Breakfast Of Champions
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
I couldn't have been deeper in my sleep. And it felt good considering my usual habit of worrying and waking up at all hours of the night prior to a long run. Still looking at the numbers on the clock made me want to hang my head low and mournfully cry.
In case you're wondering why I'm writing this down, I'm recording this for future generations. Somewhere down the genealogical line when my bones have turned to dust maybe some great, great, great grandchild will read this and think "Wow, Grandma ran a 1/2 marathon ---cool!"
The word, "grandma" really makes the term "1/2 marathon" sound far more impressive, doncha' think? Well, as a grandma I hope it helps some distant grandchild of mine take a minute to stop and think positively about anything they want to accomplish. It's my way of cheering to them from the grave, something like, "What ever it is, you can do it."
Regardless of why I'm writing these experiences down, more importantly, every day as the miles increase in my running schedule and the date, June 12th, looms closer, the thought, "Why did I do this", enters my head far more repetitively. I can't get over how fear creeps into my soul, whispering little messages of failure looming ahead. I really have to stop and think about how fear is only the absence of faith. So I grab hold of the positive and push on for the goal at hand, hoping I can do well for myself. I've given it everything I've got so far. Left no rock unturned, so to speak. I've worked hard and I've put my "all" into it.
Now back to the morning.
I rolled my tired body over and forced it into a kneeling position, covers wrapped well around my shoulders to shut out the cold, then began my morning conversations with my Heavenly dad. One year ago prayer became a ritual in my life, morning and night. Up until then it was a hit and miss thing, sometimes hitting more than missing, sometimes missing more than hitting. I hate inconsistency. Now praying is habitual. I have learned that a day without prayer, isn't much of a day.
While kneeling beneath the warmth of my covers, I ask my Heavenly Father if He were tired of hearing my same mumblings, but expressed that my gratitude for certain things in this life, never change. In fact the older I get the more my sense of appreciation grows for the very things I've always been grateful for. The older I get how can I not express a grateful heart for my good health, for Glade and his good health, my children, my children's children, all of us in good health, and the fact that I can run at all. So that's how the conversation went, with expressions of gratitude for all I enjoy every single day I open my eyes and breath. After expressing a grateful heart, I presented the long list of needs that seemingly overwhelm me at times. I finished with the usual pleading, "Please, make me strong in every way!"
The floor felt hard the minute my feet swung from the bed and landed. I picked my way through the dark to the living room, sat down on the fireplace hearth and turned on the fire. It felt good to just sit there and absorb the heat into my stiff frame. I thought about being sad when I noticed it wasn't raining outside which meant there was no hope of getting out of the task at hand, but I bolstered up my positive thinking and pushed the negative desires away, as I dressed and tied my shoes.
Being fully clothed, I then went over to the kitchen and consumed my breakfast of champions. This consisted of Chocolate Ensure, half of a small sweet wheat bagel topped with peanut butter and honey, and one banana. I washed it all down with my Chia water and felt like heaving. I don't really care for food at 4:50 in the morning. But I have learned I'm not going to go the distance without it. I should have eaten it sooner, but better late than never, is what I always say.
The morning ritual is always the same. After dressing and eating, I hook up my iPhone, stretch, step outside and make sure my clothing fits the weather, slap on my head band because my ears freeze at this hour and then hit the stopwatch as soon as my feet hit the road.
According to Kaedell's explicit instructions the night before, I was to leave my house at 5:15 and then somewhere in the dark we would meet. I looked at my watch, I was right on time as my tired frame slowly entered into the pace, running is all about the pace. As I lumbered along I noticed the road was damp and wondered if Kadie and I were going to get wet. I was ecstatic though that there was not one single ounce of wind.
As I made my way to the end of my road I saw a dark figure round the corner. I could tell by the bounce in her step it was my energetic little daughter. Kaedell got a new Heart Monitor for Mother's day and she quickly informed me we had both gone a 1/2 mile. I gave a groaning sound and made some sarcastic comment about only having a mere 8 and 1/2 left to go. Kadie turned in my direction, we lined up side by side and matched our pace heading South.
