Inspire

I took my kids with me on my midweek training run a few days ago. It was a spectacular SoCal afternoon, they had no homework, and I had to get my run in. Conditions were perfect!

I usually don't have to goad them into going with me. My daughter is nearly 14, slim, with legs that go on forever...a natural runner. She is going to join her high school's cross country team this fall and is seriously stoked about it. She is not a complainer, and will just take off and go. She has done several 5K's with me already, and feels the runners high.

My son is 10 1/2, and enjoys getting out and being active. Running for him is harder. He is built like a tank and can tire easily. He is great with the watch...keeping me on track with my timing. He loves to tell me when to stop and start. He is the one who needs the encouragement that he CAN do it. We work on it together, and he too has joined me on many 5K's. He can do so much more than he thinks he can. A huge job of mine is to show him, encourage him, and help him fly. I love the sense of achievement he has when we finish a race.

I am thrilled when I see them both get excited about taking care of their bodies. They both tell me how good they feel after a run. I hope to inspire them to see the possibilities of all they can accomplish...nothing is off limits! The only limits are what they place of themselves. I think they have seen me transform myself over the past few years so that it is an inspiration to them. I started out as a walker...then came running. They see how I make it a priority and how I push myself. I let them know that its hard. I told them all about my long runs...the crying, the digging deep within myself to make it through. They know this doesn't come easy for me, yet I pursue it to master it. And, I do it simply because I can. They can too.

I want them to feel at their young ages a natural love for exercise. I never felt that until a few years ago. If its something they grow up with, I'm hopeful it will stay with them throughout their lives. That's a great gift to give my sweet children.

So, if you have kids, or anyone in your life whom you can inspire...DO IT! Let your life speak. Let your life encourage. Take your kids, or a friend with you the next time you go for a run.

It Was Easier!

Running...

It was easier today, and I don't even have an easy button!

I have grown accustomed to running being hard. Very hard sometimes. I joked with someone the other day that I want a dang easy button in my Christmas stocking this year. You know, then I can just press it and voila! Running would magically be easy.

Well, today it actually was easier. It was easier because I have been training. Sticking to my Galloway Training Method. And holy crap...it worked! I felt lighter on my feet...almost like I was gliding on ice or something. Now, it wasn't a cake walk, to be sure, but I could most definitely tell it was getting better. I am even getting faster. 

This is terribly exciting because I am seeing my own improvement. I am feeling my own improvement.

So, on this December day, running was a bit easier than it had been...and that is a very good thing! I can only imagine how much better it will get as I continue with my training...

"Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection." ~     Mark Twain

The Constant in My Sea of Change

Well, 2011 is nearly history.

This year has brought mounds of change for me...my mother's death from breast cancer, my father's new life and cancer diagnosis, losing and saying goodbye to my home, preparing to move back into the home of my youth, rediscovering my incredible Italian extended family and reconnecting, heartbreak, training for my first half-marathon, and reevaluating my life. And somewhere in there, I turned 42 and became the mom of a teenager. Really?!

I've been in a hugely reflective mode recently, and it has caused me to realize that amidst ALL of the change going on around me, my walking, running, and working out with my trainer have been the one constant through it all. Going through the last weeks of my mom's life, shedding all the emotional baggage with her...my time alone walking, and eventually running at my favorite lake was always a part of my day. Dealing with banks, and endless phone calls and stress...yes, thank God for my running.

The whole act of putting my hair up in my ponytail, getting on my running clothes and shoes, heading to my peaceful place, cranking my iPod, and hitting the pavement...that was always there. Always.

I am still in the midst of some tough life issues right now...not completely out of the financial crap field yet, BUT, each day, no matter the issues facing me, you can find me on my 6 mile trail or on the waterfront. Clearing my head, bolstering my heart, and training my body.

Training for my first half-marathon has been quite liberating and has given my crazy roller-coaster filled life some needed stability. It has been the constant in my sea of change.

A wise and dear person told me that change is the only constant. And it's so true. Life is always changing, whether we realize it, or acknowledge it. How I choose to accept that change is what matters.

So, change? Yeah, bring it on. I'm tougher than I used to be and stronger than I think.

I'm a runner and I'm in training. Who knew?!