a 45+ degree day in January?

So out the door I went, intending to only walk for 20 minutes.  Light walking, you know – with a purpose but no real intent.

HA!

That lasted about 10 minutes.  When my RUNKEEPER APP prompts me the time and distance, I realized that I really, really was in the mood to get a good workout in – even if I was going to be walking.

I logged 2.40 MILES, but I’m sure it was actually more than that because I paused the app to take the above photo.  Then when I started walking again, forgot to turn it back on… I hate it when I do that!

Still, it was a good effort on my part while I was waiting for my doc’s office to call me in yet another Rx of antibiotics.

Run for the Reward…

CELEBRATION RING:

That’ll make it worth it, right?

Not Quick, but Number ONE*!

Let’s just get on with it, shall we?

This morning I attended my first PITTSBURGH MARATHON 2012 TRAINING RUN.  We had the choice of running 2, 4 or 6 miles.  I personally should’ve run the 4 miles, but I took the lazy route and RAN 2.26 MILES.

For me, it’s never been about quick.

It would’ve also been really easy for me to roll over in bed and go back to sleep this morning.

It wasn’t terribly cold this morning [42 degrees], but I arrived early and was out in the weather for about 45 minutes waiting for my 2 mile run to begin.  I didn’t want to overdress and be too hot – but there were folks [CRAZEE FOLKS] in shorts, no leggings.

I actually had time to walk back to my car and get my sunglasses – it was dark when I left the house. Yes. I was that early.

I won’t kid you, it’s intimidating to be around folks who are faster and younger than you.  I can’t keep up – I don’t even bother trying.  I nod when they pass me – and believe me – they PASS me.  Just being polite!

However, when it came time to go – I was ready.  We were divided into groups depending upon the mileage and sent out to the RIVERFRONT TRAIL with a RACE PACER.

Cool aside: I got to High Five three athletes who were running in the 2012 Marathon Olympic Trials!

When I finally got on the trail – I immediately remembered why I don’t like trail running.  The surface is soft [better for my knees], but horrible to get a good toe push-off. 

I felt slow.  I was cold, but heated up quickly.  I walked a good bit.

Mostly, I just tried to do my best and put in my mileage.

When I got to the turn-around, the 2 mile Pacer said to me: There’s a woman who knows her own pace!

I smiled.  I’m just thankful to be running!

I’m proud of myself – I passed a couple people.  They were walkers – but I don’t care.  I did what I said I was going to do – I went out and ran Two Miles of the Pittsburgh Marathon Training Run.

10.84 miles yet to finish.

I’ll get there – just wait for me.

AND FOR GOODNESS’ SAKE TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS – IT MAYBE THE ONLY TIME I CAN DO THIS!

*They gave out armbands by mileage and I was Number ONE!  Also: Wrinkly arms.

The 10 Commandments…

OF NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS…

Quotables…

“There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.”

—  Aldous Huxley