I Opted NOT to Run…

… this morning on the LOCAL HS TRACK. The humidity isn’t good to my asthma and I figured, why just aggravate it more?

You know – why not wait until NOON when the sun is at it’s peak and go for a bike ride?

SO THAT'S WHAT I DID FOR 9.04 MILES.

Okay, I admit – it wasn’t a high Noon.

It sure felt like it – but it reminded me how much I like riding and how it is a challenge every time I go out there.

I also found another path to the Montour Trail that heads out towards Library.  I’m going to ride out that way again I want to see where it leads!!

Here are the top 10 ways people give away their power:

1. Asking others what they should do.
2. Thinking God decides who gets what.
3. Worrying about how their dream will come true.
4. Thinking they have dues to pay.
5. Attaching to unimportant details and outcomes.
6. Believing in soul mates.
7. Thinking karma or spiritual contracts are absolute.
8. Fear of anything, especially falling in love.
9. Waiting for their ducks to line up before acting.
10. Choosing to be unhappy.

Understand the truth, little bird, and you will soar.

To be happy or not, is always a choice.

I’m Sure…

… that the work might be the same, but it certainly doesn’t always feel the same.

IT WAS A TOUGH MORNING RUN.

When I had to take a walk break within the first FIVE MINUTES – I knew there were two choices:

1. I could push through and try to find a rhythm for the next 20 minutes

2. I could walk.

I won’t kid you – I really thought about walking.  But I’d made up my mind that morning to run.  I’d dressed for running – let’s do it.

The last thing I want to be for ANY length of time is miserable.

I decided to put all that negative effort into putting one foot in front of the other. To going inside and feeling what hurt.  Recognize the hurt and appreciate the parts of my body that were working to move thorough the pain.

I wasn’t thinking about distance or time or racing. I was thinking of putting one foot in front of the other to make it around the track.

I had to break it down to minutiae.

It’s never easy.  It won’t ever get easier for me, but it teaches me a lesson every time.

That sometimes we have to walk/run through the difficult mornings to appreciate what we’ve got, where we’ve been and what we’ve done.

And I want to live my life knowing that I’ve done all that I can, to do what I say I’m going to do…

I Just Booked…

… my first trip to Atlantic City, NJ.  I’ll be staying at a LOW-BUDGET HOTEL A BLOCK OFF THE BOARDWALK.

When I was a child – very young – about 2-3, my grandparents/parents took me to Atlantic City. I still remember, it was the first time I saw the ocean.  I’m pretty sure it was such an impromptu trip that I didn’t have a bathing suit and just swam in my underwear.

I remember my Grandfather holding frantically to my hand as we walked in the surf.  And I remember vividly the steak we ate at a restaurant on the Boardwalk.

The last time I was there, probably early 2000’s and was just a day trip from Philly when I took my brother and cousins.  I don’t remember a lot about it – just the beach and finding a place to park was a pain.

This trip will happen after I close CHICAGO on Sunday, July 22nd.  It will be my third full production since April and I am beginning to get weary.

However, booking this today has given me something more immediate to look forward to – not just our impending return to VEGAS SEPTEMBER 1-6!

I’m excited to go back and RUN, BIKE AND WALK THE LENGTH OF THE BOARDWALK. I can’t think of a better way to see it through the eyes of an adult!

And now a moratorium on spending goes into FULL EFFECT!

I’m Not Going To Tell You…

… that it was fast or fun.

ONLY THAT IT'S DONE.

And that’s all that matters today…

It Would’ve Been…

… so easy this morning to roll back over to go to sleep.

In fact, I was awake before the alarm and thinking I’d just tell Harry that I was tired.  I didn’t feel like going to the track this morning.

Then I thought about it – well – I was awake.  Let’s see what it feels like after I go to the bathroom.

Okay – we’ll maybe if I get dressed, I’ll feel better.  And I stand there looking at my running gear…

Maybe I’ll just WALK this morning. [Dig out a different set of clothes.]  I mean – I am up.  Walking is good – it’s better than laying in bed for those 30 minutes.

We get to the track – I started walking, then the body, well, she’s got other ideas.

SO I RAN THE CORNERS and walked the straight-a-ways.

Sometimes we need to *listen* to our bodies and not our heads.  But the brain, she needs a LOT of convincing.

It never does get easier…

And That’s Exactly…

… what I did.

As I said, HARRY AND I HAVE BEEN HEADING OUT TO THE LOCAL HS TRACK on a Mon/Wed/Fri basis.

This week was no different. 

MONDAY I TOOK AN EASY 1.29 WALK after the 30 MILE BIKE RIDE I did this past weekend.  It was a good way to do a bit of a recovery from that – my body wasn’t too achy, which is a great feeling.

I actually ran about 100 feet down the back stretch towards the end of the walk.  My body just felt like it wanted to move a little faster.

This morning found my body a little more grumpy because it was so very humid already at 7:10 am.  But I managed 1.90 MILES OF RUN in 24 minutes.  That’s the furthest I’ve run since the PGH MARATHON 5k RACE on May 5th.  It felt good to be back in the running groove again.

