Running Leads to Questionable Behavior

Running is a passion. It’s relevancy in my life is more & more prevalent each day. I love the feeling it gives me. I’ll be the first to admit though, Running Can Lead to Questionable Behavior…

I’ve had a hard time getting back into marathon mode since the MCM. This has led me down a rocky road. I have 10 weeks until my next marathon, March 3^rd! The feeling I get most days when I think how quickly time is passing is one of UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH! However, I THINK I am FINALLY on my way. The other day, I told my hubs that I was READY to run again. Ya see, I made up my mind to do the Little Rock Marathon, but my heart did not agree… YET! I’ve had not so many great runs since the decision was made. Today, well, today was different. Today is CHRISTMAS & as I lain around in my flannel jams, I kept trying to talk myself out of today’s run. It’s cold. It’s windy. It’s too late. It’s Christmas. But as I kept coming up with reasons, I got more anxious & KNEW I was ready.

I took off on my run, all bundled up in cold weather gear. I got a lot of stares from passersby & I started to question my behavior. NINETEEN degrees sounds a little chilly & indeed it was! Upon taking off on this run, I questioned whether my cold weather full face mask was even cleaned after the last cold weather run (which was probably back in February). I stopped one time after realizing my questionable behavior had led me to having a piece of hair stuck in my gum (that I had already been chewing for a good 15 mins). I thought it was in there, but I just kept chewing. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. I pulled down my mask & pulled the hair outta the gum. In doing so, the gum froze. Meh, it warmed up nicely once I started chewing again. There was one time where my music suddenly turned quite slow for running. My questionable behavior led to a little dancing on the side of the road while finding the correct play list. Again, there were a few “looks”. I know I’ve mentioned the weather was a bit on the “chilly” side, but I don’t know how to stress just HOW chilly 19 is to a runner. My wrist was frozen, as were most of my fingers (Duh. Yes, I had on gloves) & my thighs were ICE! As I was running, I kept wondering HOW questionable of behavior was I willing to admit to today. I kept thinking about my poor thighs & how much they hurt from being so cold. It was like they were being stabbed a thousand times by needles. Yes! THAT cold! Most questionable of my behavior was the thought of how to keep my thighs warm… I wonder if it would help if I peed? It would be warm. I wonder how long it would take for the pee to freeze? Wonder if I could make it home before it froze. Yep! That’s questionable behavior alright.

NO WORRIES my friends… I didn’t even neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed to pee. Rest assured, it was the 19 degrees making me delusional. I’ll leave that questionable behavior for another day. The good that came from my questionable behavior today was that I got in a pretty good 6 mile Christmas day run! Nothing wrong with that!

Merry Christmas & happy running y’all!

Curiouser & Curiouser

The mind of a woman is definitely a mysterious thing (maybe curiouser & curiouser says it better). Even to the woman! I made up my mind last year to do the MCM THIS year & was determined to do just that. I did it, loved it & afterwards, made up my mind to “rest”. I’ve enjoyed it too, but lemme tell ya… I have had a very hard time making up my mind to get off my tush! After the marathon, I thought it would be easy to take a few days off & just jump back into running--- both feet hit just hit the pavement, after all. NOT so. It has been a real struggle & I think part of it has been the resignation I set up in my own mind. Meh… just take a week off, you deserve it, look what you did!

I’ve kept up with all of my running friends, kept track of the very few miles my mind was set on running, have thought about doing other races & again, have made up my mind to kick up my feet & take a little time off to make up my mind… Well, I think right now, my mind is, once again, made up!

Time to drag out some of the cold weather shirts, dust off the old runners, set up a shoe rotation, plan a few new routes & get my butt & MIND in gear!

We went shopping yesterday, Under Armor, Nike, it was like Christmas! Bought a new cold weather shirt, hopefully it fits--- I made up my mind too not to track my food! BAD move! My clothes don’t fit. LOL! I’ll just make up my mind to make better choices.

Making up one’s mind to do positive & powerful things is an awesome thing. I’m thankful to my family for putting up with my mind’s fickle ways some days. Once I make up my mind, that’s what I focus on; miiiiiiiiiiiiiiind set! So, I’ve decided to definitely run my next marathon in March; mind made up!

I’ve already packed my running gear for tomorrow. I may even run twice! I’m goin’ a wee bit ol’ schoolio… using my iPod… my iPhone didn’t appreciate the fact I tried to give it swimming lessons in the washing machine, alongside the whites. WHATEV! Gaaaaaaah!

Make up your mind m’friends. Make it up, change it, revise it, revisit it, then make it up again, stick to it & execute! Get out there & dooooooooo whatcha wanna doooooooooo, no matter what, no matter how small, or slow, or trivial. Happy, happy running y’all!

