Blog

This is where I get to run my long runs each week. The scenery changes with the seasons and I love it. This trail is pretty anytime of the year but now it seems magical.

And yes…I did say Get To. I Get To run here. I Get To run most days and that is the mind switch for me. I used to think and say that I Have To do things. I Have To drive my kids. I Have To run. But now instead of Having To do things I have changed to Getting To do them.

So today…in the snow….what do you get to do? I get to make a snow angel! Peace.

“Cuz what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know you’re near
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain
The storms
The hardest nights
are your mercies in disguise”
Blessings – Laura Story

I often wonder about blessings. They come in all different shapes and sizes and sometimes we don’t even realize a blessing that is staring us in the face until it is entirely too late.

I do for others because it is how I show I care. I live my life in a way that someday I will stand before God knowing I did the right thing….letting go of anger and hurt, allowing others to feel forgiveness, showing love to all that I come in contact with each day, encouraging others to be their best….I do not need anything in return.

I don’t often see or feel the blessings in my life. I am too busy living. Lately I have been getting blessings back in spades. I am so aware of the blessings I receive  but not feeling deserving.  I often wonder what I have done to deserve all I have and where I am. I guess they are reminders that I am greatly blessed, highly favored, and deeply loved. Peace.

So Sunday my phone was feeling a little jumpy and decided to go for a swim. After my initial panic, I pulled it out of the water right away and yanked the battery out as fast as I could. I guess my phone was longing for a little spa time so after the swim, it went for a rice massage and dry sauna for a few days. I have resolved to remain as calm as possible this year so I took a deep breath and decided to look at the upside of this disconnection.

I still had a laptop. I still had an ipod. I still had a house phone. I was still connected…just not teathered 24/7.  I had to be patient and wait….

My kids have become dependant on my text reminders and the ability to text me whenever they want….often when they are in the next room!  This disconnect offered an opportunity for face to face contact!  They actually had to speak to me in the same room!  I realized that they don’t really need my reminders…they need a bit more independance. They had to plan ahead for rides and events for a few days and the accountability was good for all of us.

The time away from the ‘connection’ to work and personal email was refreshing. I was reminded that I don’t need to be accessable to everyone all the time. The fact that I didn’t have to make sure my clothing had a pocket for my phone was a bonus too! The many lessons in patience ….well….were priceless.

The disconnect lasted for 3 days and was actually quite wonderful. I missed the instant access to my kids and friends but realized that a little space was a good thing. I realized how much I preach about NOT texting/talking on the phone and driving ….but I do it anyway. I realized that checking my phone/email is the first thing I do when I get up and the last before I go to sleep. I realized that I love talking to my kids FACE TO FACE.  So much has changed with the advent of ‘smartphones’. We have changed so much in the way we interact with one another…much of it not for the better. Cell phones are a necessary evil but, just as with any tool, have to be used properly….and not misused. The disconnect was so beneficial in so many ways and something I may choose to do on my own  periodically. The lessons learned will lead to changes in behavior.

Take time here and there to disconnect. Reconnect with the people in your life …and with yourself. I did!

Two of my favorite things have combined…Girls on the Run and Athleta. Working together they are kind of like a Girly SuperPower! The new ad compaign for Athleta is awesome and speaks to all things Girls on the Run. Power to the She is all about living each day to the fullest. Find your inner girl and inner strong all while looking good and feeling good.

Work it out. Breathe it out. Enjoy the crazy happy life that we are all a part of each day. And then do it all over again the next day. Power to the SHE! Peace.

Ok, so  I may not be Eastwood…. but this week I got all three…the good, the bad and the ugly…in my runs. Not every runs can be a great one. Not every run is horrible. We need balance. Well, if that is the case I should be level!

On Wednesday I had a great run. 10 miles of simply effortless running. I set out to run 5 miles. The day was glorious and I was feeling great so I just kept adding to the run. Before long I realized that I should probably head home and when I looked I had run 10 miles at a pretty good pace too.
On Saturday I was planning to run another 10 miles but got a late start and literally ran out of time to run the last 2 miles before having to take my daughter to work. It was not a great run as I felt rushed and out of sorts. I was kicking myself for not starting sooner so that I could get those extra miles in. It was not all bad but not all good either. I was tired but started strong. As the time ticked away I realized that I would not make my distance goal but would have to settle for something a bit less thus never really getting deep into the run.

Sunday…well that was the ugly. An ugly run that never really went anywhere other than 6 miles. I could not head to my favorite trail nor run my 6 mile loop. My phone went for a swim and I don’t like to run far without it. So while the phone got a rice massage and sauna, I ran 3 by myself and was feeling really good. I looped back home to get the dog and do another 3…well…that was when the ugly really kicked in (fishing my phone from its swim started the day off all wrong). The pooch and I ran intervals….not by my choosing…hers! We chased after squirrels…I lost count after the 15th….for 3 miles. She would take off after a squirrel thinking her her doggie mind that she could catch the thing and even tried a few times to head up a tree after a few. It was comical to say the least. I have to laugh or I will cry…not only about the run but about my phone. I never really got into that run and the intervals …well they through my body for a loop! 

Not every run can be great. Not every run can be effortless. I look forward to those great runs. They come when I least expect it most times. The bad and ugly runs…well those are more common. They remind me of the good runs. They make me appreciate all that is good in life. It is when I have to alter my attitude from “I ran….” to “I was able to run…” that I see each run for what it is …an opportunity to learn something.