I like running with Kadie, she has become a little lean mean running machine. I slow her down a little bit and she speeds me up a lot! I was tired and had been feeling weary all week, but the Ensure was starting to take effect and soon my concentration shifted from my lack of energy to the chit chat between my daughter and I. Kadie and I move our mouths much faster than we move our feet. I like how conversing distracts me and steels my thoughts from the agony of what I'm doing.
In case you're wondering why I'm writing this down, I'm recording this for future generations. Somewhere down the genealogical line when my bones have turned to dust maybe some great, great, great grandchild will read this and think "Wow, Grandma ran a 1/2 marathon ---cool!"
The word, "grandma" really makes the term "1/2 marathon" sound far more impressive, doncha' think? Well, as a grandma I hope it helps some distant grandchild of mine take a minute to stop and think positively about anything they want to accomplish. It's my way of cheering to them from the grave, something like, "What ever it is, you can do it."
Regardless of why I'm writing these experiences down, more importantly, every day as the miles increase in my running schedule and the date, June 12th, looms closer, the thought, "Why did I do this", enters my head far more repetitively. I can't get over how fear creeps into my soul, whispering little messages of failure looming ahead. I really have to stop and think about how fear is only the absence of faith. So I grab hold of the positive and push on for the goal at hand, hoping I can do well for myself. I've given it everything I've got so far. Left no rock unturned, so to speak. I've worked hard and I've put my "all" into it.
Now back to the morning.
I rolled my tired body over and forced it into a kneeling position, covers wrapped well around my shoulders to shut out the cold, then began my morning conversations with my Heavenly dad. One year ago prayer became a ritual in my life, morning and night. Up until then it was a hit and miss thing, sometimes hitting more than missing, sometimes missing more than hitting. I hate inconsistency. Now praying is habitual. I have learned that a day without prayer, isn't much of a day.
While kneeling beneath the warmth of my covers, I ask my Heavenly Father if He were tired of hearing my same mumblings, but expressed that my gratitude for certain things in this life, never change. In fact the older I get the more my sense of appreciation grows for the very things I've always been grateful for. The older I get how can I not express a grateful heart for my good health, for Glade and his good health, my children, my children's children, all of us in good health, and the fact that I can run at all. So that's how the conversation went, with expressions of gratitude for all I enjoy every single day I open my eyes and breath. After expressing a grateful heart, I presented the long list of needs that seemingly overwhelm me at times. I finished with the usual pleading, "Please, make me strong in every way!"
The floor felt hard the minute my feet swung from the bed and landed. I picked my way through the dark to the living room, sat down on the fireplace hearth and turned on the fire. It felt good to just sit there and absorb the heat into my stiff frame. I thought about being sad when I noticed it wasn't raining outside which meant there was no hope of getting out of the task at hand, but I bolstered up my positive thinking and pushed the negative desires away, as I dressed and tied my shoes.
Being fully clothed, I then went over to the kitchen and consumed my breakfast of champions. This consisted of Chocolate Ensure, half of a small sweet wheat bagel topped with peanut butter and honey, and one banana. I washed it all down with my Chia water and felt like heaving. I don't really care for food at 4:50 in the morning. But I have learned I'm not going to go the distance without it. I should have eaten it sooner, but better late than never, is what I always say.
The morning ritual is always the same. After dressing and eating, I hook up my iPhone, stretch, step outside and make sure my clothing fits the weather, slap on my head band because my ears freeze at this hour and then hit the stopwatch as soon as my feet hit the road.
According to Kaedell's explicit instructions the night before, I was to leave my house at 5:15 and then somewhere in the dark we would meet. I looked at my watch, I was right on time as my tired frame slowly entered into the pace, running is all about the pace. As I lumbered along I noticed the road was damp and wondered if Kadie and I were going to get wet. I was ecstatic though that there was not one single ounce of wind.
