Fork In The Road

When faced with a fork in the road, what would you do? Go left? Go Right? Stand there indecisive?

I choose to go right. Right to the heart of the matter, right to the path with the most hills and obstacles, right to end.

Running brought me to a fork in the road. In all of the hours I have spent on the road, dodging pot holes and cringing as I pushed my body up hill, I often thought of giving up. I could have gone left and walked the distance, but I chose to go right and run the distance. I chose this, for ME.....

Run the distance, feel the wind on your face, with your shoulders back and head up cross the finish line with pride! I know I will :0)

Moving through the crowd

Here I sit, just 6 days away from my 1st endurance event. I am getting more and more excited as I count down....7..6...5...

I want to run, run away from doubt, run away from insecurity and run away from anything that tries to hold me back!

I want to run to the light, run for life, run to find something in myself I thought I had lost long ago.

When I am tired and want to give up, I will remember the days, weeks and months spent training for that day, that moment when I transition from can I do this, to I can do this!!!

Running With Purpose

This week is the most exciting week I've had since renewing my love for running. The Oklahoma City 1/2 Marathon is next Sunday and I am starting to get extremely excited. I have to admit, the little nagging voice inside my head keeps reminding me that the furthest I've run (since high school) is 10.6 miles. I am torn between simply finishing the race and pushing myself to create a personal record. I guess that any finish time is a personal record considering I have never run a 1/2 marathon! I am doing my homework; what should I eat/drink the week prior to the race? How much exercise should I do to stay limber without over doing it? What should I wear Race Day? I did not realize that I would be this anxious. However, I have to be real with myself, this is the most important thing that I have done for “ME” in a very long time.

As a mother, wife, friend, sister, daughter and employee, the time I spent training was time that I invested in myself. This is a new concept for me.
I realize that running has been my own personal achievement, something that is not a result of my childhood, my height, weight or education. Rather, this is something that I did by pushing myself physically; mind over body. I am proud of myself and excited about Race Day.

I am looking forward running the distance. This time I am not running away; I am running to...running to meet a goal that I set for myself 5 months ago. I believe that crossing the finish line is going to be a very emotional and rewarding moment. I am ready....

With Each Step, I move forward

Running today I felt free. Each step I took reminded me of my ability to push myself forward through wind, rain, tears and pain. Looking forward, I am completely aware of my surroundings, but completely removed from anything that may slow me down. I clear my mind of the cobwebs and remember why running soothes me.

Running for a cause

I am very excited to be 21 days away from my 1st half marathon. I am running in honor of those who live life everyday with cancer, specifically Blood Cancers. I am running in memory of those who lost their lives ,tragically, in the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. I will be thinking of the victims, families and survivors while I run the course. Crossing the Finish Line will be an emotional moment for me and I will remember that I am blessed to see the Finish Line.

In The Zone

When I get in The Zone I hear nothing and see no one. The wind pushes against me challenging my body to push back, and I take the challenge, pushing back until it hurts. The sun smiles down on me and I smile back. I use this time to "run away"~ only to run back to where I started.

The Zone is my place; I own it and control it. Without it there are too many distractions; I run for love, run for fun, run to live and run to give. I check it at the door and leave it on the pavement~let it go~ into The Zone.

What is running through your mind while you run?

Is there something that you run from? Something that you run to? Is there someone you run from, or maybe someone you run to?

What do you think about when you run? Or do you run to clear your head and not think of anything?

Do you smile when you run? Have you ever cried while you run? Once you hit the "second wind" and you feel like you could run for ever~ do you?

Do you push yourself to run until you cannot physically run anymore? This is a great way to push away the stress of the day and push yourself until nothing else matters.

26 Days...

Counting down until Race Day and I'm growing more and more excited. Ran 8.2 miles Saturday and was sore for 2 days afterwards. OUCH!! I hit the spin class yesterday and let Monica (the instructor) take me from sore- to more sore. However, I find it odd that running hurts more than spinning. They are both hard, challenging and "burn", but my legs recover from the run quicker when I incorporate the low impact spin class. I like this new found "recovery" regimen.

Today, I thought I'd challenge myself a little extra~ 1 1/2 miles on the treadmill @ a 2.0 incline with a speed of 5.2. Ran the 1st 1/2 mile @ 4.8. Afterwards...I hit spin class and WOW...what a challenge! Feels good though. So an Ice Bath was in order and I'm just now warming up ;0)

Training hard, getting ready...26 days to go.

Back on Track

After injuries and hitting "the wall" physically, I had started to feel like my time and efforts were wasted. Not to mention pain, sweat and tears~ yes, tears. I had no regrets, don't get me wrong, but I felt as though my goal was slipping away and I didn't like it.

I began following orders from my Coach, Chiropractor and Sports Masseuse to the "T". I decided to add a little low impact/high intensity regimen into the mix and the results...well, let's just say I ran 8 miles today at a consistent pace and finished ahead of my expected time. What a feeling~ I am "Back on Track"! 13.1....Here I come! Only 4 weeks left; bring it on!

***The regimen- Spin classes at the local gym 2 days a week for 2 weeks. In the 3rd week I added a spin class with a 1 1/2 mile "race pace" run on the treadmill before class. It is hard but effective. FYI- padded biking shorts are a must! Trust me.

If I can run~ I can be free

Today like many others, I cannot wait to get outside. When running for fun turned into running for a cause, everything changed. Only 5 weeks until the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon and I am getting antsy.

I am doing this for them, doing this for me and most of all, running to be free!