The Community Made This Runner

Running with KCTC has given me an entirely new appreciation for the running community. Prior to becoming a track club member, I ran. I ran for fun, for fitness, for myself. Once I joined KCTC, I started running for the community, the dedication of the members and the comradery among all runners of different abilities. Making friends thru this community had become fast & easy. Recently I joined a new community of runners; I recently became a MARATHON runner! Training thru the KCTC was vital, enjoyable & I looked forward to seeing all of my training partners, whether I actually ran with them or not.

On Saturdays in Liberty, I run with a great group of people. We appreciate where each started a year ago & the runners we have all become since. Several members have run marathons; some ran their first halves, 10Ks, or even 5Ks! On Mondays I run with a wonderful group. We start at the Brooksider & run the Trolley Trail. This group is a completely different type of group than Saturday’s. Finally, on Sundays I run with a variety of runners from all across the city, the Sunday Runday Group. Some from the Liberty group, some from different clubs. They are all amazing! And FAST!! I’m always the caboose, but I never feel a lack of support.

When I first became a member of the KCTC, I joined the Beginners Running Group because my 14 year old son wanted to give running a try. After his time became consumed with school work & soccer, I continued to help out with the group of new runners & walkers. It was a nice way to meet new people, to see new runners achieving their goals, to see walkers turn into runners & to give & gain encouragement. We all have something in common; we are runners. We celebrate little victories & huge life events with one another. We socialize outside of our running groups, learn about running from one another and are each other’s biggest cheerleaders.

I recently ran the 37^th Marine Corps Marathon in DC. I had a few running friends there too. We all faced Hurricane Sandy; all had completely different experiences and were all eager to check on one another’s accomplishments. I got to see one of my running friends at the start of the marathon, where we encouraged & calmed each other. It was a great safety blanket to know I had KCTC friends out in the marathon somewhere… Since my marathon two weeks ago, I have only run twice. Neither of these two runs has been at my running groups. I feel like I’ve been struggling to get back into a running “groove” again. The feedback & encouragement I’ve gotten from my fellow runners is that I am not only “normal”in feeling this way, but that I will indeed get back into the swing of things when I’m ready. Knowing my running groups & running friends are there for me when I do, well… It’s invaluable.

Becoming a part of a great running community is what makes all of my runs these days, worth it! I’ve seen average runners evolve into marathoners, marathoners become even faster & stronger & walkers become runners! Even my own son, who would rather pull out his own nails than have to run, has shown an interest in running his first half this spring. He seemed very excited about doing the run. Of course, he’s 14 & his attitude is subject to change at any minute. We’ll do the Scout Strong Challenge as a family if he’s ready & willing. To see a boy find a love in running is a most wonderful thing, even if he needs a generous push from the running community every now & then.

 

 

Rejoining my running community is what I’m looking forward to most in the next couple of weeks, beeeeecause… The Community Made This Runner! Happy Running Y'all! 

 

 

A bigger better font of The Color Blue

If I had to pick the color I’m most similar to at this moment, well, it’d be The Color Blue. But NOT Cornflower Blue- my fave color crayon. Someone pointed out to me the other day that I just may well be suffering from post-marathon bloooooooooooooozzzzzz! I’ve been running with a goal in mind for so long, that now that the goal’s been accomplished, I dunno what to run for these days. I guess I should fill you in on my marathon. It was AWESOME!!! Simply put, that’s it! It was all I hoped it would be & managed to be so much more! And then because of Hurricane Sandy, we got stuck in DC & stayed with friends & that was pretty awesome too!

So, back to the blues… 11:06:39:10 has passed since the running of the 37^th Marine Corps Marathon, not that I’m counting. I’ve only run ONCE since then. A 4 –miler that was nothing special, nothing terrible. It was just a run. I enjoyed it, but really, it was just an ordinary run & most routine. No pace time, no distance, no personal goals existed. I felt OK, my knees were still a bit wobbly (kind of like a baby giraffe walking for the 1^st time), no biggie. But there was something missing to this run. I described it as a “purpose”, until someone reminded me that a lifetime of running is the “purpose”; running itself was the purpose, the races were just “measuring sticks along the way”… nicely put by my friend Bryan.

I’ve been toying with the idea of running the Get Lucky Marathon (March) in Little Rock, AR (hills, hills and more hills are good for the boooootaaaay) & am definitely running in Nashvegas with friends in April. April will be their 1^st Half, so THERE is my purpose. It’s been nice to have a ‘break’from running, although I dunno really how much of a break it’s been. After the marathon we were stuck in DC for a week, got home & had a sick kiddo, he missed school, I missed work. As I type this, I’m sitting in the hospital with him, ugh. The things floating around in my swirling brain…

Needing a goal is what I do… I do it with my family, with my job, with my weight, with my workouts, with my running. It’s just what I do, even if it drives everyone else loony, it’s just how I am. I was singing the blues earlier (which in itself is scary since I cannot sing), but as soon as I sign up & throw my $$$$ down on getting lucky, I’ll have a concrete plan in place. Having that goal will turn my color into HAPPY! Speak’n of happy… Happy running yáll!

One day I'm gonna have that bib framed!

One special medal!