It was a hot day – too  hot to go for a run or be outside for my work-out until later in the day.  We decided to take the kids up to the local high school track for a workout.  Running, lunges, push-ups you name it we were doing it.  We looked like the “all American family”.  About half-way through our time at the track another family joined us.  First it was just a lady – as she walked by she said “what a fit family you are.”.  I said “well we are trying”.

She continued to walk around the track.  Soon, she was joined by her husband and older son.  She began pushing her son’s wheelchair around the track.  Sometimes she would walk, and then jog a bit.  It must have been quite a work-out to push him.  When I ran by, I noticed he had his leg amputated.  He was wearing a Livestrong hat.

We really did not have much interaction with this family but our presence and carefree nature was certainly evident to them and their reserved and somewhat quiet nature resonated with me.  I thought to  myself, I bet they are looking at our family and thinking – be careful, you never know what life will hand you, look at us – we have an adult child in a wheelchair.  Their life plan had clearly been altered.

As we left the track Glenn and I were talking about their son and assuming he was a cancer survivor.  We tried to make a bit of small talk with him on our way back to the car.  He was not very social (not that we blame him).  A few minutes later we realized we had left our car keys up at the track.  I ran back to get them and then found myself walking alongside the mother.

I asked her if her son was a cancer survivor.  She said no, he had been in a motorcycle accident and lost his leg.  While being treated at a local rehab hospital he was overdosed on pain meds which caused a brain injury forcing him into a wheelchair.   I was speechless.  She went on to say that he had just gotten married about a month before the accident and then his wife left him once the brain injury was confirmed.

I told her I noticed his Livestrong hat and stupidly assumed it was cancer that took his leg.   I told her briefly about Mason and his battle which pales in comparison but none the less felt like the right thing to do.  I told her that so often I think “we have paid our dues” and life should be easy from here on out.  A very dumb way to live but I do think that way sometimes.  She agreed especially since they had lost a child 20 years ago to infant Leukemia.  She figured what could be worse than that…and for so many years their life was “normal” and relatively good and then in a blink it all changed.  Just one month before she was set to retire from her job and start traveling the country, spending time with her grandchildren, her son gets in an accident.

It was so hard for me to believe and yet confirmed several of my deep rooted beliefs.

1. Life is short, enjoy every moment you can

2. Don’t assume “that could never happen to me” because it could and it may

3. You don’t have any clue what journey someone has been on just by looking at them

4. God gives us what we can handle and I don’t know why he has so much faith in certain people filling their plate with heartache

It was a good lesson for me and brought me right back to how very fortunate we are to have the life that we do.  It also made me mindful that in a blink our life could change once again and I need to walk the line of awareness without living in a state of paranoia.

A simple track workout turned out to be just what I needed to keep me grounded and get me back to writing.  I apologize for my absence.  I got a job about 6 weeks ago and have been submerged in that along with the business of life.

Wishing you a great Father’s Day with family!

Last month I participated in Time Out for Theta Mom.   I write quite often about taking care of ourselves especially during stressful times.  In going with the whole “practice what I preach” concept I am planning to participate on a monthly basis over at Theta Mom.

This month my time-out came on several occasions (gasp) I know.  Selfish momma here.  What on earth could I have gotten away with more than just once this month?  How could I be SO lucky to have that much alone time you ask?

I signed up for my 3rd event with Team in Training. I am doing the San Diego 1/2 marathon in June.  I have group training runs every Saturday morning and am supposed to be doing several runs during the week.  The runs during the week are sometimes at the gym, sometimes in my basement while refereeing my kiddos and occasionally outside while pushing over 60 pounds of children in the double jogger (that is a sight for sure and gets my heart rate up above what it should be I am guessing).

In addition to training, I am fundraising for blood cancer research.  Many people ask me why I keep doing events with TNT and my answer is I can’t imagine being at the starting line of a race without having trained and fund-raised for a cause I am passionate about.

Yes, signing up and training for an event is a undertaking but I want to do something bigger than myself.  I want to know I have sacrificed and spent time raising money not just training.  By this point I know I can do the 1/2 marathon.  I have already done 2 full marathons – now it is about making a difference in the lives of people with blood cancer.

I have written about running before  here and here. I am not sure in those posts I have conveyed how much of a release running can be.  How when you find your stride you just can’t help but keep going and pushing yourself just a little bit further.

It is not about how far or how fast you run (or walk). It is the only time I can really get lost in my thoughts.  My brain does not shut off very often but when I am running I can organize my thoughts, my creativity surfaces, and my stresses seem more manageable.

So for this month running has been my time-out.  My amazing husband allows me to take nearly every Saturday and train with a group of fellow Team in Training participants. That is a huge blessing and it keeps me sane!