As I made my way to the end of my road I saw a dark figure round the corner. I could tell by the bounce in her step it was my energetic little daughter. Kaedell got a new Heart Monitor for Mother's day and she quickly informed me we had both gone a 1/2 mile. I gave a groaning sound and made some sarcastic comment about only having a mere 8 and 1/2 left to go. Kadie turned in my direction, we lined up side by side and matched our pace heading South.
I like running with Kadie, she has become a little lean mean running machine. I slow her down a little bit and she speeds me up a lot! I was tired and had been feeling weary all week, but the Ensure was starting to take effect and soon my concentration shifted from my lack of energy to the chit chat between my daughter and I. Kadie and I move our mouths much faster than we move our feet. I like how conversing distracts me and steels my thoughts from the agony of what I'm doing.
Interestingly enough, our conversation turned to that of walking. We were discussing how some people find it seriously shameful to even mention the word "walk" if they are a avid runner. To some runners "Walk" is a four letter word, LOL.
A friend of mine who is a runner thinks it is totally beneath her dignity to even consider walking while running. These kinds of ideas drive me wild. After all, I am first and foremost a walker. I entered three years of walk racing long before I took up running and I still love a good fast paced walk. Walking has benefits that could be touted all day.
A friend of mine who is a runner thinks it is totally beneath her dignity to even consider walking while running. These kinds of ideas drive me wild. After all, I am first and foremost a walker. I entered three years of walk racing long before I took up running and I still love a good fast paced walk. Walking has benefits that could be touted all day.
This led Kadie and I to a discussion about the great benefits of adding walking to your running regimen, especially when you're so tired you think your going to die. That's the perfect time to add a little brisk walking to your routine!
I was telling Kaedell all about Jeff Galloway, a serious runner and trainer that advocates the run/walk method. Check out his charts and ideas for instruction! And so Kadie and I continued down the road doing our thing, which by the way consists of running, walking, talking, and being proud of it all!
I was telling Kaedell all about Jeff Galloway, a serious runner and trainer that advocates the run/walk method. Check out his charts and ideas for instruction! And so Kadie and I continued down the road doing our thing, which by the way consists of running, walking, talking, and being proud of it all!
It wasn't long after our lengthy conversation about walking that we found ourselves at the watering hole. Kadie and I were both sad to find the doors to Fremont locked. We increased our mileage by running around the whole school checking every door. We made a last ditch effort to check the outside fountain only to find it dry. I reminded Kaedell about our secret stash in the cemetery and we pushed on.
Kaedell had tried to talk me out of our original route the night before, but there is something about the river bottoms that I can't give up. Even though it's probably the busiest territory we cross, I love it there. Besides it feels good to go for a run and end up in another city! You know you're clocking some serious milage when you cross towns.
It didn't seem like we'd been running that long when I spotted the cemetery. I couldn't get over how fast the morning had gone by. Kadie kept giving me an update on our mileage with her new Polar heart rate monitor. I was so impressed! I got one for mother's day too, but mine hasn't arrived yet. After all the info Kaedell was able to give me about our distance, pace and speed, I can't wait for mine to come.
Coming up the slight incline I spotted the Gatorade poking out of the fence. We decided to try a sports drink instead of just plain old water. I got to do the stashing the night before. Going to the cemetery at ten thirty at night all by myself is a real treat. We decided to leave the Gatorade stuck in the fence until we were on our way back and as I turned my focus from the liquid in the fence to the road, I saw it, a dead black cat lying in the middle of the road.
The sight shocked me. Last May exactly one year ago, I had an interesting experience in Hawaii with a black cat and how it became a dead black cat. It's a long story I've only shared with one other person, but an interesting one that still impacts me deeply on the inside. As Kaedell and I approached the dead cat, all my memories of Hawaii and that experience came flooding back.
The sight shocked me. Last May exactly one year ago, I had an interesting experience in Hawaii with a black cat and how it became a dead black cat. It's a long story I've only shared with one other person, but an interesting one that still impacts me deeply on the inside. As Kaedell and I approached the dead cat, all my memories of Hawaii and that experience came flooding back.
