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Run Your Race

13 Oct

It’s a motto to help you stay focused and calm about the goal at hand. It helps take me out of the competition with others and make it a competition with myself.

Run your race. I will not let another runner distract me from my goal. So what if they’re running faster than me? Who cares if I just got passed by someone younger/older? That speed walker up there is crushing my above-average pace. Can I catch up to her? Head shake, slap. Stop. Focus.

Run your race. I’m not in it to win it their way – I’m in it to win it mine. Not to cross the finish line first or fastest to win but to set a goal that keeps moving me forward in ability. Complete the goal? Success – even if your number is toward the bottom of the pack. Don’t let that bother you. Don’t compare, even though it’s so easy to measure minutes. Didn’t complete the goal? Try again and don’t beat yourself up about it. There’s always tomorrow. A better run day. A better run feeling.

Run your race. I set goals for myself for each race but I tend to pad them out a bit so that I won’t be disappointed by overshooting my abilities or maybe I’ll be really happy when I surpass the number I zeroed in on for my target time. I’m sure there’s a science to setting a new goal time but mine is all in my heart and head. It’s the number I want next.

Recently, that number was 32 minutes. My best 5K time at the point when I set that goal was 34:37 from a race in March. My want is to run a sub-30 minute 5K. Maybe someday but I thought that would be a huge jump from 34 so I split the difference – and I did it.

31:54. Through the hills, body aches telling me I was evil and other faster runners, I ran my race.

32:00 Accomplished!

Next up, a mud run obstacle course with a team of tough ladies and then the big race I’ve been training for – the Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon. To run my race for that, I really just need to finish – being it’s my first half. I’m kind of hard on myself though so I’m setting a time goal too. I’m hoping I finish around 2:45. There’s a small sliver of maybe (based off my current training times) that I could finish around 2:40 but I’m not going to say that number out loud. I don’t want to start trash-talking myself yet. After all, I’ll be running my race.

My Six D’s of Disney

12 Oct

First, another “D” for disclaimer: This post is very long. I wrote it as a review of-sorts and a memory-keeper. If you’d like to just read what I’d like to do-over for a future trip (Andrew jokingly says that will be in 17 years), skip down to the bottom of the post for my Do-Overs. Maybe they’ll help other first timers as well.

First Visit Pins

Our first family trip to Disney World started out like many others, I’m sure. The “We’re going to Disney” post on facebook welcomed suggestions from friends and then my research began online. I questioned my closest friends, “Where to stay?” “Where to eat?” “Dining plan or no?” “How long?” “Will I have time to brush my teeth?” After filtering through all the feedback, I should’ve been all set for success but I still doubted my decisions. I bought a book called The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World with Kids and called in reinforcements – a travel agent.

Our friends have used the agent in the past and recommended her. Deb with MEI and Mouse Fan Travel took a huge weight from my shoulders. A phone call and a few emails later, we were booked and dinner reservations were made for Valles, party of four. Then, the other kind of wait set in – we have how many months until we get to go?!

Drive

Fast forward to October 4 and Nate cries to me that he doesn’t want to go. He’s scared of the rides. I talk to him about it and our dear friends even have their little girl record him a video telling him it will be fun and there’s a ton to do. He feels better and then we’re off! We’re driving along, driving along … did you know that people in Florida with a lot of money really don’t like abortions but they seem to really like strip clubs? I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, just saying it made for interesting discussion with our kids along the path to Disney. I guess I was thinking it would be a more kid-friendly kind of whee! Silly me.

Digs

What rain?

