Streaking with my clothes on!

I have mentioned before that I am an "All or Nothing" kind of gal. Yep! That would be me...I either resist the plate of nachos or I eat the whole thing in its entirety in a matter of minutes! I go on the wagon for weeks at a time, but once I fall off, it is ALL OVER and no can of Coors Light or bottle of chardonnay within a few inches is safe!!

To stay motivated between half marathons, I decided to challenge myself for the month of July to run EVERYDAY! They call that "streaking" in running lingo! You can become a streaker by either running everyday for a certain period of time or you could run the same race year after year and be considered a "streaker". Either way, it sounded like fun to me and it satisfied my "all or nothing" way of life. One lady I read about ran everyday for 365 days and drank a different kind of beer everyday after her run (I think she drank 2 beers the very last day)!! I thought that was pretty cool...but, since I'm a devout Coors or Budweiser girl, I would run out of beer choices mid-way through the week! :)

So, I am on Day 17 of this personal challenge and so far, so good! I have managed to run everyday...somedays, it is all I can do to get moving and run a mile (aka "The morning after gals wine night!"). Other days, I feel as if I could run forever! My shortest run has been 1 mile and my longest run has been 4.2, averaging 2.51 a day. This sort of challenge works well for me because I know that if I stop, I will be done. So, it has become somewhat of a game with me to keep the streak going. The tricky part is geting out there early, before it gets too hot. I have been pretty good about that and so far, have only had to run in the heat of the day once! (I also set a goal for 2012 to run atleast 12 miles a week, so this keeps me on track with that goal as well.)

Turns out, I come by this "All or Nothing" attitude rather honestly. I come from a long line of "AorNAYer's". This patten is most evident in my older brother, Kevin who I believe holds the World's Record for longest consecutive jump roping!! He started jump roping on March 22, 1997 and never stopped. That is 15 plus years of jump roping, people! Every. Single. Day. When he first started, he lost 60 lbs! Now, it has become a way of life and probably somewhat of an addiction. He has jump roped under the Eifel Tower, at the Vatican; all sorts of exciting and unusual places! He even forgot his jump rope one time on vacation so, he made a makeshift one out of the phone cord!! Gotta love that kind of creative thinking!

It really is almost easier to do something everyday than it is to say you will do it 4 times a week. If you know you are going to run everyday, then there is no negotiating with yourself. You don't start making deals with yourself like, "I can take tomorrow off if I run today" or "I can push the snooze button and run extra tomorrow!" You just get up and do it. And, pretty soon, it becomes habit.

"Just Do it. And Do It Again Everyday."

Embrace your weaknesses!!

"My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

I absolutely love this scripture. It is so comforting to me in times of trial or tribulation. Often we wonder why God allows suffering in our world and I think this verse sums it up. If it were not for tough times, we would never know how strong we are. And, let's admit it, we often don't turn to God until we are in trouble. Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose Driven Life" writes an entire chapter on God's Power in your Weakness. He says: "Your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts." Other people can find healing in our wounds, just as we found salvation and redemption in Christ's suffering on the cross.

Warren goes on to say "God has never been impressed with strength or self sufficiency, in fact He is drawn to people who are weak and admit it." In the bible, this is especially evident in Paul. He said, "I am quite happy about the 'thorn' ...for when I am weak, then I am strong - the less I have, the more I depend on Him." According to Warren, "our weaknesses prevent arrogance and keep us humble." I have found this to be so true in my own life. It is often during times when things are at their worst (whether it be financially, health-wise or just facing a small crisis) that I am most content. I find that it is during these times that I focus more on what I do have and on the things that I can control. I turn to God for guidance and end up feeling truly blessed and full.

I love the idea of God using us, with all of our weakness and imperfections, to keep us humble and to bring us closer to Him. Being honest and vulnerable is also what leads to true connections with others. No one likes that person who always has a fake smile plastered on their face, acting as if nothing is ever wrong in their life. It is when we admit our weaknesses and let down our guard that God can truly begin to work in our lives and we can begin to connect with others around us in a meaningful way. I have seen this at play so many times in my own life. Friendships in which I allow myself to "go deep" and get real about life situations and feelings, take on a whole new dimension and become so much more emotionally satisfying than just an ordinary acquaintance. I can tell my true friends by how many times we have cried together!

