A Word To The Wine

Oh wine, specifically you, red wine.  Oh, how I love you.  You have been such a good friend to me.  So soothing after a long day at the office.  So uplifting when you gather with me and my friends.  So perfect with a romantic dinner and so fun on a sneak away lunch!  Wine you and I have had a long history together filled with many fun memories.  But, alas, it is marathon training time.  And as wondeful a friend as you are to me, you can also be a real bitch sometimes.  After hanging out with you, I'm often lathargic and have trouble getting out of bed.  I'm dehydrated and sometimes you leave me with a pretty big headache.  None of these characteristics are helpful when training for a marathon.  While training for a marathon, I need friends who will keep me hydrated and healthy (hello, water).  I need friends who will replenish my system after a long run (hello, sports drinks).  And, I also need friends who won't encourage me to eat greasy foods like chips and queso or chinese takeout after we've hungout (wine, you know this is your favorite thing to try to talk me into the next day while I'm sleepy and not feeling well).  So, wine, I think we are going to have to start spending a little time apart.  I'm not saying we can't still be friends.  We just won't get to spend as much time together as we normally do over the next four months.  Sure, we'll still see each other on special occasions and certain events.  And yes, there will be a few nights when I will need to spend some quality time with you.  But, our standing Friday evening dates are off.  Please understand, it's nothing personal.  I promise, it's not you, it's me.  Well, okay, it is you a little bit. 

 

 

Please, someone, I need these socks.

 

 

 

Puttin' a Little Good Out There

You may remember several months ago I wrote about struggling with a negative self image and resolved to start making donations to charities in hopes of putting a little good out there to offset the negative I was putting in. I wish I could tell you that it has cured me of my self-esteem issues. Unfortunately, I am realizing self-esteem is something I may struggle with for quite some time to come. What I can tell you, is that it has significantly increased my awareness. Every time I make an ugly comment about myself (still far too often), I can hear it for what it is (a useless waste) and I think that's going to help me overcome the habit. 

What it has done though, is made me realize that I am capable of effecting a positive change in this world. And let me tell you, knowing that you can have an impact on the world is an infinitely more powerful feeling than looser fitting jeans. What has come from my simple self esteem project has been bigger than I ever anticipated. 

A few weeks ago a friend of mine challenged me to put my actions where my wallet was. She not so subtly mentioned that I might get more from actually volunteering than just making payments.  When the universe sends you not so subtle hints, it's my suggestion that you listen up. This week marked the beginning of my volunteering for the Girls On The Run program. Through Girls On The Run, I meet twice a week with 15 girls in third through fifth grade. Through physical activity, specifically running, we teach the girls about feeling healthy, confident, and strong. I love the GOTR program!!  The idea that setting and reaching physical goals can help girls grow to be self-assured and self-aware in all aspects of their lives is so exciting to me!  Watching these little girls high five each other and yell "way to go" or "good job" as they run by one another breaks my heart wide open with happiness. 

This volunteer opportunity could not have come at a better time for me. To be honest, I was really residing in a negative place for the last couple of months. I was so stressed out at work and at home that I found myself snapping over the slightest of frustrations.  GOTR reminds me of what is really important in this world and gives me the chance to be a part of something good, and bright, and hopefully lasting.  In this world, it is so easy to get wrapped up in our own lives and our own troubles and to forget that we are not the center of the world. We are simply one part of a whole wide and diverse, yet connected world. When one part suffers, we all suffer. Volunteering, for me, has served as a reminder that I am capable of putting a little good out there for the benefit of this whole world. It's the actualization of my runner's wave. 

If you are interested in Girls On The Run or want to put a little good out there and make a donation here is a link to more information about the program (click on "get involved" to donate):

www.girlsontherun.org

Running vs. Real Life

This is the first installment of "things you do while marathon training that you would never do in real life."  Item #1 is:

Running in the Rain.

In real life, when you wake up to the pitter patter of rain drops on the window, you don't pop out of bed and throw on the running shoes. No, in real life, you pull the covers up tighter, roll over, and go right back to sleep. Who willingly runs in the rain!?!  Let me tell you who: people training for a marathon. In real life, you don't HAVE to get up and go running. In real life, it can wait until tomorrow or until the weather clears or just until you feel like it. But when you're in training, those miles HAVE to get run and it doesn't matter what conditions they are run in. The whole point of training is to prepare yourself to succeed in the big race. And, unfortunately, we don't get to choose the conditions of our big race. We run in the rain because sometimes we just HAVE to. We run in the rain because the rain can't stop us. We run in the rain because we are determined.  We are hard core and even a little bad ass, so we run. 