When we finally reached that “Yeah, Disney!” sign, it was flooding rain. Thunder. Lightning. No matter! We’re there! The Art of Animation is Disney’s newest value resort. The Little Mermaid room (complete with a giant statue Ariel outside) was our home for the next five days. Size-wise, it was an average hotel room. It did the trick. I was surprised it wasn’t more kid-friendly being that the resort is really meant for the pint-sized patrons. At 6 years old, Nate couldn’t reach the sink to brush his teeth or the towel rack to dry his hands. He also had to really stretch to reach the tp from the potty. Andrew said he also noticed this issue at the Disney parks themselves. Only one or two kid-height urinals and one shorter sink in the public restrooms. I didn’t notice that as much because Nia is taller but even the paper towel dispenser in those restrooms was high for me. (I should note, I don’t mean for these to sound like complaints, just observations.) Maybe they were in case King Triton and his merman 6-pack needed to use the facilities.

Giant Statues to Greet You

Along with The Little Mermaid art at the resort, it’s adorned with scenes from The Lion King, Finding Nemo and Cars. The lobby’s walls are covered in everything from sketch drawings to the finished, colored characters. Very cool. There’s an arcade and the main pool hosted different activities throughout the day and a movie under the stars played each night. You wouldn’t even need to leave the resort to have a great time at Disney. But, of course, you want to!

Nia Amid Lobby Art

Delights

With a leisurely arrival on that first day, we headed straight to our dinner reservations with the princesses at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at Epcot. The kids loved it. They got autographs and pictures with Belle, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel and Snow White. They adored signing Nate’s baseball, proclaiming it the first one they ever signed. Nate was in happily ever after heaven, especially over Snow White who blew him a kiss and seriously won in my book for best performance. For mom and dad, dinner was good and we were excited for the kids.

Nate was smitten.

You can tell Nia’s favorite was Cinderella.

Saturday dinner was a barrel of laughs at the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. We ate dinner while watching a live performance complete with singing, dancing and goofy comedy. We all laughed and Andrew even gave a few of his loudest whistles during the audience participation parts. I recommend the Hoop-Dee-Doo for the performance aspect of it – just know it requires two table service credits per person if you have the dining plan. (That includes the tip.) As with all the food at Disney, you get a ton of it and it’s all good.

Our favorite meal of the trip though was at Biergarten Restaurant at Epcot’s Germany Pavilion. It was a bountiful buffet of delicious German specialties and it was tough to stop sampling. We splurged for the German beer there as well since alcohol isn’t included in the dining plan. (We just had the regular plan – one snack, one quick/counter service meal, and one table service meal per person, per day.) The kids also were able to get up and dance while the band played. They had a blast.

Gettin’ Down after Dinner

Chef Mickey’s was the other table service meal we had. Andrew called it a slightly upscale Golden Corral starring Mickey and crew (the real reason you eat there). We were there for dinner and heard that breakfast is wonderful. The kids couldn’t have been happier with the food and the friends. They loaded up on all their favorites and beamed when meeting the beloved stars of the show.

Mickey and Kids

Happy to Meet Minnie

Eye-balling Each Other

As for the quick/counter meals we ate, they included the Flaming Tree Barbeque, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe, Pizza Planet and our hotel cafeteria. One suggestion I have is to make sure to check out the children’s menu of each counter location and plan based off that so they kids aren’t eating nuggets and burgers for days in a row.

I’m pleased with how it turned out for our meals. I just knew where were going to eat lunch each day and planned our trek through the parks around that (and the must do attractions).

Destination Fun

Our first night there, Nate was feeling pretty full after our dinner with the princesses and Nia had her heart set on gift shop exploring. She found her beloved Dumbo Mickey Mouse Ears at Epcot and loved the many compliments about them from park employees and other visitors. Nate zoned in on a Phineas and Ferb Perry the Platypus football and played with it any free minute we had in the hotel room.

Saturday was strictly for Animal Kingdom – the park Nia dubbed her favorite even after a day spent at Magic Kingdom. She loved the Safari ride. Nate was nervous that the animals were going to get him and jumped to the middle of the seat when he knew we were nearing the lions. I kept telling him it would be ok. That Disney doesn’t want to hurt us because they want us to come back and give them more money.

