Day 4

This morning was amazing!!! Foggy, but amazing! And MUCH warmer at 4:45am this morning! Ran 5 "easy miles" (actually 5.17 lol!) and kept my target pace almost the entire time! This morning I felt like I owned the world! So refreshing after yesterday's experience! My legs are sore but strong! My will and my heart are stronger! My eyelashes were wet from the fog and I felt the past three days of hard training on my body, but I didn't care! The road was MINE!!! These are the days that keep you going after the days you wish you'd stayed in bed!!! Now on to the rest of life!

“Life’s battles don't always go to the strongest or fastest man,
But sooner or later the man who wins is the fellow who thinks he can.”

DAY 2 & 3

So being a full-time time mom, part-time medical massage therapist, runner AND fitting in the daily grind of life, can leave little time to blog! Yes I am behind! But here it is!

Day 2: Ran 5 "easy" miles in the pouring rain! I made a bad selection in clothing and I'm sure I weighed 5lbs more by the time I returned to my car! Pants and a fleece sweatshirt were just a bad idea!!! The truth is, I was prepared for cold, not rain. Nathan (my 2-yr-old) woke up from a nightmare so I tucked him in with my husband. He wanted me instead. So I had to run out the door and soon realized, it was going to be a WET one! Too late to go back inside because then I'd NEVER get it done! I felt good despite the rain and sopping wet shoes. But as I glanced at my GPS throughout the run, I realized my pacing was all over the place. I was supposed to keep myself between 9:45-10:15 minute miles. I dipped way lower in time when a good song came on and jumped a little above the 10:15 a couple times. What I learned was what that pace felt like so I would know without looking in the future.

I suppose life is like that too! Sometimes you are full of energy, ready to tackle any obstacle! And other times, the only thing getting you to roll out of bed is the thought that the coffee pot is 20 steps away! I'm a spontaneous person by nature so I never really roll through life at an even pace.

I was freezing at the end! Not an inch of me was dry, but the run was complete! Thank the Lord for hot showers!

It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.
--Seneca

Day 3: I was supposed to do a tempo run, ya know, trying to maintain a faster pace over distance. Yesterday was an off day for me for sure! Though I did run later in the sunshine (which was amazing), I just didn't have the head & heart for it. I started out too fast which lead to a quick burnout and WAY slower pace! Not every day is perfect or golden, but tomorrow is a new day with a fresh start!

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
-- Confucius

DAY 1

This morning began Day 1 of my long haul goal toward the Portland Marathon. I recently acquired an amazing coach who is helping me through this process. I trained myself through the Half Marathon last year. But I'm aware that 26.2 miles is a whole different animal & that I need help to get there. Right now I'm learning what it means to pace myself, which isn't just a running lesson. It's a life lesson! I tend to jump wholeheartedly into something and work through it til it fades or ends. I'm learning life and all its struggles, triumphs and issues takes time. This marathon is for Matthew, and I want to make my little angel proud of me! I am so thankful for the amazing people in my life, and for the people who support me every step of the way. With people to encourage & push me, I will be unstoppable!

“Success isn't how far you got, but the distance you traveled from where you started.”

A Painful Thought & a Dash

The Dash Poem

by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak

At the funeral of a friend

He referred to the dates on her tombstone

From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came the date of her birth

And spoke the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all

Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time

That she spent alive on earth.

And now only those who loved her

Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;

The cars, the house, the cash,

What matters is how we live and love

And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.

Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left,

That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

To consider what’s true and real

And always try to understand

The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,

And show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives

Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,

And more often wear a smile

Remembering that this special dash

Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read

With your life’s actions to rehash

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spent your dash?

Thank you, Oz, for this poem. This one made me think last night. And had me in tears! Not because of all the people I've lost in my life. Just one. Matthew's dash is only 36 hours long. To many, that's just a couple of dreaded workdays, a quick overnight getaway, final prep time before a wedding. To me, it's an eternity. In those 36 hours I was blessed to hold my son, I went through a lifetime of emotion. He fought so hard for me. He taught me more about courage, strength and the power of human touch than anyone ever could. His heartrate was 199 on the monitor, which is dangerously high. But whenever I laid a hand on him or gave him baby massage & sang lullabies, his heart rate dropped to the 120s/130s. Whenever I held him, his vitals seemed to improve. And every time I took a break, he regressed. In that time, he smiled at me and squeezed my finger so hard, just letting me know it would all be okay. And he always looked right in my eyes when I talked to him. These are moments I will never get back, but they are the most powerful moments in my whole life. I challenge each person to think about the dashes in your own lives, cherish the lessons they've taught you & hug your kids.

Running my first marathon in October 2011 in honor of my son, Matthew Gabriel and his beautiful dash 7/6/05 - 7/8/05

Facing the Wind

When it comes to winter running, I hate it! I hate the biting cold that enters your lungs with every breath, the possible slip on unseen black ice, and the fact that no matter what time you get out to run, it's dark. That being said, I despise treadmills even more! So at 4:18am, with my Ironman reflective bands on and some high tempo techno blasting from my Ipod, I took off down the road. Not a single car on the road, I was just started to get into the groove, when I was smacked in the face by a high powered gust of wind! Five seconds later, a light freezing rain began to blow sideways on my cheeks. My car wasn't too far away . . . I could easily turn back! Then I thought, at this hour, I am the only person who will know I gave up this morning. And so I ran! 3.5miles of "resistance training" with the wind slapping me across the face and threatening to push me over. The stronger the wind, the harder I ran. Songs that had accompanied me in my Half Marathon kept my feet from slacking and reminded me of all I had overcome in a year. With my car in sight, I sprinted to the finish and laughed like I just won against my biggest competitor! I felt refreshed, like I finally broke through the rut the winter season had put me into! And I think now, I just might go for the 10-miler at Pear Blossom! 

"Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like the muscles of the body."
-Lynn Jennings