So this morning in the dark and as the rain fell, I ran those miles. I have to say, there is something about running in the rain that makes you feel a little tougher than a regular run. There is this point when you can tell if it's sweat running down your head or rain water. That is, until it runs into your eyes and the burning instantly makes you realize it's definitely sweat!  But on you run. 

Here's the deal. When you run before the crack of dawn (I mean that literally. Dawn hadn't even thought of cracking when I started this morning), selfies don't turn out so hot. You'll just have to take my word for it. It was wet out. 

Since my running shot didn't turn out, ladies, I will leave you with this running in the rain shot. You're welcome. 

And So It Begins...

Today marked the first run of my official training for the 2014 Chevron Houston Marathon.  I am a little late on getting started and have chosen a pretty accelerated program for three reasons:

1. My general running plan loosely follows  a marathon training schedule anyway;

2. Mentally, I don't do well if training drags on too long. I'm pretty focused and dedicated to training, so if it goes on and on, I tend to get bogged down and unhappy. I find it's easy to lose sight of the goal if it's too far away; and

3. Honestly, I've been in such denial about the whole thing, I waited until just this week to actually do the countdown from the Marathon date. I was shocked to realize that I had to get started ASAP.  And as you can see I was super excited about it: 

You'll notice that it's dark out. That's not night dark. That, my friends, is morning dark. Nothing like a 5:30 a.m. wake up call on a Saturday morning to start training off with a bang.  I'm not a huge fan of running in the dark. Mostly because it's dark out!  I'm a big fraidy cat and running in the dark gives you a lot of time to freak yourself out (which, come to think of it, does wonders for speed!). It's also a little boring when everyone else is still tucked into their comfy beds. I was plenty jealous of those people today. 

But here it is, barely 9:00 a.m. And my first training run is officially behind me. Too many more ahead to think about. But, I'm excited about what's ahead of me and about setting and reaching new goals. 

First one down!

9/11 Running

Today I ran with NYC, the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania on my mind. 

September 11th is a day our country will never forget.  We will never forget the terrible images and horrifying stories that day brought us. We will always know where we were when the first tower went down. Twelve years later (and I imagine for all the years to come), the wound is remains only lightly healed.  It is something that has subsided from our daily national consciousness, but remains just under the surface ready to flow free at the slightest reminder of that day. And every year on this day we come together to remember not only the lives forever lost to terrorism, but to honor the heroics of those men and women who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save people they had never met.  We remember the devastation of evil but also rejoice in the beauty of the true human spirit. We remember that our entire nation came together, wept together, and healed together. 

There is this game I like to play while I run the 1.52 mile stretch of my street that makes up the first part of so many of my routes. I like to try to count all of the American flags my neighbors display in their yards and on their houses. I pretty much never get the same number because, not surprisingly, running is one of those activities done better and more safely with your eyes on the road ahead of you. I can tell you though, the number is always impressively high. My last count was 52. Let me repeat that. My last count was 52. That's 52 American flags on my one little portion of street!! And I'm not talking about just today on 9/11 or on the 4th of July or Memorial Day. I am telling you that every day of the year these flags fly proudly in my neighborhood. Every time I make that run, I can't help but be proud of my neighbors, my community, and my country. Those 52+ flags serve as a daily (well near daily) reminder of our national commonality. In a time when our country is so often divided with vitriol, intolerance, and ignorance those flags remind me of the true meaning of being American. They remind me that beneath all of our differences and all of our arguments,there lies a common pride and drums a common heartbeat. We are Americans. All of us. Regardless of race, age, gender, sexual preference, or religion. We are all Americans and that means we are all the same. 

Here are a couple of the flags I run past so often:

Hopefully, my wonderfully patriotic neighbors are also wonderfully understanding of the crazy runner lady who stops to take pictures of their yards. 

Happy Anniversary!

Today I celebrate marrying this man. 

I cannot think of a better partner to have by my side for the long run. 

You Can Never Have Too Many

You can never have too many shoes!!  

As cute as I thought my purple running shoes were, I had to admit, they weren't up for the challenge of training for a full marathon (I am slowly starting to admit that this is going to be happening soon). So, I treated myself to a visit to Luke's Locker and some new shoes. I am SO excited about the time we are going to be spending together (have you heard the phrase, fake it till you feel it?)!

But really, these shoes are awesome!  And the guy at Luke's confirmed for me that I don't pronate anymore and that my stride is totally normal. You hear that?!  I'm normal folks.