Safari

Safari Lion

Beautiful Gorilla

Our first ride was the TriceraTop Spin. Nate asked, “Is this scary?” That became his question before every ride or show of the trip. The one time I was wrong with my answer was at Animal Kingdom. The 4D show “It’s Tough to be a Bug” has a minute of darkness when the mean grasshopper says to spray the humans. Darkness. Spray. Loudness. Hurt the humans. Spiders dropped from the ceiling. It even frightened Nia who cried and jumped in my lap. She wanted out of there. Me too, really.

Nate also wanted off the water ride, Kali River Rapids, we went on (because he really wanted to go on it) but now says it was his favorite. He and Nia got drenched at the front of the raft. His face when he saw the drop coming and then the wave of water will always be in my memory. It went from terror to laughs that he made it through it to realization that he wanted off that ride. He leaned to Andrew and then felt better knowing the ride was over.

Magical Moments

Sunday and Monday were devoted to Magic Kingdom. We covered as much ground and rides there as we could. Both kids loved flying with Dumbo. Nia screamed and laughed during the Big Thunder Railroad and rode it twice. Nate’s favorite was the Tomorrowland Speedway. He raced twice. They also enjoyed all of the live performances, parades and, of course, gift shops. Nia wanted to uncover all the treasures she could. This was also when she started pointing out how her Sharpie-written name on her “First Visit” pin was wearing off.

Nia’s Favorite Ride

Nate’s Favorite Ride

Ready to Spin

Daddy doesn’t like tea …

We got some pool time in on Sunday evening before dinner and Monday evening had us back at Epcot for our dinner reservations and we were able to catch the fireworks show and strolled through all the countries of World Showcase.

Our last day was filled with action at Hollywood Studios. The kids had so much fun at Star Tours (another two-time ride), Toy Story’s Midway Mania (way cool carnival-type ride), the Muppet 3D show and the Pizza Planet arcade. Nate even asked to go back to Hollywood Studios on Wednesday just so he could ride Star Tours again. (I think he wanted to be the Rebel Spy like his mom got to be by luck. Fun!) We cut the day shorter there because we wanted to have more pool and relax time. Plus, we had some arcade points to burn back at the hotel.

Remote Timer Family Photo at Hollywood Studios

Cheers to our Disney Trip

Disappointment

If there’s one thing I could label a disappointment of our trip it would be the many inconsiderate people. This isn’t Disney’s fault. People are people and I guess I expect too much from them sometimes. They would cut you off from the rest of your family. They would cut in line. They would leave their garbage on the table for someone else to clean up or put trash on one of the statues. They would invade your personal space by shoving right up on you in line. They did not cover their mouths and noses for coughs and sneezes. By the end of the third day, Andrew and I stopped letting it get under our skin and just shrugged it off. They aren’t going to change. I kept thinking, maybe they are just oblivious – but then I thought that’s really the same thing as inconsiderate though.

They in no way represented all of Mickey’s fans though. I rejoiced in the considerate and kind ones and let them know I appreciated their politeness. We even chatted up quite a few and Nia remarked, “I’m glad we have a friendly family.” She even noticed when others weren’t doing the right thing and pointed out the sour – and the sweet (like when a sister hugged her brother and made him happy) – during our park time.

Sweet Brother/Sister Moment

Do-Overs

  • Soaking Up Fun

    I would bring more at least one extra outfit per person and load up on socks and skivvies. Having the extra pair of sneakers was great due to the rain and the water rides but I should’ve carried flip-flops in my park bag to keep the kids from water-logging while walking. I noticed some people had their kids in swimsuits under their clothes which eliminated the splash zone aftermath. (Nate didn’t want to leave the splash play area but was soaked when he finally did.)

  • BYOB and store in the mini-fridge for the downtime back at the hotel. The restaurants and the hotel bar could run you $6 or $7 per brew.
  • BYOBreakfast too. This saved us time and some dollars. The mini-fridge fit a half-gallon of milk perfectly and everyone picked out their own cereal before the trip to make it a special vacation treat.
  • Consider paying more for a resort with a monorail option as well as bus. I think it will  help reduce the lines.
  • Definitely buy the dining plan – just make sure to use the snacks evenly throughout the trip so you don’t have a bunch to just spend the last day. It wasn’t tough to spend them, it just would’ve been nice to space them out more.
  • Review kid’s meals prior to planning restaurants to prevent the same meal over and over again.