I would love to hear what you did for yourself this past month!  If you can’t come up with anything then make a goal for April.  Take one hour just for yourself then come tell me all about it or if you are a blogger link up over at Theta Mom!

If you were to ask me, I probably would not say the words “I am a runner”…strange after 2 marathons, 2 half marathons and a handful of other events.  I am not built like a runner.  At 5’1″ my stride is very short and I have come to learn I am a bit injury prone.

For years and years I was a “walker”.  I walked and walked and walked.  Until one day in March of 2008 when a great friend told me she was going to train, raise money and run a half marathon for my son Mason. I wanted in on that. She found Team in Training and I have never looked back.

I have learned that running is such a individual activity. Some run so fast and for so long it blows my mind.  Others (like me) melt down at about mile 22 of a marathon.  Others alternate running with walking (which by the way is a great way to run a distance event). Many of you reading this don’t run at all. You may have a fear of running – like I once did. I used to say- “I don’t run; I walk”.  Why was that?  There was not really a reason just a brain block of sorts.

So 2 years ago I set out on my first run. I was apprehensive.  What will I look like running along the road?  Do I even know how to run?  Is there some book I should have read before I stepped outside of my house?  What about the tennis shoes I strapped on?  Were they the right shoes?

I had no idea how far I went.  It was exhilarating, challenging and liberating.  Compared to walking I was covering a lot more ground in a shorter amount of time.  This really plays to my impatient tendencies.

I knew we lived in a “hilly” area but WOW – I thought I was about to die along about the second hill.  I stopped and walked up most of it.  In the back of my mind I was thinking about the next time I ran and how I would set a goal to make it a bit farther up the hill before stopping and walking.  I was amazed that I already was thinking about my next run before I even finished my first run.

And then during the part of the run when I wanted to just be done along came a great song on my i-pod.  It motivated me to keep going and even move a bit faster toward my finish.

That week I ran a few more times.  I found I really liked it.  I found it took me to a place where I could loose my head and think about all sorts of things or think about nothing.  (truth be told, I usually think about TONS of stuff when I run).

So here I am two years later and many miles behind me.  I wonder, would I ever have taken up running if my friend had not decided to run a half marathon to honor Mason?  I don’t just run, I do lots of cross  training and other things but I find running challenges me (both mind and body) and I feel accomplished when I finish a good run.

I spoke to an old friend yesterday who said “I actually ran for two minutes on the treadmill and then I walked for a few then I ran again”  She was angry with her teen-aged daughter and found she had the “energy” to run because she was so frustrated.

I smiled to myself knowing that yesterday she would say “I don’t run” but perhaps in a few more months she will be in a different place and have found she actually does “run”.

Another friend of mine moved away from Colorado and from afar kept seeing a few of our FaceBook updates about running and the different races we were doing.  She signed up and trained for a 5K.  She had never run before. Last week I saw an update from her that she was doing a 5 mile race!  It is inspiring and exciting to watch people step out of their comfort zone and hit the treadmill or the pavement.

So I am curious – do you run?  Why or why not?  Please share and let me know I am not alone in this addiction of being a runner mommy.

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This post is linked to Real Life – Your Life, Your Blog

Rarely am I inspired while watching TV.  Certainly not “reality TV”  but there are a few exceptions here and there.  One is the  The Biggest Loser on NBC.  I am a huge fan of the show and last night when I was watching the finale I was so inspired by the contestants.  They literally got up off their couches five months ago and got on a scale for millions of people to see how incredilby overweight they were.

Each week we see the transformation of their bodies.  We get a glimpse into what has taken them down this road with being overweight.  These are real people just like you and me.  They have a story and they are brave enough to share it and admit to what has brought them to their lowest point in life.

I don’t know about you but I don’t like to get on a scale in front of ANYONE and I am only 110 lbs.  It amazes me how dedicated and strong these people are.  The show is  ”a game” of sorts and the winner takes home 250K.  Yes, that would be motivating but it is not easy to lose hundreds of pounds no matter how much money is at stake.  You have to be extremely dedicated.  The participants  are getting their lives back – one pound at a time.

THAT is inspiring.

Are there things lately that have inspired you?  Please share~

For the next 7 weeks most of us will eat more and move less that we usually do leading to a spiral of “not feeling good”.  That not feeling good leads to lower motivation, accomplishing less each day and possible mild depression over weight gain, sluggish feelings and an overall unhealthy perspective.

Why do you suppose so many people get on the “wagon” of losing weight in the New Year?  It is because they have ruined any fitness they once had before Thanksgiving and have eaten more than they should and have neglected their physical health needs.

