Brisk

It was 3 degrees this morning.

It was brisk and invigorating.

I find an odd kind of beauty in a morning like this one.

It seem the colder the temperature gets the quieter it becomes.

I am missing that quietness in all my treadmill running lately.

Although I am enjoying the benefits of running in one place; being home with the kids, watching movies and not having to pee in cornfields, I am also eager to get back to those quiet reflective runs.

In the meantime, we enjoyed a weekend of running in one place and exhausting afternoons of playing in the snow.  We built snowmen, had snowball fights,  

 played on the swings and

sledded down hills.

Now this is a kind of cross training I can really get into no matter the weather!

33 days until the Seneca Greenway Trail 50k

47 days until the HAT Run Trail 50k 

Commitment

com·mit·ment 

–noun

1. the act of committing.
2. the state of being committed.
3. the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself.
4. a pledge or promise; obligation: 
5. engagement; involvement: 
6. perpetration or commission, as of a crime.
7. consignment, as to prison.
8. confinement to a mental institution or hospital:
9. an order, as by a court or judge, confining a person to a mental institution or hospital.
10. Law . a written order of a court directing that someone be confined in prison; mittimus.
11. Parliamentary Procedure . the act of referring or entrusting to a committee for consideration.
12. Stock Exchange .
a. an agreement to buy or sell securities.
b. a sale or purchase of securities.

I reflect on this word today.  The 264th day of my running streak.  

With tonight's run, I will have ran 264 miles for the month

As Dictionary.com defines commitment I wonder how often we forget a few points of it's definition.

No.  I am not talking about the confinement to a mental institution or a court order.  We all may be able to identify with those definitions from time to time. 

I am talking about engaging oneself and involvement.

How often do we simply go through the routine or schedule of our days and not truly engage with our families and friends?  How often are you guilty of simply putting in the miles and not enjoying the act of running?  Isn't that why we are doing this?  Because we enjoy it?

It goes for all areas in our lives, how often do we sit done for a meal and not even taste what we are eating, not really listen to our kids telling us the hundreds of things they ramble on about...

I am sure we would all say that we are committed to our families, our friends, our jobs, our running but are we remembering that part of the commitment is to engage oneself?

As we head into another weekend of long runs and races, let's all remember to fully honor those commitments, to engage ourselves completely.  Perhaps in doing so we will have our journey slightly sweeter, more amazing, anything but ordinary every single day. 

It's the little things

Today is day 261.

Through everything I am still running.

It really is the little things that help us through the difficult times in life.

I spent the weekend finishing this blanket for S'ghetti girl.  She had been waiting a very long time.  It reminded me that it doesn't take much to make a child happy.  They want to be happy. 

Some grownups are the same way.  They want to be happy.

It doesn't take much to put a smile on their face.

I am one of those people.

It doesn't take much to make me happy.

So despite the rough road, I have been running.  Then yesterday morning I decided to take a risk. 

A leap of faith that might just make me happy.

I entered a lottery

The Bull Run Run 50 Miler

A Bump in the Road

Generally speaking the more technical the trail the better for me however when it comes to daily life I prefer smoothness.

The path my life is on has hit a speed bump.

Maybe the Mother of all speed bumps.

We are all fine and we will all be okay but right now I feel as though my mental confusion would seep through my blogging and add negativity to my posts.

I was reminded by an unexpected and much appreciated e-mail from a bloggy friend that I should let you all know that we are fine even though I am mostly silent.

I also want you to know that your support and encouragement has been a daily comfort for me.  Finding such a warm and welcoming group of friends has been a wonderful addition to my life.

Thank you all so much.

Three Things Thursday and a Giveaway Sneak Peek

Day # 249 ~ 2 a.m. wake up miles

I have been doing a lot of treadmill running. 

A LOT.

While I never take for granted the fact that I have a treadmill to use at my home everyday, for me running isn't really the same on the treadmill.  First off, I run way too fast.  You'd think that would be easy enough to correct simply keep my fingers off the speed button.  But I get comfortable at a pace and just keep pushing it.  I also know my form suffers when I run on the treadmill.  I don't engage my core the way running of an every changing surface forces me to do.  And lastly running on the treadmill means I am not pushing the jogging stroller.  That's about a hour of upper body and core work that is not happening. 

