In My Hole,

I hate my hole. That place I climb into and want to stay. Climb in and stay is what I did. I guess it all caught up to me. Seemed like everything happened to me at once. Things happen and things change and I have to deal with it and learn to make the best of it. I think what got me was that I couldn't run and it snowballed. I didn't want to get up. I even started back on some meds trying to get me out of the whole. I thought if I started from scratch it could inspire me to get moving. Nothing was working and wasn't moving. You could say I got plenty of rest.

But a few days ago I decided to not give in to the negative thoughts. I had to get up and get going. I had to stop eating whole pizzas and drinking a gallon of soda.

Today I got up and did three miles. Today I ate fruit and a salad and drank water. Today I feel positive. Tomorrow is going to be even better!

More to come...

I'm Back????

I sunk down-way down.

After my "misstep" that twisted my knee.... I thought I could tread lightly for a few days and be back to normal. That being 40 miles a week. Some pain I expected as along as the swelling stayed down. And it did.

Now skip a few weeks and I am in the crowd starting a marathon feeling groovy. I love this stuff! This is where I feel the energy of the moment. So here I go again. From the start I spot the 4 hour pace team. Great I can do that! Six miles feel good. Thirteen miles still hanging in there. Seventeen miles-what was that? And there it is! Hello knee, time for some pain? And time it was.

So the knee was gone. I mean really gone, and with eight miles to go! I can do eight miles. No way I am dropping from this race. The last one killed me. So off I go no matter how I go. I jog, I walk, I hop, I do everything. And everything I do. Thank goodness for sunglasses because if anybody saw the pain.

And I finished! Forget the time-again.

I know I shouldn't been there in the first place. Its not like I was in the middle of nowhere. I could step aside and catch a cab ( I always carry a twenty in my shoe). I had my phone. So I was good.

So then it was back to where I should have been-healing. So for a few weeks nothing. Nothing at all. I'm too old for another rebuilt knee.

So here I am know. Low miles, easy pace. Starting all over again. And I couldn't be happier!

More to come.... I promise

D.N.F....y

DNF! Three letters that drive me crazy. Three letters that sink into my very being.

So last weekend I joined some friends on a 50k run. Basically I was going to enjoy the ride. Maybe take a few pictures along the way. Be in the moment and all that. Well that worked until about six miles into the race when my left foot slid on some leaves sliding it in one direction, my knee in the opposite direction, and hip following the direction of my foot. And just to add to the fun my head into a tree. So there I am laying on the ground screaming out every dirty word I can think of in the book ( and inventing a few more),my knee starting to swell, my hip just weird, and my sunglasses busted.

After what seemed to be forever I get up and start hobbling to the next aid station two miles away. For me it doesn't get any lower. I can't remember the last time I had to drop out . This REALLY HURTS! Physical pain aside I was lower than low.

The sweeper catches up to me and helps me for my last mile. Another nice person takes me back to my cabin were I ended up on the floor with ice packs on me. I was able to get myself up and get to the finish line and cheer on the people I now admire.

My friends? They were awesome! Both finish and I couldn't be more proud.

So what am I to learn from this? What is this suppose to teach me?  Watch my step? This wasn't my time ?

So I take few days off. Pain was still there Wednesday and only made it a mile and a half. Thursday I did make it three and Friday five. Slight pain today after three but the tingling in my toes gone.

The countdown begins. That mountain doesn't own me. DID NOT FINISH.....YET!

More to come...

Something For A Cause.

Doing something for a cause and having a great time-what could be better? A week back I was blessed to run in a marathon relay for breast cancer in sunny Fla. So with skirt and pink arm warmers I was given the final leg of this great event.

Many events are directly related to a cause. Why not get out there and do a few. It's not often we get to do something we love and help others. Join a team and raise some money. Many of these teams also have coaches and training plans. So you get to help out a cause and yourself? And have a good time!

Back to the race. Coming from freezing temps to the sunshine was the perfect medicine for this guy. Our team leader ( sporting a skirt and a wig ) smokes the first leg for another team. Then because of the strange bus schedules ends up running his leg for our team in reverse and forward to hand me the stick. Superman!

All in all a good time with great friends. Some old, some new, and all friends.
Next year we are giving the women a run for their money!
Go do something good!

More to come...

Up The Miles- Again!

Every now and then I have to remind myself something- "Life is not a moving sidewalk." You can't just stand there and move through life. You can't expect life to come to you. You have to jump off the moving sidewalk and put in the work!

I see this all the time in people. I see this in myself. What I want to do requires me to get out there and put in the work. With all that goes on in my life and in my head I can;t expect to be where I want to be without jumping off the sidewalk and finding a way to make it work.

So tomorrow morning I jump off the sidewalk again.

More to come...

The World Is My Gym.

So I was remembering  ( Yes I do it a lot) about a 5k I did a few years ago. I felt sorry for the people putting on the race because only thirty or so showed up. Anyway, I was sitting on a wall afterwards drinking some water when I was pulled into a discussion (I think he pulled me in because we looked to be the same size and frame). The man was in his late fifties and he was telling some women how he stayed in shape. He started with the usual-no processed food, plenty of water....But then he tells them "Why pay for gym membership? The world is my gym!". He goes into showing us all the different exercises he could do right there. He used the curb, the wall, or nothing at all. It really was amazing.

Good thing for me I have someone (my best friend) who is nice enough ( and a a lot smarted than me about this )  to give me workouts so I don't have to figure out what to do. All I need is space and some hand weights. And afterwards I'm wiped! Just trying to type right now is a struggle.

Now if you like the gym that's cool. But there are plenty of ways to get into shape and stay in shape without the cost. Let the world be your gym! We can't run all the time-or can we?

More to come....

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow......

Unless you live where I live! Because with snow we get ice. Ice everywhere- on the roads,on the sidewalks, everywhere. So for almost a week I'm trapped inside going crazy. Good things for my workouts my best friend gave me. Sure they kill you but in a good way. Still nothing like a good run. To rub it in I see people running on my first attempt to the store. I should have been out there but ice and me have a hard time seeing it's out to get me. See me running when there is ice and break out the video camera and wait. I'm guaranteed to bust something and give everybody a good laugh.

Luckily after a week stuck in the house the snow and ice has all but melted away and I'm free. Sure it was rough at first but it still felt sooooo good. Road, trails, paths- it all good! Just out enjoying the view.

More to come.....