I can walk and walk and walk – but there’s nothing like a productive run.

I gotta be honest, I don’t have any ‘urge’ to get near a bike this week…

I Didn’t Start Out the Morning…

… with the hint of a thought that I might actually ride 30 PLUS MILES.

In fact, because of my times restraints due to an EVENING PERFORMANCE, the agreement was that I would ride out an hour, turn around and ride back.

Let’s just say, that’s what I was thinking when I left the house – what really happened was a completely different story.

BIKE WITH BUD'S was an untimed, charity ride along the YOUGH RIVER TRAIL that’s part of the GREAT ALLEGHENY PASSAGE.  We began at YOUGH RIVER PARK in Connellsville and rode toward Pittsburgh to WHITSETT, PA and then back.

I was up early, and I got out Mountain MAN to add some accessories I’d purchased and get him loaded on my car for the trip.  Once I had my water and protein bars, I was ready to leave. 

Somewhere on the way, I was thinking about 30 miles and I just knew that I was going to do it.  I figured that I could do 10 miles in a hour – that would be 20 miles total if I just did the hour out and back that I’d committed to do.

What’s another 10 miles?

You know how you just FEEL things?? Yeah.  Exactly like that…

It was a beautiful day – a bit on the warmish side, but we were next to the river and for the most part, shaded by the trees on the trail.  The 15 miles out was a breeze.  I didn’t feel the need to stop at all.  It was an easy ride and even though I’m not fast, I try to keep steady with the pedaling.

The turnaround was in Whitsett and there was a pavilion to get out of the sun.  We’d made it in just over an hour and 40 minutes.  I had some vitamin water, peanut butter crackers and a couple bites of protein bar.  I walked around a bit to stretch out my muscles and then we were ready to head back.

I’m not going to kid you – it felt like 15 miles out and 45 miles back.

About mile 22, I began to know that I needed more protein.  There was a campground on the trail and I thought it was about 10 miles out from where we started.  I’d planned to stop there and eat something more.  Except, every turn and there wasn’t any campground. [Turns out the campground was 3 miles FROM the START.]

I finally HIT THE WALL around mile 25.

I got out of the sun and was able to eat and drink.  I wasn’t afraid that I wasn’t going to finish – I just knew that I had to get protein into my system.  I want it to be clear: I never felt I was in uncontrolled physical distress.  I understood what was happening and did what I needed to handle the situation.

The last 5 miles were the toughest.  I really had to dig deep.  I didn’t talk much because I was using all my energy to maintain forward motion.  I got a cramp in my left leg – but was able to work it out while pedaling.  It was most difficult to find a comfortable position on the saddle.  I don’t care what kind of seat you purchase – NOTHING is comfortable after 25 miles.

NOTHING.

But you know what – I pushed through. 

I finished strong! 

30 miles. 

I believe I said something along the lines of: I did it – I don’t ever feel the need to ride 30 miles at one time again.

Harry said to me: So, you ready for the Half Century? [50 miles.]  I immediately shot him a look that would strike down a lesser man [he’s use to those looks from me], but after I thought about it, replied: Well, most of those are road races on asphalt and that’s always faster riding than trail riding. MAYBE.

Honestly – I probably would. 

But I gotta tell ya, when I look at the map and it tells me I rode 30 miles?

I still don’t believe I did it…

OH!

I also turned in a stellar evening performance after the 30 miles on my bike. 

Cause that’s what acting athletes do.

Apparently.

**Thank you Jeff John for a wonderful biking experience, encouraging me and keeping me motivated to do what ‘I can do’… XOOX

It Was a Beautiful…

… morning for a run.

Clear skies. No humidity.  Sunny.  Even a bit of chill in the air – compared to the nearly 90 degrees we had yesterday?

I’d agreed to wake up early [after a late rehearsal] to go with Harry to the local HS track.  He’s been walking before work and it would give ME a little more motivation to get out of bed and just do it.

He doesn’t have to leave for work until 10:30, I normally get up and have coffee/breakfast [okay – who are we kidding? COFFEE] with him, so why not just go move around the track?

Done deal.

1.29 MILES OF RUNNING around the track.

I’ll need a nap – but I’m okay with that…

Running…

… what is THAT?

Kidding.

I have been impossibly busy learning lines the past two weeks.  Too busy for running or biking??

Yes.

This is a complicated script – an ensemble piece. 98 pages and I am barely off stage.  Add an incredibly difficult Irish/English/Welsh accent and if you’ve spoken to me lately – you’ll notice the ‘lilt’ in my speech pattern.

It’s not an excuse.  It’s a choice I made to focus on giving this show the best performance I’m capable of – just like my running.

Trust me – I do plenty of running during the show.

But today, I decided to get off my behind and take my afternoon script foray out in the neighborhood.  Good thing I know where I live, because I was so focused on my lines that until I looked at runkeeper, I couldn’t tell you the 2.85 MILE ROUTE I did walk!

Now THAT’S the concentration it takes for me to do my lines…