    No Waiting

  • Character meals are the way to go so  you don’t have to wait in the lines for autographs at the parks. Some characters aren’t at the meals though so you may still wait if your little one loves that particular one behind the rope. (We just had the kids stand in front of the rope while Phineas and Ferb were taking pictures with others and snapped our own. Sure, it’s not the real deal but it’s pretty funny.)
  • Eat at Biergarten again. So worth it.
  • Try the Dole Whip and a giant turkey leg. Two popular things we didn’t sample.
  • Spend two more days down there. Check out Downtown Disney – and maybe Sea World or  Universal Studios while we’re there. The kids will be three or four years older so they’ll be up for taking on more things.
  • With younger kids, the mid-day pool and nap are key to smiles. We missed a few due to timing and we had to contend with a very over-tired Nate on those days.
  • Make sure to work in Magic Kingdom fireworks. We didn’t get to see them and I bet they were beautiful over the castle area.
  • Get the fast-passes whenever you can. For example, I wish we would’ve boogied it over to the Toy Story Midway Mania ride at Hollywood Studios to get the fast pass after riding Star Tours because they were all out for the day by the time we got there and we had to wait in line for almost an hour. That’s a big chunk of time that could’ve went to a few shows that we didn’t get to see.
  • Speaking of fast passes, I found it helpful to map out the plan of attack using the park map. I ordered the rides/attractions and then told Andrew (the fastest walker of us) to head straight for the fast pass for such-and-such ride. The kids and I would then catch a performance or ride something with a 10 minute or less wait.
  • Next time, try harder to get to each park right when it opens. We were pretty laid back about our arrival time which meant longer lines for the bus, bigger crowds at the parks and hotter temperatures.
  • Take deep breaths and remember that people are people and it won’t be the end of the world if you don’t get to everything on the map. All that matters is the tiny head under that giant Donald Duck hat and the sweet smile underneath those Dumbo Mickey Mouse Ears.

Until Next Time …

Happy Kid

Blissful Bean

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Broadening My Horizon

9 Sep

Well, that wasn’t so bad. I’ve had a lot of firsts these past few weeks with my running and so far, so good. This is notable because my anxiety level with such things always has me expecting the worst.

When I first started running, I was afraid to leave the treadmill. Just the thought of running on the street made me nervous. Then, I faced my fear and tried it. I told myself, I can do this. I’ll just keep it to the neighborhood. That worked splendidly for months until my training for a half-marathon kicked up my time and distance. It’s compelled me to leave my familiar streets (and unleashed dogs) and venture out for more miles.

It seems running has given me more than feeling healthier, it’s given me confidence. One example of that is when I had to step back on the treadmill a few weeks ago because Andrew was traveling and it was the only way I could get in my training. Before street running, I would never let go of the treadmill bar. I wouldn’t really run. This time, I never touched the bar. I felt like, “Look ma, no hands!” I also ran faster and longer. I had confidence on the machine.

I’m certain that new confidence carried me out to the city streets. The unknown of it all is what concerned me the most. Cars to watch for, new unleashed (and possibly bigger) dogs, more people seeing me, random routes, uneven sidewalks, fast food smell distraction … you name it, I worried about it. Turns out, I’ve had a really great time enjoying my city’s scenery during those runs. I’ve also learned new things – like where our new doctor’s office is located and that the house of my desire has a tree house in the side yard.

Pretty City Houses

Cool City Events

My new running adventures also took me off-road. When one of my dearest friends (and one of my running inspirations), Ginger and her family, came to stay with us, we braved a first together – trail running. We hit Fort Yargo and encountered surprise patches of mud, water puddles to hurdle, steep hills, tree roots, weedy nature that tickled our ankles, bicyclists, and a lot of fun.