Being weak is not a curse, it's a blessing. It is anything that causes us to stop and examine our own lives and lean on God a little more. It is anything that allows us to become more "real" and humble in our relations to other people. So, the next time you face a particularly challenging situation, remember, it is these times that God uses us the most! I can't help but find comfort in that!

(As I type this blog, my fingers are tingling and I have a strange numbing sensation in my thumbs! Just another strange and annoying reminder that I have MS! Only now, I can rejoice in these small inconveniences knowing that God is using me for a greater purpose  - and I have an excuse for any misspelled words! Ha!)

MS Doesn't mean "No Mas"!!

Recently, I have been doing my best to just forget that I have MS. Training for and running my second half marathon (last weekend) makes me feel rather "studly" and makes me feel strong and invincible! I usually don't even think about having MS until my monthly IV. And, then, I'm like "Wait a minute, Why am I sitting in this chair with a needle in my arm? Oh yeah, I have MS!" I sit there for a couple hours and then I walk out the door and go on with my life.

MS is a funny thing. I have heard it referred to as the "But you look so good" disease! Which is a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because to the outside world, I look normal. I can walk, run, jump and do pretty much anything any of my friends can do...Okay, let's be honest, I often do MORE than any of my friends in a given day. On the other hand, though, it can be a curse because no one really knows just how much it sucks! As much as people try to empathize, unless they've been in my shoes, they just don't know. They don't know the fear that I know. The fear of uncertainty...wondering if I'll end up in a wheelchair someday, wondering if my children will get this disease, or wondering how long I will feel this good. Come to think of it, those are things we all worry about, MS or not, right?

 I consider myself very lucky because at the moment, I don't really have any glaring symptoms (thanks to my medication!) and I feel pretty normal. But, there are times that I'll be laying in bed and cannot feel my lower legs and feet. When I wake up in the morning, it is a bit hard to get my bearings. I stagger to the bathroom...a little unsteady on my feet. There are times when I forget things...mostly short-term stuff, like "why did I walk in this room?" or "what in the hell was I looking for just now?" Then, there are those times when I will be searching frantically for my expensive sunglasses, only to have someone (usually a small child) say, "Aren't those them on your head?" I truly don't know if I can blame MS for all of these mishaps or if some of it is just the natural progression of age. I imagine that it's a little of both.

I guess what I'm trying to get across is that even though I have MS, it does not dictate how I live my life. Life is uncertain for all of us. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. I don't use it as an excuse to not try new things or push myself beyond my limitations...rather, I use it as motivation to go further. I run because I know that someday, my legs may not be as strong and capable as they are today. I do crosswords everyday because I know that someday, my mind may not be as clear as it is today. I try to greet each day with excitement because I know what it's like to want to crawl back under the covers and hide from the world...when it hurts just to get out of bed. I am thankful that God has given me another day, a day that I feel good. MS has been such a gift - a reminder that life is fragile and that everything can change in the blink of an eye. A reminder that none of us is guaranteed tomorrow and we have no right to take a single moment for granted. A reminder to seize the day!

So, just for today, I am going to forget that I have MS. One day at a time, baby. One day at a time.

Taking a break from my busy day to get a stinkin'  IV! And yes, I am rockin' a pair of cowboy boots with my sundress!!



Olympic Track Trials

I had a chance yesterday to witness history in the making. I got to spend the day in beautiful Eugene, Oregon..."Track Town USA" watching the Olympic Track and Field trials. Wow! What a cool experience!

Before I took up running, you wouldn't have caught me dead at a track trial. Never have had an iota of interest in watching them. But, now that my love affair with the almighty run has blossomed into a full-blown affair, all I wanted to do was attend the trials this year. Tickets weren't cheap. The weather wasn't great. Had to drive over and back within 24 hours due to prior commitments...but, man, was it worth it!

Just watching these amazing men and women run...and jump...and throw...and hurdle! Well, it is nothing short of beautiful! Their long, lean and strong legs leave you gaping in awe that a human body can actually look like that! And, oh, don't even get me started on their washboard abs!!! :)

The most interesting event for me was the Women's Steeplechase Finals, the last event of the day. The women have to run around the track 7 1/2 times, while jumping over hurdles, one of which has a pool of water to jump over as well...It amazes me what grace and dignity these agile athletes exhibit and I am in awe as they run so fast all the while jumping over the hurdles. I mean, I can barely manage to make it over small rocks and weeds when I run...I can't imagine having to hurl myself over several barricades! It also amazes me that a milisecond can make the difference in packing your bags to go to London or packing your bags to go home. Never again, will I doubt the significance of shaving minutes or even seconds off my race times. One of their slogans, reads: "From Eugene to London in 22 seconds!" I now know first hand, how true that is.