Now mind you this little road maybe has five houses on it, and isn't long enough to bring a motorized vehicles speedometer up to 25 miles an hour. Kaedell and I questioned how it was even possible for a cat to be hit and killed on this road at all, especially when there was zero traffic.
As I stood there looking at this poor dead cat, everything I had experienced one year prior came rolling back with great force. I think sometimes the Lord gets tired of trying to teach us the same thing over and over again. The experience in Hawaii with the cat there, drove home a lesson I had long been needing to learn and here I was standing over the same scene again.
Immediately, thinking about that day a year ago, I realized it was nearly the same hour, that I stood in a busy intersection in Hawaii looking at the same exact thing ---a dead black cat. I remember what I had said to it the day before when it crossed my path, and I remember thinking then, "I killed this poor cat!" The whole story is a silly sorted tale, with amazing meaning. And now here I was having a repeat. The only difference is thankfully I hadn't spoken to this cat, so I didn't feel I had literally caused it's death per se!
A coincidence? Perhaps some would doubt it's validity as a spiritual manifestation of great insight, but to me it was absolutely no coincidence. The same principal I learned one year prior was being driven home once again. It was in Hawaii that I started running and for an important reason. While there on vacation, I got up every morning at five and ran on the beach. The dead cat I encountered there while running each morning had crossed my path several times alive and well throughout the week. The day before he died I had given him a name and some instructions. The instruction was meaningful to me. The next day, I found him lying dead in the middle of the road. Shocked I stood looking at the cat and that's when the Lord brought to light important principals I had long over looked.
Sometimes the spirit is direct in it's teaching even with something as odd as a dead black cat. I knew the point my Father In Heaven was driving home to me in Hawaii the first time the whole ordeal imploded me and now as I grabbed the tail of the dead animal before me, dragging it to the side of the road where some car couldn't mangle it. The spirit repeated the powerful message to me once again with great force. This cat's body was still warm and it hadn't been dead very long and as silly as it sounds there was meaning and a message for me in this poor kitty's death.
I will close this paragraph with four admonishments regarding the whole seemingly crazy ordeal.
1- God is all powerful and will always triumph over Satan.
2- Our individual worth in God's eyes is something we barely understand and cannot be altered in anyway. We are His children and He loves us beyond all comprehension and we need to value who we are!
3- Imperative lessons we need to learn in this life can be taught in ways we least expect, even ways that include a dead cat.
4- This life is spiritual even if you don't know it or live with respect to this fact ----it is!
With the cat moved to the side of the road, Kadie and I finished our distance and turned our direction to head home. It is a good feeling to be homeward bound. In fact, it's the best feeling there is. I asked Kadie what our mileage was and discovered we were more than half way.
I ate my Gu on the way home and pondered on the mornings experiences. Kaedell draws upon energy reserves I cannot fathom. She just likes to pack her Gu in her pocket. I have yet to see her use it once. I was teasing her on the way home saying, "Are you just carrying that for extra weight?"
"Well, we're almost home mom, why use it now?" was her come back.
We shared the Gatorade we had plucked out of the fence and I soon discovered Blueberry Gatorade and Raspberry Gu really don't taste good together.
Kadie and I have discovered every fountain in town. It's nice to have more than one watering hole. We stopped at the one by the square and drank for some time. The water was cold and it felt good swirling down my throat. We finished drinking and proceeded on. Only a mile and a half left.
My Gu was kicking in and my spirits were lifted with the morning milage nearly behind us. As we rounded the last corner and my house came into view, my heart gave a leap and then Kaedell gave me the astonishing news. We were not yet home and we had already completed 9.7 miles. I looked at Kadie and said, "What the heck." Well at least I think I said the word heck. Ok, so maybe I said Hell. At 9.7 miles, I can't remember. Right then though I thought about telling Kaedell she was fired as our milage manager. Then it came to me and I looked at her and words came out of my mouth that I couldn't believe. I stared into her eyes and said, "We may as well go 10!" We both laughed and the last little distance we slowed it right down and finished the morning clocking 10.2 miles.
