Christmas and Running

Running is like being in a relationship. You must consider it when you make your lifestyle choices. I have struggled this week to balance the running with the eating and the staying up late. The good news is I remained faithful to the running but sometimes I paid the consequence of too much food and not enough sleep. I wonder if next week my blog will be titled "New Years and Running"?One thing I am thankful for: the holiday food in the fridge is getting smaller and losing its allure!

Week 21-Run 23/walk1/run 6

Even after indulging too much at a Christmas party last night, still the run was great! I find that it's more of a psychological challenge. The beginning of the run requires mental adjustment from the sedentary mindset...but once I find the rhythm of the run, it's soothing, relaxing, guilt-free, solitary chill out time. I always thought runners were like very aggressive and that you had to run like you were about to have a heart attack. Not so! Not so! It's a relaxing thing...you have to let go of the tension and stress to enjoy the run.Granted, I will NOT be breaking any 5K records in the 50 year old category...but I don't really care! Once again I draw on the encouraging words of John "the penguin" Bingham...waddle on! I don't care if my pace seems slow,as long as I am enjoying the run and I'm sweating when I get home, then that's fast pace enough for me.

Week 20-Run 20/walk 1/run 9

I had the best dream last night! It was right up there with my "eating all I want and still be skinny" dreams(yes! isn't that weird? but I do really have those!)and the incredibly wonderful sexy dreams(yes! I have those too! What can I say? As a single mom, it's the closest I can get to romance in this small town!)
Let's see...where was I? I was running down the long street in front of my house that is parallel to a railroad track. I was wearing a sparkling red running top and shorts...it practically glowed! There was also a red Japanese tourist bus following me(okay, that detail is how we know it's a dream..HA!)I was running along and as I was running I looked down and my legs began to define themselves with the muscles of an olympic runner...I felt like I was running faster than the wind. It was a wonderful, uplifting,encouraging, made me want to get out in the cold rain and run kind of dream. I am still in the afterglow of it! Like I said..I LOVE running!!
Yesterday I ran in the sleet and rain and I loved it. Today it looks like it'll just be running in the plain old rain...no glamorous sleet today. I finally bought some long running pants. I've been running in capri tights. I like having some skin exposed on my legs, but yesterday's sleet made me realize it was time to "winterize"...the southern version, at least. I've been running with wool cap and fleece lined jacket and pulling my hands up into the sleeves when it got cold. I don't like being tied down with gloves...makes it too difficult to reset running timer on my phone. So, now I will add some running pants.
One more thing..I LOVE the Nike Dri-fit fabric. It's like running wrapped up in a soft cloth. Will invest in more soon, now that I've discovered that.

Momma Reflections

Here's what it is. This being a mother and all. You would die for your child. Because you dying is better than the alternative of THEM dying. And that pretty much sets the tone for motherhood. My son is 15 now. A far cry from the tow headed, verbally gifted cheerful little thing he was at 4. So, he's working toward his Eagle Scout this Spring. He is in the Order of the Arrow, which is an honor within the scouts. In this order, they are indian dancers. This requires a costume. An elaborate grass dancing costume. A costume that is due to be danced in tomorrow. A costume I began on Tuesday, armed with velcro, fabric glue, yards and pounds of yarn in colors of red and blue glued onto black satin. I am telling you WHAT! I am so far out of my element it defies description. I can't even go into any more detail about it, such is the depth of my insecurity in this area!So, it's 1a.m. and I was thinking about what would motivate me to do this for him. And what I came up with was mother love. The same love I had when he was that little boy. That little boy is still in that growing, awkward, hilarious,smart,moody, tender hearted, loving teenager I have right now. And I look ahead and I realize he's going out in the world in three years. My goodness, that is a scary thought because there's so much more to tell him, to teach him and I'm still moody and trying to live my life and teach my kids and in the middle of that swirling soup of things...there he is at the core. I think the indian costume will prove my love for him more than my telling him. To do something so foreign to you strictly out of love for that person. Gotta go velcro...oh, and run in the morning...YAY!(I mean that, too!)

Week 19-Run 18/walk 1/run 11

Piece of cake!

Week 18-Run 16/walk 1/run 13

I'm covered UP in some work this week and it's affected my running. I'm behind one run right now which I will make up on a rest day Monday.Can't wait for my routine to be restored. Missing one run affects me psychologically and keeps me from thinking so clearly. Missing one run makes my body feel stiffer, less flexible. Missing one run makes me scared that I'll never run again. Missing one run makes me realize how much I LOVE running.It feels like a friend...okay, I'm starting to sound a little "looney", but I wouldn't sound that way if I hadn't missed a run...HA!