Fort Yargo Trail Hill

Ginger and the Trail

I know my adventures will continue each Saturday as my time gets longer until the half. I also have another first, an obstacle course team run (with Ginger and friends), coming up in October. It gives me something to look forward to as I work on improving my time on the shorter distances. The next test for that is this Friday as I try for a personal best to finish a 5K in 32 minutes.

Horizons like these would have seemed unreachable to me all those months ago. I really am glad I braved the unknown and discovered them.

Headed Down the Atlanta Highway

15 Aug

There’s an intersection along the Atlanta Highway that I encounter every workday. It doesn’t offer me a love shack with a rusted tin roof like the song suggests but it provides me with an array of scenes to take in.

There’s the row of train stop buildings that remind me of an old western town. The open lot with a homes and businesses nearby. The dressed up small town signs guiding visitors. And, my favorite, a bakery that emits the tempting smell of doughy freshness if you hit the red light at just the right time of day.

That’s about all I like about that red light. It is my nemesis. Always shining the color of fire down on me. Even if it was just green for a second, as soon as I get within crossing distance – RED. It’s really fine though. I find more humor than frustration in it. After all, I have quite a few other sights to enjoy along my drive to and from work.

  • Inspiration: the older woman I see jogging along the busy stretch of road every other day.
  • Hilarity with an added ew-factor: the sign in front of a house promising, “Rooster livers for sale.”
  • Hints from the past: aged farm houses with wide windows meant to take in the view.
  • What a view: the passing, thundering trains that I “race” on any given day. Being that they don’t interfere with my commute (I don’t have to cross the tracks), I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing them. They take me away from my thoughts for the moment, as I let my mind decide what the trains must be carrying, where they are going, what does that graffiti say?

Oh, and what do you know? Turns out there is a love shack (of sorts) at the end of one of my drives. Home.

A Backpack, Boyfriend(?), and Other Back-to-School Stuff

13 Aug

As Nia and Nate made their way up the hill to the bus stop for the first day of school, my mind flashed back to last year. Sweet siblings. Kindergartener brother and Third Grader sister, holding hands as they made the walk together for the first time.

Sibling Sweetness – 2011

It’s funny to think what a difference a school year can make. Right after I took the photo below, now First Grader Nate darted across the street, making sure he’d beat us all to the corner of the street.

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School Siblings, See ya! 2012

The kids were very excited to start this new year. Nate is digging the thought of getting bigger (and maybe getting to stay up later like Nia gets to sometimes). Nia, meanwhile, had been hoping for the teacher she got. When the letter arrived a week ago, she repeated over and over as Andrew opened it, “I hope it’s Mrs. Ballard. I hope it’s Mrs. Ballard.” Andrew tricked her and acted like it wasn’t but just as soon as he saw her face turn to disappointment, he gave her the announcement she wanted. Her face beamed. She then wanted to trick me like her daddy did to her. When I got home, she had a sad face and handed me the letter, “I really wanted Mrs. Ballard.” “Oh, I’m sorry Bean.” I looked at the letter and then looked up to her giggly, happy self. Apparently, she and Andrew rehearsed the trick.

She was so happy to be headed back to school that she didn’t even let a little girl get her down at the bus stop when she turned Nia around to see her back and then sneered, “That’s last year’s bag!” Nia told me she replied, “So? Actually, I’ve had it for three years. It’s a really sturdy bag.” I am always amazed at how she manages to be so cool against cruelty. Even more impressive? Nia was playing with the little girl, along with Nate and another friend, in our front yard when I got home after work. I need to take lessons from Bean’s heart and attitude.

Bean also had some discussions with a boy today about if she still had a “boyfriend.” Her response to this also cracks me up, “I don’t know. You should ask him. Why do you want to know anyways?” We gave her the talk that she doesn’t need to worry about any of that business. Just have friends. Something she insists is all she is with this other boy. “We’re just friends!” she says with animation and giggles. Sigh.