I witnessed some of the fastest runners in the trials...Sanya Richards-Ross, Allyson Felix and Emma Coburn. Watch for these ladies! They will no doubt be making some waves in London!

It was just cool to have a birds eye view at an event that is so awe-inspiring and tradition-laden such as this. I feel blessed to have been able to go. And, I realize that, yes, I have become a bonafide, official running GEEK because I was totally wrapped up in the days events, never once leaving my seat...glued to the "going ons" below me. The "old me" would have never done that! The "old me" would have spent more time in the beer garden than on the bleachers. The "old me" would have thought a steeplechase was when two people are rushing to the altar to get married! I have to smile when I think how far I've come in the last 2 years and how much running has changed my life and interests!

Emma Coburn wins the Womens Steeplechase Finals...

What to expect when you're expecting...(to run a half marathon!)

They both involve a lot of pushing - especially at the end. They both require your body to undergo intense physical pain. They both produce a sweet, life changing reward and change your life forever.

If you never thought training for a half marathon and being pregnant had anything in common....well, then, you are probably a man  - or you've never run a half marathon!! :) This weekend, myself and 4 girlfriends ran the Pacific Crest Half Marathon. As we sat there, after the race, over several cold brewskis, we discussed a lot of deep life issues. We covered topics like surviving the death of parent, raising kids, traveling to far away places. It is amazing how training, running and sweating it out with close friends, suddenly makes everyone more vulnerable and the discussion of any topic becomes permissable. You have nothing to hide and find that similair, shared experiences is the thing that got you into this in the first place.

We recounted each mile of the race, noted particularly difficult stretches and rejoiced in our final steps over the finish line...all of us achieving "personal records" that day.  There were smiles, laughter and yes, lots of tears. It was one of those female bonding moments that you only see in the movies. We had trained hard and we were relishing in the "afterglow" of a job well done. We gave our families a ton of credit...knowing full well that we could not have done our long weekend runs if it hadn't been for our supportive husbands. We cherished the look on our children's faces as they saw some of us cross a half marathon finish line for the first time...and yes, we patted ourselves on the back for putting the time and energy into a rather lofty goal and accomplishing it!

Perhaps training for a half and bringing a baby into the world are more similar than anyone ever thought? I mean, when else in your life would you forgo a two martini lunch for a salad and glass of water or keep a daily journal on what you ate, how much weight you have gained and how you are feeling? We tend to treat ourselves way better when we are expecting...by taking lots of vitamins and allowing ourselves to rest; eating for two causes us to look more closely at what we put in our bodies and more often than not, we think twice about having that obligatory glass of wine with dinner.

Just like pregnancy, training forces us to focus on what is good for our bodies and what will make them stronger and more effective when it really counts. It involves sacrifice for the good of the whole. We are willing to endure 9 months or 10 weeks of scrutinizing our habits because we know it will be worth it in the end.

But...the most common similarity, we all agreed, is that, like childbirth, you quickly forget how much pain is involved and tend to focus on the end result (whether it's holding your precious new bundle or that shiny precious medal!)...and can't wait to start working on the next one!!

Summer Rules

I know, sounds like an oxymoron, right? It's summertime...which equates to no school, no schedule, no shoes, no rules! But, as a teacher and a mom, by nature, I still have to have some sort of organization to our otherwise chaotic, carefree, "no-schedule" summer days!

It's the first official day of summer and my daughter is already complaining. She is bored (the ink hasn't even dried from her 5th grade graduation certificate!) She doesn't have a thing to do. Well, I could make a list of a million things she could do!! So, this moment is what got me thinking about the topic for this blog: "Summer Rules". And, here they are, starting with the most important: (insert drumroll here...)

#1. The word "bored" cannot be uttered from June 15th - September 4th! First of all, if you are bored, it is an insult to yourself. And, second of all, there is always something to do. If you can't think of something on your own, I will be happy to hand over my TO DO list to you...and believe me, you don't want that! (I am even considering charging a small fine when I hear that dreaded "B" word!)

2. If we can ride bikes there, we will. (We are blessed to live in one of the most bike friendly cities in the nation!)

3. Spend 20 minutes reading something every day. (If your kids are not readers, make a chart, buy some stickers and give them weekly "treats" for their hard work!)