I love running!
As I stood there looking at this poor dead cat, everything I had experienced one year prior came rolling back with great force. I think sometimes the Lord gets tired of trying to teach us the same thing over and over again. The experience in Hawaii with the cat there, drove home a lesson I had long been needing to learn and here I was standing over the same scene again.
Immediately, thinking about that day a year ago, I realized it was nearly the same hour, that I stood in a busy intersection in Hawaii looking at the same exact thing ---a dead black cat. I remember what I had said to it the day before when it crossed my path, and I remember thinking then, "I killed this poor cat!" The whole story is a silly sorted tale, with amazing meaning. And now here I was having a repeat. The only difference is thankfully I hadn't spoken to this cat, so I didn't feel I had literally caused it's death per se!
A coincidence? Perhaps some would doubt it's validity as a spiritual manifestation of great insight, but to me it was absolutely no coincidence. The same principal I learned one year prior was being driven home once again. It was in Hawaii that I started running and for an important reason. While there on vacation, I got up every morning at five and ran on the beach. The dead cat I encountered there while running each morning had crossed my path several times alive and well throughout the week. The day before he died I had given him a name and some instructions. The instruction was meaningful to me. The next day, I found him lying dead in the middle of the road. Shocked I stood looking at the cat and that's when the Lord brought to light important principals I had long over looked.
Sometimes the spirit is direct in it's teaching even with something as odd as a dead black cat. I knew the point my Father In Heaven was driving home to me in Hawaii the first time the whole ordeal imploded me and now as I grabbed the tail of the dead animal before me, dragging it to the side of the road where some car couldn't mangle it. The spirit repeated the powerful message to me once again with great force. This cat's body was still warm and it hadn't been dead very long and as silly as it sounds there was meaning and a message for me in this poor kitty's death.
I will close this paragraph with four admonishments regarding the whole seemingly crazy ordeal.
1- God is all powerful and will always triumph over Satan.
2- Our individual worth in God's eyes is something we barely understand and cannot be altered in anyway. We are His children and He loves us beyond all comprehension and we need to value who we are!
3- Imperative lessons we need to learn in this life can be taught in ways we least expect, even ways that include a dead cat.
4- This life is spiritual even if you don't know it or live with respect to this fact ----it is!
With the cat moved to the side of the road, Kadie and I finished our distance and turned our direction to head home. It is a good feeling to be homeward bound. In fact, it's the best feeling there is. I asked Kadie what our mileage was and discovered we were more than half way.
I ate my Gu on the way home and pondered on the mornings experiences. Kaedell draws upon energy reserves I cannot fathom. She just likes to pack her Gu in her pocket. I have yet to see her use it once. I was teasing her on the way home saying, "Are you just carrying that for extra weight?"
"Well, we're almost home mom, why use it now?" was her come back.
We shared the Gatorade we had plucked out of the fence and I soon discovered Blueberry Gatorade and Raspberry Gu really don't taste good together.
Kadie and I have discovered every fountain in town. It's nice to have more than one watering hole. We stopped at the one by the square and drank for some time. The water was cold and it felt good swirling down my throat. We finished drinking and proceeded on. Only a mile and a half left.
My Gu was kicking in and my spirits were lifted with the morning milage nearly behind us. As we rounded the last corner and my house came into view, my heart gave a leap and then Kaedell gave me the astonishing news. We were not yet home and we had already completed 9.7 miles. I looked at Kadie and said, "What the heck." Well at least I think I said the word heck. Ok, so maybe I said Hell. At 9.7 miles, I can't remember. Right then though I thought about telling Kaedell she was fired as our milage manager. Then it came to me and I looked at her and words came out of my mouth that I couldn't believe. I stared into her eyes and said, "We may as well go 10!" We both laughed and the last little distance we slowed it right down and finished the morning clocking 10.2 miles.
I love running!
1 comment:
Once you really enjoy it, miles are just details, but that doesn't make the distance any less of an amazing accomplishment!
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