Nate was rewarded for good behavior with silver sticks next to his name and didn’t get any warning sticks. (Phew.) I’m hoping him “winning” the good deed sticks will help him keep his eye on the prize. You know, learning and all – while staying out of trouble, of course. Now, if he would just eat the fruit and veggies I pack for him …

I hope this year brings them fond memories and expands their brains enough to be able to play Apples to Apples with us without much explanation. After all, that’s why I had kids – breeding adorable, capable board game opponents is tough.

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First and Fourth Graders!

Matter Over Mind

9 Aug

That whole “I’m my own worst enemy” thing is such an a-hole. I find myself encountering it in my head before many of my runs.

You don’t have to run up “the hill” tonight. Just run to the bottom of it.

  • This is what my mind starts to tell myself at about 5 minutes into a run when I don’t feel like being out there. “Don’t run up the hill, just turn around and run the flatter parts again.” Although the thought sounds wonderful, I fight against it. I focus on the positive things – the longer blades of grass that often tickle my ankles as I run by them, the pretty sky I’m enjoying, my rockin’ tunes, my time for me. Before I notice it, I run the hill.

Maybe you aren’t a runner.

  • This is usually said to me after I talk about how I often whine about running. Some days, it is just so difficult to get out the door and start my run for whatever reason. I’m tired. Hungry. It’s raining hard. My leg hurts. I don’t want to run intervals. I try to talk myself out of it. I tell myself that I can just do it another day. I know I likely won’t want to do it then either though. When I finally get on my way, I think about the notion that maybe I am not a runner. It’s actually really motivating and helps keep me running.

Maybe you should try something else.

  • This is said to me after I vent about not losing any weight. They suggest that I need to do more than run four times a week. Maybe my body just isn’t responding to the running like it would something else. The funny thing  is though – I do actually enjoy my running. I do feel stronger and leaner. Something is working. I may need to add in a few old fashioned Phys. Ed. calisthenics to help build my core better but I don’t want to give up on running. (Even when I feel like I want to give up on running. It’s a twisted emotion.)

If you don’t feel like running, don’t run.

  • Said to me to ease my pout and support me in my anti-run feelings that intensify right before I’m about to head outside. The most recent one innocently came from Nia. She wasn’t trying to be unsupportive or discouraging, she was trying to help me feel better. It’s just, that is the time I need to be stronger than the temptation to not go. Andrew gets my evil eye as he tells me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear. “Just go. You’ll be fine once you’re out there. It’s only x-amount of minutes. You got it.”

No matter what I’m feeling or hearing before my runs, he’s right. I am fine once I’m out there. In fact, I feel good. Not only because I ran and the sense of health and accomplishment, but also because I overcame my mind. Told it to shut it, I’m doing this. Matter over mind really makes me feel like I’ve defeated that enemy.

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Sweet Spree

6 Aug

There was the white sweatshirt with neon-colored, glow-in-the-dark hand prints all over it. There were the jam shorts. The coolots.  The acid wash jeans. That one white jean shorts overall piece with polka dots that really made my collection complete. (Rocked that one the first day of school.) All of it added up to hours of me in a dressing room and mountains of the latest department store styles.

I have very fond memories of those sprees with my dad from when I was a pre-teen. Wild fashion sense aside, of course. It was cool that he would let me pick out what I wanted – giving me the chance to feel independent and content with my choices.

This was the first year that Nia really wanted to contribute like that. She’s always been an easy shopper. I could hold something up, ask her if she liked it, and more times than not, she would. Done. This year though, she told me the stores she wanted to shop at (Justice, Crazy 8’s and Target) and walked in knowing the style she wanted.

We had so much fun. She seemed so confident about what she wanted, especially the zebra print belt and shiny heeled sneakers. We giggled in the dressing room when she tried on jeans and they were gigantic on her. She didn’t even have to unbutton them to get them on and off. Two Beans could fit in there. Each time she would grab one of my size 10 selections (just in case, you know?) that made her disappear, she would tell me, “See? I told you I was an 8.”