I think I can feel my miles dropping so I can squeeze in P90X. 

Either that or I need to buy a few more heating pads for the jogging stroller.

This morning LBM was starring as Buzz Lightyear in a kids comedy Ring-around-the-rosey.  It's funny how when you go to drop your child off they fuss about you leaving until something better comes along. 

This morning all it took was ring-around-the-rosey.

Gee, I feel loved.

Speaking of LBM, last night is must have been trying out his contortionist act because one minute he was sitting at the table eating dinner with his sister and the next he was standing twisted between the rungs on his hand-me-down wooden highchair screaming his head off.  I'm sure that it was not built to the certain safety standards.  I should probably look into getting some modern dining room furniture.

Speaking of buying something new, one of you faithful readers will soon have the opportunity to buy something new.  That's right a giveaway!  Maybe you'll chose some modern dining room furniture or something from one of over 200 online stores with a gift card from CSN Stores. 

Take a look at all the great things today so you'll be ready to enter soon!

Dusting off a few Dreams

I am often finding inspiration and encouragement in unexpected places throughout my days.

Yesterday I received an email from a running friend.  He and his wife are people I admire a lot.  Don't take that last sentence lightly because I do not admire many people.

I find inspiration in others.  I see examples of how to do certain things in others.  I received motivation from people around me but rarely do I admire someone else.

I typically feel that I am capable of similar accomplishments if I were given the same opportunities.

Let's be clear, I do not feel that I would win the Nobel Peace Prize if given the opportunity.  I am talking about people of a certain character who share the same interests that I do.

This friend sent me an email unknowingly at just the right time.

It was filled with positivity and encouragement.

I'll share the final sentence with you.

"So how about your dreams? Dust a few of them off and bring them out in 2011!! This is the year!!!"

As regular readers you will know that I am hopeful to make the leap from 50ks to a 50 miler this year.  I have registered for two trail 50ks in March.  My plan had been to use those two relatively close races as a gauge of my ability to make that leap perhaps in the fall.

This email has created a fire in me that I had lost over the past few months of entrapment.

I have allow other people and their opinions and judgments to direct how I have handled my winter running.

Sometimes it's hard not to do that.

Allow others to influence my behavior.

But after this email I am reminded that not all influences are negative ones.

I have already thanked my friend for the much needed "you got this girl" email.

So I do not type this to thank him again, I don't think he reads anyway.

I do type this so that you, faithful readers will be reminded that you never know what kind of impact you might have on someone by doing just the smallest of kind gestures.

So send that email, make that call, write that thank you, go for that visit, or invite someone to run because you never know just what an impact you might have.

Not What I Had Planned

Did you go outside this moring?  I did.  It was wonderful.

It was the calm before the storm, in more way than one.

But I didn't know that at first.

I stuck my head out the front door while S'ghetti girl was getting ready for the bus.

Heaven.

Cool okay it was cold but cool sounds better Crisp Calm Morning.

I got everything ready to get LBM up and stroller ready right after the bus.

We were headed out to squeeze in 4 miles this morning leaving on 7 for my wanted 11 miles today.

Hello? It's 1.11.11 We all have to do something special, right?

Anyway since I couldn't get all my miles in one run I needed to split them up.

My body also needs a break from the double digit runs lately.

Everything seemed to be falling into place.

The bus was on it's way, S'ghetti girl and I gathered her gear and headed down the driveway.

That is when I saw it.

not my actual yard

That's not what I had planned.

But.

Instead of getting upset and ruining my day, I got S'ghetti girl on the bus and then simply cleaned up the mess.

Reminding myself that I should always set trash out in the cans to avoid this.

Lesson learned.

And then since LBM was still sleeping I hopped on the treadmill for 2.5 miles.

Any run is a good run.

Things to be proud of

This is a face filled with pride.

LBM was so proud of what he had accomplished unattended in the bathroom.