4. Try something new every week! (Go to a new park, a new restaurant, or simply play a game you've never played before, right at home!)

5. Go Barefoot as much as possible...(As a kid, I remember spending the entire summer barefoot! I had a never-ending stubbed big toe and skinned knee AND of course, my share of bee stings and sharp object imbedded in my foot...but, man it was worth it to feel the cool grass beneath my feet! I don't think kids these days go barefoot enough -probably not "PC" or something! Pfft!)

6. Sleep under the stars atleast once!! (Even if it's in your own backyard!)

7. Eat a sloppy, sticky s'more whenever you get the chance! (and if you are worried about the calories, plop a piece of dark chocolate on instead of the milk chocolate, and VOILA! a healthy s'more 'cuz there are hardly ANY calories in marshmallows OR graham crackers, right?!!)

8. Sleep in if you feel like it.

9. Keep your freezer stocked with Otter Pops!! (Buy the 5000 pack at Costco and your kids will always have a yummy snack to cool them off!)

10. Go skinny dipping! (Okay, so I threw this one in for the adults, there is nothing more freeing to tear off your suit and swim in a remote lake or river or your own pool after the kids are asleep!!) hee he

So, there you have it...not a long list by any means, especially coming from the "Queen of Lists!" But, I think it covers the basics! Summer is a time to relax, replenish and re-charge those low batteries. But, the teacher and mom in me, says that we also need to keep our minds sharp and our creativity a cookin' even without the structure of everyday classrooms instruction - the best of both worlds perhaps!

Happy Summer!!!



Ahhh...the joy of summer!!

Twice fallen...twice shy!

Okay, Okay! It was bound to happen sooner or later! I'd been running almost 2 years and had yet to fall. Well, up until a few weeks ago, that is. And, then last week, it happened again!

A normal person might say..."To heck with running." or "I better slow down before I kill myself." Some people, once they experience something negative, try at all costs to avoid the very situation that caused them pain. Well, not this girl! I have one thing to say, "I just need to keep a better watch on those damn rocks because I am NOT going to giving up running until they bury me in the dirt!"

Both times that I have fallen...it have been on a 5 -6 miler with my two running buddies. (We are training for a half marathon and training requires us to do LONG runs on the weekend.) And, both times, it was at Mile One of the run!

The first time, I tripped and fell to the ground but, was able to pick myself up, brush myself off and continue as if nothing had happened. My partners stopped to make sure I was okay, but it was apparent that they didn't think it warranted stopping. So, neither did I!

The next time, we were just starting out on a 6 mile loop around the gorgeous Deschutes River. It was 540am. I was chatting up a storm, filling them in on my Memorial Day Escapades...when, BOOOM! I tripped and fell and ended up flat on the ground, staring directly at a very large rock, just centimeters from my face!! I fell much harder this time. Luckily, I had braced myself with my left hand and was able to break my fall somewhat and also avoid hitting my face on that sharp rock! I also had gloves on, since it was a particularly cold morning, which I am certain saved me from even more damage.

Again, my friends stopped in their tracks, checked me out and were happy when I brushed myself off and set off on our run.

It hurt like hell. It was all I could do to keep from crying and continue on. Lord knows, I have a hard enough time running 6 miles on a good day, let alone with a bruised hand and bloody shin/knee!

I finished the run. Drove home. And, once I was in the saftey cocoon of my own home, I bawled like a baby!! My husband just sort of stood there in awkward silence in the kitchen, not quite sure what to say. He grabbed the hydrogen peroxide and scrubbed the you-know-what out of my "owie" while I closed my eyes and cringed. He also brought me three ibuprofens and a glass of water to wash it down! Good man! (Had it been 6PM instead of 6AM, I am sure he would have replaced that glass of water with a glass of wine...or two!)

Life is hard sometimes. Things don't always go the way we expect. Some days, we just need to suck it up and be tough and carry on. And, then sometimes, we just need to let go, surrender to the pain, and have a good old fashioned cry! Some days, we do a little of both.

My hand swelled up the size of an orange, turned some amazing colors and my shin and knee had a nice pattern of road rash all over them...but, thankfully, nothing was broken (except perhaps, my ego!) and I was happily able to complete a 12 mile training run this morning...with NO falls!

If there is one thing, I've learned, it is this: "Keep an eye on the ground, because at any moment, it can rise up and frickin' hit you in the face!" But, I've also learned that you can't let life's little bumps keep you down. For too long anyway!