She is so excited to wear all of her new clothes and I didn’t have the heart to make her wait until school to wear her heeled sneaks. (I also wanted to make sure she could walk in them and they didn’t hurt her feet.) She wore them around the house as soon as we got home and then to the grocery store the next day. She wants others to adore them as much as she does, expressing disappointment as we left the store, “Nobody said anything about my shoes.”

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I love that you love them, Bean. I have a feeling they are only a glimpse of what’s ahead and hope shopping together is something we always enjoy.

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Run Crier

22 Jul

Well, that was a first. I started blubbering during the start of what was supposed to be my 50-minute run this morning. It wasn’t because of anything sad, painful or inspirational. Those are understandable reasons to get worked up to tears.

No, for me, it was because my music wouldn’t work and because I’m getting sick to my stomach thinking about the looming 10K (my first) that is three weeks away and I have yet to run more than five miles in any of my training – or ever in my life for that matter.

I am a bag of nerves and it all exploded during this run. Here it is:

Cry Run

I gave up. Quit. Walked home. Bawling. Andrew gave me a sincere and supportive pep talk, I pouted and beat myself up for quitting. I thought, “Why am I doing this to myself? Don’t I have enough pressure with the day-to-day stuff of work, home and family? I’m voluntarily adding to it with running? Shouldn’t this be fun?!”

Smack, smack. Attitude adjustment. I gave myself a few minutes to cool off and told Andrew I wanted to try again. My music still didn’t work and it was so hot and humid but I pushed myself on – with a few walking breaks.

Do Over

The 6.2 mile run is in three weeks. I am two miles away from running it during these training runs. I don’t want to even feel the inkling to quit – even if my music does.

I want to cry during that run because I’m proud of myself. A happy, strong cry. I feel I can do it and I know the pressure I put on myself is because I want to be stronger in spirit and body. I want to be a proud run crier.

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Hurdled

18 Jul

They may have rattled me but I didn’t let them deter me from my 30 minutes of training. It turns out, the hurdles made my run far more entertaining than usual.

  • The Rain – It was a challenge before it even started because of the sprinkles. My attitude was already whiny and the rain almost swayed me out of lacing up my sneaks. I didn’t let it win though and set out on my damp 2-point-whatever mile jaunt around the blocks.
  • The Dog – Well, at least it was a friendly, jumpy dog. I made a turn and then thought I heard yelling. I made a quick about-face and came snout to hip with a happy Lab mix. Its owner came running after it and told me how sorry he was – that the pup just has a lot of love to share. Besides the change in my pace (I was averaging a good time for me when it all happened) and the doggy drool on my sleek black running shorts, I didn’t mind it in the slightest. After all, it was a friendly dog. (Phew.)
  • The Middle School Hecklers – I’m not quite sure what exactly they were screaming at me from the window of their house but  I made out that it was pretty funny by their laughing fits after shouting. I think I heard something about me “really running fast now … whatever!” I thought about all the ways I could react as I ran by again (because my route requires me to). Should I creatively give them the middle finger? Should I stop and face them dead-on and yell like a lunatic about how hilarious they are? Should I just ignore it and pretend like I didn’t hear it? Of course, I chose that one. I actually thought to myself how I remember doing stupid things like that when I was in middle (*ahem, high) school. Cruising by Burger King’s drive-thru with my friends screaming, “I want a Whopper!” at the top of my lungs comes to mind. Also, I mean, why should I stoop to a middle schooler’s level? I know they were middle schoolers, by the way, because their voices haven’t quite made that turn to high school male yet. (Ok, so I had to get one shot in … what?)
  • The Music Fail – One of the reasons I could hear them shouting those sarcastic words of praise and support at me is because my music failed. This is probably the main mental jolt that bugs me the most during a run. It frustrates me to the point of cussing. Granted, I had some things to distract my brain during this run …
  • The Perky Runner – And boy, was she perky. I encountered this new neighborhood runner at about 20 minutes in. I was tired and had just endured all the other earlier hurdles and then she made an appearance. She was bouncy. Really. Bright pink tank top. Ponytail dancing. I breathed a weighted smile at her and slouched by. My music then decided to work again. “Clocks” by Coldplay. Baby Nia’s favorite song. We would play it and she would just chill. I was better now. I ran up the “big hill” in the neighborhood and my earbuds informed me “25 minutes.” I turned to head home – and saw pink tank top in the distance. Only, her ponytail wasn’t in jazz mode. It was more in a calm ballet. She was walking. I know (I know) I shouldn’t compare. I am out there for me and to get healthier for my family. It was just a slap in my attitude that I needed. When I saw her all perky, I let it make me feel less than. When I saw her minus the perk, I felt upset with myself for letting another person influence my spirit.