"Happy Mommy?" is what he asked when I saw him from the door way.

We all have things that we love to do.

Things that we feel we are good at and take pride in doing.

For each of us these things are different. 

I have several things that I love to do that make me feel proud of accomplishing them.

I take pride is doing things on my own, like fixing our pellet stove or rehanging the front door.

I enjoy crafting, making cards and headbands.

 At our house I often have show and tell time with Hubbs when he comes home for the weekend.  My wonderful hubbs gets drug lead around the house as I show off all my latest creations and home repairs.

Everyone has something that they do that makes them feel happy and that they just can't wait to share with everyone. 

No one thing is better or more important.

We each just have "our" thing.

Most of us have running as a common passion but rarely are we people of a singular focus.

I remind you all today that there are many things in your life that bring you joy.  There are simple things that fill you with pride. 

Maybe emptying a can of shaving cream all over your head and face won't fill you with pride and make you happy but there are many many things in your day that will or at least can.

LBM so proud of his shaving

What besides running fills you?

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

My Name Must Have Gotten Around

I mostly keep to myself. 

I mean with my current life style I don't get the opportunity to talk with people very much.  My days usually go something like this:

Get S'ghetti girl up and off to school

Squeeze in a morning run

Get LBM and I ready to head off to pre-pre-school and work

Work

Pick up kids

Run errands only if completely unavoidable

Home

Get kids settled read occupied with something

Jump on the treadmill for about an hour+

Homework, supper, household chores, baths, playtime/reading

Kids in bed

Collapse

See little chance to encounter anyone to talk to besides my kiddos...

 ...but somehow my name has still gotten around.

I don't know how it happened but Day 365 somehow knows my name

and WON'T stop calling me!

I think this is the first step on the road to insanity.
but a runner is rarely sane.

The Same 365 Days

Here we are again at the close of one year and the beginning of the next.  It's a familiar place.  A place where we can either relish the successes of our past year or eagerly proclaim that the new year will be our fresh start closing out a year of challeneges.

This is where my year began. 

You can click the link HERE and make your own accessment of whether or not I achieved what I wanted to in 2010.

I won't bore you with a recap of my year.  We each had the same 365 days to change and grow into the people we look at in the mirror today.  So if you have been following you already know the moments that I have shared with you, the ebb and flow of my little journey.  And now to look back might change the way I feel about the path I have already traveled.

Beacuse sometimes looking forward our choice seems like the right one but with the benefit of time the way we view our decisions changes and sometimes seems like a mistake.  But maybe it's more about the journey regardless of which turns we took to get there.

Again this year I find inspiration in odd places through my days.  Currently my running life has been held hostage but circumstance thus putting me on the treadmill watching movies while I run.

I just finished the movie Inception. 

I find a quote from the movie meaningful right now.

"You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away. You can't be sure where it will take you. But it doesn't matter - because we'll be together."

The train for me is life right now.

I don't know where it is taking me but I am excited about the journey.

I hope that my trip will take me through amazing places and experinces.

I hope that my journey and all the challenges that I will face in traveling it will help not only be but will influence those around me.

The train could be life or a situation you are facing but whatever it is for you I hope you boldly board that train with your ticket in hand even if you are not quite such where it will take you because on this journey we will be together.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7

Three Things Thursday

I don't know what you do to keep your workouts interesting but one treadmill plus bubble wrap kept my kids happy and going all evening.

We had our first rainbow at the VA house.  That rainbow had great timing too.  We saw it the day Army Son flew out.

Promises.

Today is pizza burger day and that meant I had lunch in the elementary school.

Of course we got in trouble for talking to loudly...

okay the principal scolded the entire fourth grade not just us.

But it felt like being back in school again...I wish I could have stayed for recess!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Oh! What a Night!

There are days when I really wonder how on earth I survive.

okay, that's an overstatement I know many have it much more difficult than I but...

Take last night for example, after dragging myself through work working all day, the kids and I went to the grocery store (I really dislike running errands after work!) and then headed home. 

That is to say we got home later than usual.

