Sunday, July 27, 2008

The Joy of Sprinklers


Today I ran 10 miles for the first time in at least a couple of months. I don't know what has happened. It's been a busy summer as usual and all kinds of other things have distracted me along the way. I guess I can honestly say I just lost motivation to train. So I've decided I may not do Silverman in November. I have my sights set on running 100 miles, something I've wanted to do for some time now.

So anyway......10 miles. Well, I slept until 2:00 this afternoon so I didn't even set out of the run until 5:30 p.m. It was hot and hard from the very beginning. It took me awhile to get into a rhythm and I'm not sure it ever really happened but things were going fairly well. I guess I'm just not used to the heat yet because I feel like I could not possibly sweat anymore. I froze my Heed and it tasted hot after about 2 miles. Then I just get annoyed at the heat.

I finally finished 8 miles which put me back on the street near my apartment. I ran most of the way on the paved trail which was just slightly cooler than the street. Well I hit the sidewalk and keep running. I look down at my Garmin to see where I'm at and notice that it's off. That's weird. It never said low battery or anything. I stopped (I certainly didn't mind the break) and attempted to fix my Garmin. It wasn't working. I leaned against the railing and reflected on the fact that I had 2 long miles to go.

Then a great song that I love running to came on my ipod. Just at that moment I noticed some sprinklers up the road. I smiled and ran to the sprinklers where I found a joy I haven't appreciated since childhood. I walked through the grass in the sprinklers. Finally I just stood next to one until I was completely soaked. My shoes squished and I looked like I had just taken a shower. But I didn't care. The rest of the 2 miles went by quickly. I have no idea how fast I ran them since I didn't have my Garmin and that's ok. Sometimes it's nice to enjoy a walk through some sprinklers, good music, the sun on your skin and a beautiful Sunday evening. Just what I need to keep motivated for another week of training :)

Inspiration

I really wrote this on April 23rd but I never got the chance to post it. So here it is: Ok, once again I am restarting my blog. I keep thinking about it and now seems to be as good a time as any. There will be time later to talk about my latest running accomplishments and goals. But for now I have something else to say. I’m on a plane on my way home from burying my grandmother. I miss her more than I thought or realized I would. But at the same time I know how much of her I take with me in this life. I will always strive to be the kind of woman she was and to live my life with the grace and faith that she did. So as I sat here stressing over how many things I have to do when I get home I finally just smiled with a new realization. It’s a beautiful day out. The sun is shining, Spring has arrived and summer is near. I have a job that I love and friends that love me. Because of the way my grandmother saved her money, I’ll be able to pay off a few more bills and pay for my Personal Training certification. I just got certified as a Lifeguard Instructor and I’m excited to train my team this summer and prove what kind of a leader I can be. We are running an endurance camp this summer that I get to help coach which is a huge opportunity and something I’m very excited for. My dad and I made up and made plans to do some things together (we had not spoken since Thanksgiving). And on that note, should I run 40 miles this weekend? Probably not. I have a million things to do and I don’t really even feel recovered from Brew to Brew. But what would my grandma do if she were me? I have no doubt that she’d be there Saturday morning with a smile. So it’s time. To embrace life and to find hope in my future. Sometimes you just have to try even though you don’t know what may happen. I need to run. Because I look at my family sitting around getting drunk and fat, complaining that their knees hurt and they’re too tired and it’s easier to sit on the couch. And I know one thing. I am not them. I run because I can, because I love the experience of just being out there. Because every time I run a find peace and I find faith. I feel my grandmother’s spirit with me and I know how proud of me she would be. There is a joy in that that goes way beyond staying in shape or fitness. This is what I was meant to do. I have finally found my way. I have more respect for my grandmother than I could ever put into words and I hope she is always with me, cheering me on and filling me with her graceful spirit.