It was an adventurous 30 minutes. Reflecting, I’m glad the rain didn’t keep me inside – hurdling mental obstacles feels healthy.

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Our Trip to C-Town

26 Jun

There’s a lot of space under that bed …

“I’m not going to Crazy Town tonight,” Andrew told me as we settled in our beautiful, historic room at the John Rutledge House Inn for the weekend.

I had just asked him to look under the bed to make sure nobody (or ghost body) was under there.

Not even in Charleston, SC for 30 minutes and I’m already testing his reasons for marrying me almost 12 years ago. Fitting, because this trip was serving as the honeymoon we’ve never taken. Two days after we were married, Andrew left for six weeks of training in California. Then, a few resting months after that, he deployed for six months to Kosovo. After that, we set off together to buy a house and have a baby and then another deployment to Iraq and well, 12 years later, here we are in Crazy Town.

We wanted to go somewhere within reasonable driving distance, somewhere we’d never been and somewhere featuring one of our favorite things, good beer. Charleston was hosting a beer festival during the weekend our children would be in West Virginia with family so it was on.

We enjoyed our drive there and back. It featured discussions about General Sherman burning stuff (forever an inside joke between us now), me reading us history facts about Charleston, and talk radio by the megabyte that Andrew has stored on his phone.

10 and 2

We didn’t arrive at the Inn until midnight but enjoyed goofing off in the ballroom for a minute and sampling the complimentary brandy and sherry.

Statue Pose

The next morning, we ran through the city before others were awake and garbage was collected. The streets felt like ours for a few minutes and a few blocks. We talked when I could (I was running after all) and spotted incredible buildings and stores we might be interested in checking out during our later walk. We even ran alongside rivers where they meet up near a beautiful park.

After our run, we had a delicious breakfast of our choosing brought to our room. It was glorious. We filled out a card and put it on the doorknob before we fell asleep each night. We didn’t skimp on our selection.

Bedroom Breakfast

We loved our walks through downtown – even a painfully long one for me in flats and at high noon when we missed the trolley to the beer fest. This 2+ mile walk came after our 4+ mile morning run and 2+ morning stroll. We needed that brew.

Cheers, we made it!

We arrived at the fest excited to sample and enjoy. It wasn’t exactly what we were expecting but we still had a great time with each other. We talked with people and devoured cheese fries and then decided to head back to our room early – in a taxi. (Best $8 of the trip.)

We had plans to dine somewhere fancy that evening. I even packed a strapless dress and heels, ready to hit the night life. Only thing – we decided to rest for a bit. That was around 6:30. We woke up around 9:30, too zonked to move out of bed.

The next morning, Andrew went for a solo run while I sank deeper into the heavenly memory foam mattress because I hadn’t changed positions much through the night. We enjoyed another bedroom breakfast and then walked next door to go to church.

Rolled out of bed and into church

Up for another stroll, we set off for more exploring and I’m so glad we did. We discovered a large market area and bought treasures for the kids. After a good early bird (without the discount) dinner, we headed home, feeling content and so lucky to have been able to spend that time together – even if it neared Crazy Town for a bit. Besides, I think he already agreed to go there with me when he said “yeah, sure” at the altar.

Time to start thinking about our next trip …

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