One Day

Distance: 4 miles

This seems to be the continual theme: I was tired. More tired when I started then when I finished, but I can't seem to get over the tired stuff. I can feel proud though, I ran, even when I would have rather stayed home and slept. I haven't been going in the morning for the last week, so I didn't run til 9:30 tonight. I did it. I try to tell myself I will never have this day again, so don't waste it.

I did run 5 miles on Monday, and I felt pretty good when I did. I also walked/ran for 30 minutes last night. I'm sure I have had some great thoughts during those runs, but I cannot remember them now.

I think I would like to celebrate Nathan today. He is the one who got me out of bed (I fell asleep about 8:30 tonight, and did not want to go run.) He always encourages me and makes me a better person. Isn't that what a spouse is suppose to do. I know I have a great one.

I am hoping I can get over this tired stage and get on with life. (Funny how I was so tired, but now it is 11:00 and I am still up typing on this blog.) I guess I shouldn't wish anything away. Like I said, I only have this day once. I can be tired today, and I can feel great tomorrow.

Marathon

Distance: To and from; gym 2 mile warm up; 4/4laps
Time: Why do I even add this, I never keep track
Weather: Calm 30ish

So, I am writing today because of a friend who said she read my blog. Stupid that it takes someone reading it to continue, but as a mentioned before, I know myself and I am not self-motivated. Thank you for the encouragement.

I have decided to definately run a marathon. It was a tentative New Year's resolution, but had not mentioned it in case I changed my mind. Now that is dedication isn't it. I know if I post it, I will do it, so now it is done. Ethan thinks I can do it, so it must be true. Please ask me how the training is going every chance you get, I need the motivation.

Today I celebrate food. I really enjoy food, it is one reason I run, so I can eat. We had a luncheon today, some friends and I. I think people make food taste so much better. Just my thought. I will definately have to run extra tomorrow. I am lucky!

Hard Things

Distance: To gym and back; 60 laps in gym
Weather: cold, no wind

I was slow! I was tired! I finished! I wasn't sure it would happen, but it did. I can do hard things.
Saturday I ran the grade. I parked at the bottom, ran almost to Albion, turned around and ran back. It was about 8 miles and I really felt great. I wish everyday felt great. Maybe I was tired from the long run on Saturday, so I was extra slow today. Tomorrow!

Tomorrow

I didn't run at all today, I only lifted. My little one needed attention before I could leave, so by the time I got to the gym, I only had 30 minutes. I lifted hard, but not long. There are more important things in life than running. I think I will celebrate motherhood today. There is no better or harder job than being a mother. It is as frustrating as it is rewarding. It is as hard as it is wonderful. I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. My husband said today "you get to do what you want all day" (he was teasing me, I am a stay-at-home mom). As I thought about it, he is right, I am doing what I want all day. I love being a mom. Some days I feel like I am worthless, but I hope down the road, the rewards will be worth it. As for running, I am certainly glad there is always tomorrow.

Amazing

Distance: 2 mile warm up -10/2lap fast walk one-10 laps
Time: around 45 minutes
Weather: Windy-did not run outside at all

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.

Speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.

Change the way you look at things,

and the things you look at will change.

Stop telling God how big your storm is,

start telling your storm how big God is.

Don't worry about the world coming to an end today,

it is already tomorrow in Australia.

Charles Shulz

I just found this quote on a primary music group I belong to. What strong words. Many days I need to remember these words.

Today I ran. I was doing speed work and one of my friends said, "Amazing" as I ran by. This is the same friend who I mentioned before had just started running and should celebrate. I thought about it, and decided it was amazing, but no more amazing than her accomplishment. Our school's theme this year is "Where amazing happens." I am witnessing amazing every day and it feels great. I get up in the mornings way too early for me (an amazing feat in itself ) and run. I guess I should change the way I look at things, as the quote says, and think about the fact that it isn't really early. In fact, in Australia, it is quite late. Tomorrow is already here and I'm ready to run.

Friends

Distance: To and From School 3 miles on track

Time: ?

Weather: Mid 20's felt really nice when I walked outside this morning.

I ended up running farther than planned this morning, and all outside. Usually the janitor shows up a few minutes after six, so I decided to run on the track. By six-thirty, the janitor was still not there. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we usually lift, so I was going to warm up with two miles anyway (however, I imagined I would be running in the warmth of the gym). About lap seven, my lifting partner gave up waiting and went home. When I got done with two miles, I was ready to be done and go home too. Just as I was coming around the last turn on what I thought to be my last lap, my neighbor, and very good friend showed up. Friends are great aren't they. Seems they always show up just when you need them. Because of her, I ran four more laps before the gym opened and I could lift weights.

I said yesterday we all need a reason to celebrate each day. Today I celebrate my friends. I have wonderful friends that help me survive life. Some friends I lift, run, or ride with, and others I just hang out and laugh or cry with. Without them I would be worse off by far. Thank you for your help. Thank you for your friendship. I love you all.

A Reason to Celebrate

Distance: School and back- 68 laps around gym

Time: 1 hour (I'm not too stuck on time now, but may become later)

Weather: 20's Warm enough to at least run to the gym and back.



I think today was on of those barely made it days. I wanted to quit a few times, but I didn't. I kept going. I only felt like quitting once or twice, could have been worse. Near the end, I was moving somewhat slowly, and I thought about how I live my life exactly how I run.



