Author: Kristine Binder

I am never really alone. I can go places and be by myself but I am rarely alone. There are always people around.

Today I went for a run alone. Really and truly alone.

I got up and dressed early and prepared for another warm morning run. As I walked outside our cabin I was struck by a strange feeling. I was cold! Really cold. I shivered and thought I had better get moving to warm up. I took off out of the camp and headed out to the main road. I wanted to run about 3 miles. Just enough to stretch out and feel like I did something!

I was wearing my headphone…yes, just one. I always only wear one so that I can hear things around me as I run. But as I continued on, I took even the one earbud out and listened to the sounds of the world around me.

As I ran, I realized that I was alone. All alone. Even when I run alone at home I am never alone…there are people passing and I run in pretty residential areas. Today I was alone. Just me and my thoughts. My only companions were the 2 deer that crossed the street and the eagle overhead. Yes, a bald eagle. Up here in the Northwoods there are eagles. I counted the cars that passed me…4 … and one truck. The truck was a logging truck and I was glad not to have my headphones on as I could hear it coming. I stepped off the shoulder as it passed and could smell the intoxicating strong scent of Christmas. A logging truck full of pine had just flown past me.

I looked at my GPS and realized that it was time to turn back. I wanted to go further but my sense of security told me that I should stay close. So I headed back to camp with the sound of the rustling of the breeze in the trees and my breathing keeping me on pace.

As I reached our cabin I was greeted with people again…the camp was beginning to wake up and I could smell coffee and bacon. The time alone this morning coupled with the cooler temps were good for my run as I was faster than I have been in a long time. This run was about nothing but a run. 5 miles of time alone to think, reflect and just be. I may not have found any people on my run but I did find something…my running mojo. Peace.

Posted with Blogsy

Sometimes a simple spark can ignite a huge fire.  That is what happened last night. With one question, “Hey mom. What cha readin’?” my son sparked a blaze.

He came into my room and asked what I was reading. I told him the title and he asked what it was about. I am reading Becoming Odssya. It is the story of a young woman’s quest to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone…or pretty much alone.

So with that one question, my son and I dove into the the black hole that is the internet and looked for information on the Trail. We learned the entire distance, the states it crosses, the time it takes hikers to complete the distance, etc. We watched videos of hikers and the trail as well. We learned about lean-tos, tents and hazards of the trail.

My son knows his cousins are avid hikers, climbers and one even writes for an outdoor publication. But it just seemed to all click last night in his 9 year old brain. I saw the light in his eyes as each question and subsequent answer lead to more questions and additional answers. We talked about what we would do and how we would attack the trail, what we would take for food, and all kinds of other details.

He made me promise that one day he and I could at least hike part of the trail. I may never be a thru-hiker but I will hike part of the trail with him. I know that one day before I leave this planet, I will keep that promise to my son.  I can see it in his eyes….it is not something he will let me forget. Sometimes a simple question is the spark that ignites a blaze.  Peace.

To learn more about the author of the book:
Her blog on Tumblr
Her company

To read an excerpt or purchase the book

This last few days I have had a few minutes (during my runs) to reflect on time. Last week we were away for a stay at my parents home and being away from the day to day tasks was good for me. I stepped back and allowed myself to be in the moment. I got to watch my son skip rocks (and he is pretty good at it!), teach him to swim a bit better and watch him make friends…something he does effortlessly.

I got to observe 12 and 13 really play and laugh…something they don’t often have the time nor freedom to do….time for the really good belly laughs that are music to a mom’s ears.

I watched 16 and her BFF relax and just be with one another for endless conversations about everything under the sun.