I got the kids settled in and even though I have a cold I hopped on the treadmill with movies from RedBox.  After the first mile or so I could breath so much better and the kids were playing contently and I was completely engrossed in the movie Inception.  I might have ran a bit longer than I should have.

Once I realized I'd better stop I did want any runner first parent would do I rounded out my miles stop as soon as I could.

A quick dash into the shower and thanks to a easy to make supper we were quickly eating while doing homework.  Well, S'ghetti girl had actually gotten most of her homework done solo and I simply had to check it while wrangling/feeding/swatting/cleaning LBM.

Then it was off the baths and dealing with S'ghetti girl's rat's nest long hair.  After removing the tangles from hair and dirt from bodies I thought I might actually get our evening back on schedule.

But no.

That's not how it is when you are doing the married-single-parenting-must-run-a-zillion-miles-a-week thing.

The house was filled with white smoke.

Our pellet stove.

God Bless trying to do the earth friendlier thing.

After way too much time and another round of smoke filled house I gave up and decided that I would at least get to see my daughter before she went to bed. 

And that is about all we got to do, see each other.

Do I regret running and taking that time for myself?

Not for a minute.

I know there will be days when I don't get it all placed neatly within the lines.

I know there will be days when I feel like I can do everything and love it.

But mostly there will be days filled with experinces.

While the kids didn't enjoy the smoke filled house, they got to see mommy handling it, they got to help and honestly it was nice to see how well we worked together to try and get it all done.

Day # 240 ~ Tuesday p.m. run before the smoke

This morning we started a new day.

I wonder what experinces it will bring.

What kind of day are you having?

Brrr, it's cold in here...

...that should be OUT here.

It was freezing cold out this morning.

No it was beyond freezing.  In fact even the ice along the road thought it was cold.

So what did I do?

You know after taking yesterday off work because I and nearly the entire family is enjoying head colds.

Well I went for a run outside of course.

And I couldn't wear any of my old winter gear I had to wear my new stuff from Christmas that isn't quite warm enough to cut this morning's idea of cold.

But this morning, I matched!

Day # 239 ~ a.m. run 3.5 freezing miles

What am I the only one who knows you can sweat out a cold? 

And shivering while you are sweating has to speed up the process, right? 

How'd December Go?

Miles Ran: 266.6 (Year total: 2,670.1)

Rest Days Taken: 0 (December 31st was Day # 236 of the streak 1833.1 miles)

Highest Mileage Week: 12/20 - 12/26 (DM Weeks) 69 miles

Races: None, so sad.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups

Which Outfit did I Wear the Most:

What We Are Watching: Sorcerer's Apprentice

Funniest Kid Quote:  It's not a quote it's an endless conversation with S'ghetti girl.  She constantly tells us the story line of your latest Professor Layton DSi game...in detail.  If you have kids, you know what I mean.

Current Triumph: Losing 4 pounds and adding cross training to my nearly daily routine

Thanks Amanda for the HBBC

Current Goal: Personal: To be more open to change

Running/Fitness: Prepare for my March Ultras

Current Blessing: Having Army Son home for 2 weeks

Current Excitement: Having Army Son home for 2 weeks!

Current Concern: Having to let Army Son go back

How did your December days add up?

Today running will wait

Today is the day.  Army son flies back.
I am so happy that we got to have him with us for the past two weeks.  He was able to see friends and family.  He shared in the holidays and many life long traditions.
I know that his 20 years of life have been filled wth change.  However these past two weeks have shown me that even though our relationship has changed it is still there and Home will always be a place Army son will return to.
So this morning hugs and kisses will be shared and maybe a tear or two but I know Army son will continue on his path that will always include a road back home.
We love you! Be safe.

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Happy New Year - Resolution Run

The wonderful Amanda asks those of us bustng our booties to join her Resolution Run virtually and I was in!
Early this morning (okay early is relative on New Years Day) I toed the line with my cows and cold air.
I enjoyed getting outside for my 6.5 miles of calmness.  After 266.6 miles in December I just enjoyed starting my new year with a great habit, taking time for me to be a better everything else.
Happy New Year!

-- Sent from my Palm Pre