When running, I always start too fast and then start to sputter in the middle. Once I start sputtering, I allow myself to think about quitting. By the end of the run, I seem to barely move, and end in a walk about 20 yards from the finish. So it is in my life, when I start something new (like this blog), I go all out. I run faster than I should, so to speak. In the middle, I continue, but begin to think about giving up. In the end, I fizzle out and although I finish, it is not with the same gusto as in the beginning. Today, I decided to change that, I ran to the finish. Then after walking a couple laps with some friends, ran eight more, just for fun.



A friend of mine joins us at the gym in the mornings. She started out only walking, but has just started running, one lap at a time. She has never run before, yet is willing to try something new. As I watched her, I thought about how proud she should be of herself. I wanted to tell her what a great accomplishment it is, and how she should celebrate, not just today, but every day she runs from here on out, as should all who start something new and stick to it. Everyone needs something to celebrate. Life should be a series of celebrations. Running allows me to see how great life is. Even when things seem bleak, I can look back on my life to see how much I have been given and how the good times outweigh the bad. Is there any better reason to celebrate?


So, even though my run wasn't my best, I have reasons to celebrate. I ran! I finished! I didn't give up! I went further than planned! I will run and celebrate again tomorrow!

Why I Run

Distance: about 6 miles

Time: 1 hourish

Weather:Sunny 40ish, finally

Some run for the gold...

Some run for fitness...

...We run for Popsicles

This is a quote from the back of my son's cross country shirt. What a great mantra to live by. Everyone who runs has their own reasons to run. It is one of the greatest truths about running. I run for me.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to track my running better. I am not new to running, I have run for five years or more. I am not fast, nor am I slow. I would, however, like to improve. I started running because I was overweight, and not happy with my life. Since I am not very self-motivated, I entered a triathlon and told everyone I talked to that I was competing in it. I am one of those people who has to stick to something when others know about it, so this gave me the strength (although guilt inspired) to keep going everyday. People constantly asked how the training was going. I felt obligated to work as hard as I could because everyone knew I was running the race. For this same reason, to have other people's encouragement, I have decided to blog my training online.

For me, running clears my mind and allows me the time to think (something I don't get a lot of with five children). As I run, I come up with some of my most inspirational and profound ideas. The only problem is, I forget these profound ideas by my next run. So I will blog these as well. I guess now I will know if my ideas are really profound, or if they just seem that way at the time because of oxygen deprivation.

My friends always ask me why I run, or when it gets easier. Today, on a 6 mile run over a large hill with the wind at my back, (I only ran out, not back, because of the wind. My husband picked me up at my destination.) I realized everything in life can be related to running. I think my friends get sick of me relating their troubles to running, but it is so true. Running is a parallel to life. As an individual, I can relate the way I run to the way I live life. As a whole. I can relate life's experiences to the experience of running.

In life, as in running, there are many ups and downs. It is what we do with the ups and downs that determines success or failure. Every run can end differently, each day you have to work. Just because you run great one day does not mean the next day will be easy. Many times a great day is followed by a horrible day, or vice versa. A run can end in one of four ways, so can each day.

1). You can quit. Sometimes we just give up. We have the ability to keep going, but we lack the desire. Other times, we realize that what we have done is all we can do that day, even when we have further to go. I have heard the motto, "never give up". I don't know that this is a realistic goal. I like the message in the Serenity Pray by Reinhold Neiburh,

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

In running, as in life, you need to determine your reason for quitting, fix it if possible, then move on, remembering tomorrow is another day to try again.

2). Although you want to quit, you keep going until the end. This might be the best day any runner, or person can have. This is a great accomplishment. When you run to the end, even when you don't think there is any way you can make it, you become stronger. Stronger in so many ways. Not only do you have more endurance, but more confidence. This can carry over to everything you do. Once you do one thing that seems hard, the next hard thing becomes easier. Tomorrow we have the ability to work harder. We have to work hard again, and do other hard things.

3). You have a good day. You finish strong. You can tell that you had a good workout but you still have energy and feel great. These are the days that you love to have, if only every day were this good. But maybe these days make you a little too content. It is easy to think you are on track, you can let your guard down a little, ease up for a couple days. You have to have good days, or how could you keep going, but in running, as in life, you cannot become content with your progress, but work for your goal each day. Tomorrow is still coming, and today will soon be in the past.

4). You can blow it out of the water. This is one of those rare days were everything goes right. You are on, running hard with little effort. PR day! You seem untouchable and can be truely proud of your accomplishment. It has come because of hard work and perserverance. I have noticed that sometimes my best runs are on a day when I don't feel like running. That day when I wonder why I even run, and I want to sit and mope around the house in my pj's and flip flops, ends up being the day I run my best. Maybe it is because I know I have to work harder or I won't finish. Maybe I don't have expectations, so I allow myself to just run. Whatever it is, I go out and run. Usuallly, within the first half mile, I get to thinking, "My life is good!" And it is. In life as in running, sometimes the things that seem the hardest at first are the most rewarding . And when you really think about it, life is good. There are bad things here and there, but life is good. So celebrate the accomplishment, then gear up for tomorrow.

So, as you see, running is life. Everything you need to know about life you can learn by running. I run for me, to know myself better, to understand why I do the things I do. I run for peace of mind and happiness, for humility and sanity. I run for today, and keep running for tomorrow.