Part of the Whole

Maybe it was the walking on the beach as the beginning daylight danced off the wet sand

OR

maybe it was the fact that I didn’t have my running gear on; I was hit with this overwhelming urge to run and never stop.
This powerful feeling flowed through me, like I was caught in a slipstream...
As any runner knows, these mysterious flashes don’t pop up everyday. In fact most days it's -> “First your shorts - then your shoes.”
I wish I could save this heartfelt occasion – and pass it on. The ultimate cure for runners’ burnout.
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Todays run - 5.1 miles – with a negative split!
Cheery Tune – “I’m Yours.”
Reading - Chicken Soup to Inspire the Body & Soul
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A Year of Running

Around this time, every year, I look back at last year’s mileage and compare it to this years'. And then attempt to sketch out some aspirations for next year.
I’ve only been keeping track of annual mileage since 2001. Thanks to online running journals it’s so easy now.
Last year’s miles 786
This year’s miles 793 (Over 800 by year’s end :)

Aspirations:

• Beat or make my Half-marathon time of 1:55. (Re-read Galloway’s book – "Half Marathon - You Can Do It" book to establish a new training schedule.)
• Race in a new locale.
• Run injury free!
• Maintain my pace – this is a big one for me. Each year I get older and it’s getting more difficult to see any improvements. I know the ice will shatter someday, till then I’m going to keep skating.

Remember:

"The best swimmers are always in the pool."

Meanwhile, back to building a bird’s nest.


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A Sign or Just a Bookmarker

As I sit on this jet reading “life is a verb”, I notice the bookmark ->
I have a collection of bookmarks – actually a pile of them. So when I open yet another book, I slip one in – not really noticing it.
It is there to mark my place…
The day before I left, I busily read a number of my fav running blogs sites including Ted’s Running Journal.
He mentions he had met a couple of authors promoting their running books. He included a picture of him with Bart Yasso.
Strange coincidence or a sign?
It seems as we age we start paying less attention to the world. Perhaps there is just too much stuff to process.

Starting now – pay attention!

1. A bike tire mark in the mud. 2. A young man walking a golden lab. 3. The sound of a passenger train. 4. A path leading to nowhere. 5. How the sun melts the frost. 6. Direction of the wood grain on the boardwalk. 7. An out of place rock – how did it get there?
ALL THIS AND MORE IS WAITING TO BE SEEN.

"Every day is a journey." wrote Basho

My Life On The Run

I wrote this post before I got home. Home Sweet Home. The above image was taken along one of my favorite runs in Canada.

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Life Lessons Learned from Running

This weeks theme at TIaRT is… Life Lessons Learned From Running.
I take every life lesson seriously.

One of the most important lessons I learned from running was – acceptance of myself. Sounds strange, but when I first started running, I did so in the early AM – so no one could see me. I spent precious running time putting on makeup, inserting my contact lenses - ruminating over what I should wear. As if I was constantly under some spotlight. I wasn’t over-weight or ugly, just burdened down with shyness aggravated by a bad case of acne.
Running lifted that cloak...
Now I don’t worry about hiding myself. (Well, maybe still on race days - I try to blend in.)
Running has accepted me into her ways – with unconditional Love.

The Importance of Running Roots
Image morgueFile

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Starting a Clean Slate

When I start a running program I always print out a blank schedule like the one in the picture above.
It is a canvas.

• to record my results.
• to plan the week.
• to scribble or erase.
• to highlight with bright colors.
• to anoint with coffee or happy face stickers.

It lives on a clip board near my desk. There is no ignoring what I have to do next or where I will be going….And most importantly, it authenticates what I have accomplished.
Jeff Galloway praises note taking. He suggests a journal can reward you with that pleasing sense of completion.
In one of his recent books he dedicated a whole chapter to it. “Your Journal Will Inspire You.”
I know online logs are paramount for storing and recovering data. I’m currently using Breaking the Tape. But a durable piece of paper and trusty pen are like having an open track – anything is possible!

Leonardo da Vinci had over 7000 pages of notes he gleamed from everyday activities.

Tools

Google Docs
Office Word
Analog Capture Ideas

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