A Huge Setback...or Maybe Not...

Running this past week has had its ups and downs. Last Tuesday I challenged myself to do my first cluster run. I ran 4 miles in the morning followed by another 4 miles in the afternoon. With Ragnar, I will have to run 3 legs of the race in 36 hours so it's important to start clustering some days together to be prepared. Tuesday was great; I ran into a friend along the way and while we didn't run the whole 4 miles we definately walked at a good pace. When I hit the trails a few hours later I felt great and completed the 4 miles at a reasonable pace. Cluster Run #1 done and checked off the list!

Then came Thursday, the weather was gorgeous and I couldn't wait to go running. The only problem was that once I hit the trail nothing went right. My breathing was off, my calves ached and my feet felt like they were encased in concrete blocks. Seriously, what was up with that? I took a brief break, stretched and started again. It was no better, I tried telling myself it was no big deal, I changed the music on my ipod, I thought of the reason I started running and the reasons I keep running. Nope...none of it worked. Thursday's run was a slog (a slow jog) and nothing I did made it better. I thought of all the reasons why it wasn't going right and I concluded that maybe the crazy life we've been leading the last few weeks had caught up with me. Maybe I didn't need to do everything by myself. Maybe it's ok to ask for help once in awhile. And maybe it's ok to have an off day, they've happened before just not recently.

This week is a new week and I put last week behind me. The only problem is I'm still hitting a brick wall. Nothing feels right when I run. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong but nothing seems to be jumping out at me. Maybe I'm not drinking enough water, maybe I'm drinking too much caffeine, maybe I'm not eating the right foods for fuel or just maybe the whole Easter debacle involving chocolate has caught up to me. But then again maybe having 2 daughters graduating in a matter of days and all of the planning and preparation that go along with that has just left me overwhelmed.

As I was reading a magazine yesterday I came across a quote that really struck a chord with me. "Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now."

So what's my plan? I'm going to add a little more positive thinking to my life and I'm going to face life with open hands because God can't take problems from closed fists. And I'm going to get by with a little help from my friends!

Trolley Run 2011

Today I ran the Trolley Run as a training run for Ragnar. It's the largest 4 mile run in the country with over 9000 runners registered. I was a little apprehensive last night as I read my race rules and saw no ipods allowed. Bummer. Bob got me a new ipod for my birthday and my Ragnar teammate, Erin, put together an awesome running playlist. My problem was, I had never ever run without an ipod and the thought of doing so really had me a little stressed out. I need the beat to pace myself. I need the distraction of music to keep me going. So, what's a girl to do? I did what I always do, I searched the internet about ipod free running and guess what, people do it all the time. Not only is it a safety issue, they encourage it so that you can enjoy the full race experience. Since I've only run one other race I decided to throw myself into this one and see what I could do (but I did pack my ipod in the pocket of my running tights just in case :).

I was fortunate enough to have Bob drop my neighbor and I off at the starting area and then he went on to the Plaza to wait for us at the finish line. There were people everywhere and it really was a fun atmosphere. Melanie ran into one of the mom's of her piano students and in the smallest of small world moments I ran into my "pseudo-sister" Katie at the start. She truly is like a sister to me and I had the wonderful opportunity of caring for her sweet baby boy nearly 3 years ago. Since that time we have become such good friends and there are days I just need my "Katie" time. Running without an ipod, no problem, I had Katie, Melanie and Melanie's friend, Helen, along for support. The 4 of us started out together and had a really great pace. The course was wonderful and mostly downhill so it was an easy run. I loved seeing the people along the way cheering us on. There were cowbells and music and signs and more!!! Definitely a party atmosphere and I enjoyed every minute of it. As we crossed the finish line I felt an amazing sense of accomplishment in completing this run in record time for me. When the results were posted a few hours later I couldn't have been happier...I finished the race in 41 minutes and 5 seconds. That's a 10:17 mile!!!! Amazing!!! However, that's not the best part, Bob noticed on the results board that I scored in the top third of women in my age group and the top half of all runners overall!!!

Thanks to all the people along the route, the 3 amazing women running beside me and my really great, super supportive husband who got up early on a Sunday morning to cheer me on I have now accomplished yet another goal. It doesn't get much better than this!

"Do or Do Not, There is No Try"

Today I am 47. Today I ran 6 miles.

When I began this journey several months ago I had no idea how I would fare. The one thing I did know was that failure was not an option. I have 11 other women depending on me to complete each leg of my run. So today I woke up with a plan. I was going to run 6 miles. I was not going to try to run 6 miles, I was actually going to do it. So I packed Abby's lunch, hugged her and sent her to school. I kissed Bob good-bye as he left for work and I got dressed. I put on my "I'm Saving Babies" t-shirt and my Nike running skirt (both favorites of mine) and drank a few sips of Spark, my energy drink of choice. I stretched a bit and kenneled Rory with her beloved peanut butter filled Kong and I left.

I hit the trails and I marvelled at the beauty of spring. I thought about my Aunt Debbie who would have celebrated her 58th birthday yesterday if breast cancer had not taken her from us much too soon. I cleared my head of all the stress of last week and I ran. I powered through the hills and hit my stride. I just kept going. As I hit the hills on the back side of my run I took a brief water break and kept going. I never felt tired or winded or sore. My legs had an energy I had never felt before. As I walked into my house 1 hour and 13 minutes later I felt an amazing sense of accomplishment. With 8 weeks left to train I thought to myself, "No worries, I've got this!"

Today I am 47. Today I ran 6 miles.

Running with a Purpose

Today I am running with a purpose. Coincidentally, that is the name of my daughter Ashley's blog. She started 2011 determined to give back, determined to make a difference. Today we will.

I received a phone call from my sister this morning with some devastating news. Yet again, a young member of my family has been struck by breast cancer. Quite honestly, it's a bit overwhelming. I lost a favorite aunt to this disease and another has battled it twice. It is now her daughter's turn and she is only 30. She was the flower girl in my wedding and I will never forget her precious fish lips as she sat in the front pew with my parents. She is now in for the fight of her life as her cancer is Stage IV.

I have yet to mention our full team name for Ragnar because I was just a little embarassed. Today our team name takes on a whole new meaning and I am proud to tell you that we are running as 12 TuTus and 24 TaTas.

My sister, Betsy, summarized it best. "Well hello Ragnar Relay, nice to meet you. I can't personally kick cancer's ass, so I am here to kick yours. Consider yourself warned. Love, 12 TuTus and 24 TaTas"

So today I encourage you to find your purpose and make a difference. And please do your breast self-exam. It just might save your life!