Coming home I tired to hold on to a little of that ‘in the moment’ mentality. It often gets lost in the clutter of home and I need reminders to dig it back out again. So yesterday my son and I went to the trail for a run/ride.  It is something he and I like to do together and have not done in a while. He rode his bike while I ran behind carrying the water. We got to a point on the trail where there in a strong dip into a ravine…a good down and up hill climb. What a blast for a kid on a bike but a real workout for Momma. Hill repeats are not my thing (read: I HATE them!!) but I went up and down 3 times before quitting and watching him glide on the downhill and struggle with the up a few more times. It was nice to just watch him be a kid, working the uphill  …. laughing as he flew down without a care in the world. I thought of how much that was a metaphor for life. We struggle with the uphills of life and glide through the downhills….we forget that the downhills are fun and we should enjoy them before arriving at the next uphill.

We finished our 5 miles and headed home. Our time together was over and it was time to get on with the tasks of the day. Back to the schedule for both of us. This is one of the many reasons I love summer.  Summer allows me to be ‘in the moment’.  Summer gives me back my kids. Summer gives me back what I lose during the school year…time. Peace.

When was the last time you took a good look at the world around you? When was the last time you looked inside yourself?

Look out at the world and smile. There is so very much goodness be seen and experienced. Look into your heart and see the beauty that lies within.

Look around at the details of this very moment, and see all the possibilities present. Look back at all the good things you’ve done. And imagine how very much more you can do. Look at the lives of the people who fill your world. Find new, beautiful ways to connect with each of them. Look with wonder and gratitude at all there is in your life.

There is so much to see when you really look. Peace.

Posted with Blogsy

Old School 5k

The 4 dawned hot, sticky and humid. I got up, dressed and ate my usual yogurt before donning my tutu and heading out the door.

I arrived at the old schoolhouse just in time to write down my name and pay my $5. This is a very small town low key race.

We lined up behind a chalk line on the pavement and after a basic instructions from Higdon jr. we were off at the sound of the air horn.

I took off at my snails pace towards the golf course and 2 nice downhills….that are tough uphills coming back. The course travels through a lovely golf community of homes and I was annoying the scenery. A young boy of about 8 passed me running with his dad. He was thumping along and having fun. That fun soon withered about mile 1. He was walking more and dad took off. He commented that he just needed to catch his breath and wished he had water with him. Mom mode kicked in. I am never without a squeeze bottle of water (easier for sharing) so I asked if he would like water. He brightened and said yes. I told him his only goal was to stay in front of me and I had water if needed. He was struggling and his dad was no where in sight. I was worried. We got to the turn around and he told me he was to wait there for his mom who was walking the 5k. Do I leave this little boy sitting on a Rock at the turn and kept going? I was worried but knew the bike sweeper was behind me and would find him if his mom was not there. I decided to let him sit and wait on his own.

I continued on quietly thanking those wonderful residents who had already turned on sprinklers as I ran through each and every one of them! The cool water felt like heaven on my skin. I rounded the last turn and headed back towards the golf course and those hills. I was spent and drenched. I walked up the 2 consecutive hills and then took off toward the finish. As I was closing in on the finish I saw the dad of this boy coming towards me. He had already finished. I yelled out that I had given his son water and left him on the rock waiting for mom. He grunted and looked away. Really? Are you kidding me? You left you kid running alone on an 80 degree/88% humidity morning with no water and you can’t say thanks, wave or even smile?

I let it go and headed to the chalk finish line. I did a little pirouette as I crossed and was given my certificate. No bling but a certificate of completion and the opportunity to choose a T-shirt from the Higdon family collection.

I waited to see my little buddy cross the finish line. Mostly to make sure he was ok but also to give him a high five. Eventually he ran across that line just in front of his mom. I walked over to high five him. Then began to head home. I heard his mom ask who I was and he responded, “that nice lady helped me and gave me water. I think she is a mom”

“Well honey. Don’t talk to people you don’t know. You don’t know what she was giving you.”

I walked away deflated, frustrated and angry. I know that we live in a different time now but for this woman to chastise her son after both she and her husband had left the kid running alone on a hot, sticky morning. This community is like Mayberry RFD. No one comes here that does not know someone and everyone knows everyone’s business. Plus most people are related!

Lesson learned from this race: we are only as free as we allow ourselves to be. Peace.

Posted with Blogsy