So with that in mind make a concious effort this holiday “season” to stick to (or even start) to move more and eat less than you want to.  Your body and mind will thank you come January 1st.  Here is a song to get you going.

I Like to Move It

Remember, it is really 90% about what you eat and 10% what you do…so if you LOVE to eat you have to move more (exercise) to off-set those extra calories!  I hope you have a great week and get out there and get moving – it is SO important for your mental health as well as you physical health.

Happy Music Monday~

Enjoy~

Sleep; something we often crave, never seem to get enough of and when we do get it, we want more of it.  So how important is shut eye?  Check out these interesting facts about sleep and what it does for you and your body.

• Adequate sleep is critical to proper brain function, no less so than air, water and food.

• Most adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep each night.  When we don’t get enough we build up a “sleep debt” that is nearly impossible to “pay back” to your body.

• Sleep debt, if prolonged can be linked to obesity, high blood pressure, moodiness and depression.

• When you are tired you are more irritable have a shorter fuse and are compromising your quality of life.

• Your safety and the safety of those around you is in jeopardy when you do not get enough sleep.  It is estimated that over 100,000 automobile accidents each year are a result of drowsy drivers.

• Sleep deprived people are on average 30% less productive than their rested peers.  In this day and age you can’t afford to be less productive and hope to keep your job.

• Many studies show that sleep is important for cellular renewal, helping to replace muscle tissue, and dead cells throughout the body.

• Did you know that since the invention of the light bulb, people sleep about 500 hours per year less than they used to.  Between watching TV, being on the computer and disruptive sleep partners most adults are getting less sleep than they should.

• The immune system is thought to be maintained while asleep.  Often sleep deprived people get sicker more often and have extended recovery times.

As you can see sleep should be at the top of the priority list in life.  Often it is the first thing to be eliminated.  If you wonder why you have trouble coping with stress in life you should start by examining your sleep habits.  Do you get enough sleep?  You may think you do but does your body agree?

When you are well rested everything in life will be better.  Your mood, appetite, mental focus, and yes your ability to deal with stress and unexpected events.  The age-old saying “better sleep on it” really does help.

When you sleep, your body renews itself.  It regroups and heals.  Your mind is allowed to “turn off” for a bit (although it really doesn’t turn off anatomically).  When you wake up you often have a sense of focus, energy and a fresh perspective.

Over the next week try and evaluate your sleep needs and think about how you feel during the day.  I will be sharing with you a very basic idea about how to give your body the sleep it so desperately needs.  Until then get some zzzzz’s.

* Information gathered from National Sleep Foundation

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Four weeks from today I will be running my second marathon. A marathon…26.2 miles. It is sometimes hard for me to believe. Eighteen months ago I was not a “runner”. I walked, I walked a lot – I walked 60 miles in 3 days to honor my mom in her battle with breast cancer. Running however was not something I thought I could do or moreover thought I would like.

How wrong was I – turns out I love running. Right now I have been encouraged to take a break and let my body recover so that I am not injured going into San Francisco in October. I want to be “fresh” before the Nike Women’s Marathon. I am running with Team In Training (TNT) which on a side note is seriously the most amazing group of people. Walking, running, biking, hiking while raising money to find a cure for blood cancers.

Mason, my 6 year old has Leukemia (a blood cancer) and has been in treatment since May of 2005. When people ask me why I run I usually say “for my son, he is my hero and my inspiration”. During my mini sabbatical from running the past 2 weeks I have been thinking about why I run and it boils down to a lot of reasons. I am going to share with you some of the reasons “why I run” over the next 4 weeks leading up to the marathon.

Those of you who aren’t runners please don’t leave me…you may find inspiration in my story and thoughts, you may be able to relate this to something in your own life or you may just enjoy the journey.

Today, I missed running with the TNT group and attended a spinning class. During the class I kept thinking I wish I were running right now. What is it that I like about running? So today, if you asked me why I run I would have to say “because I CAN” I have the ability, desire and drive to run.

I started off 18 months ago and really was not sure what to expect. I knew however that there are tons of people who can’t run due to various injuries, illnesses and sheer lack of motivation. I can run. There is no reason why I can’t so I am going to try it.

A year and a half later I have run a marathon, two half marathons, a 10 mile race and a 10K.

I am not winning these races, I am finishing them.

I run because I can.

I can make a difference in the lives of people fighting blood cancers.

I can show my kids that you have to set goals (the marathons) and work hard to get to those goals.

I can push myself to do something I never thought I could, something only 0.13% of the worlds population has ever done.

There is a ton of power in the word “can”. I am sure that is what makes us so crazy when we hear our kids say they “can’t” right?

I can and so I do…