Will Run For T-Shirt

Warming Up

2010-04-17T14:10:00.000-06:00

Today was Ian's 1st band competition - I'm SO proud! Good luck, Son!
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While I was sleeping...

2010-03-28T14:26:00.005-06:00

Fibromyalgia is downright cruel! Although there are many different symptoms I deal with on any given day, there are 2 that are with me all the time -- pain and intense fatigue. Most days, I have both. Some days I have one or the other but I never have days without either. Saturday when I woke up I was absolutely amazed -- there was NO pain! And I had run a 5K Friday night! I was excited! I knew Saturday would be a difficult day for me. On March 27, 2002, my sweet daddy passed away. I was prepared for a myriad of emotions as I never know from year to year exactly how it will effect me. All I know is that it will effect me. Well, I was excited because not only was it going to be a beautiful day (sunny and 70-something degrees) but I woke up with NO PAIN!!!! I decided that a run was definitely in order and a most befitting way to honor my dad on this day.

The minute I got out of bed, however, my excitement turned into tremendous disappointment. I was instantly overcome with such intense heaviness throughout my entire body, I could barely get my legs to move. I decided to get back in bed, at this point it was still very early, so I thought a bit more rest and a little nap might be in order. Now, I know how absurd a nap sounds after waking up from a good nights rest but with FM, there's no such thing as a "good nights rest." It's either a "better" nights rest than last night or some times even all out insomnia. But that's another lesson in the FM 101 text book that I'll save for another day. Well, before you know it, the entire day got away from me and I never got out of bed. I can't even begin to tell you what that does to a person. When you realize that you have literally slept thru an entire day -- and not just ANY day but a beautiful spring day in which you had something special and meaningful planned. When the tears came, they came with a vengeneance. But I reminded myself that there are things in this life that I have no control of. And sometimes, it takes "wasting" one day so that I can enjoy another.

When I woke up this morning, I felt better. Mind you, "better" simply means better than yesterday. Today, the pain is present but minimal -- YES!! Today, the fatigue is present but not intense -- YES!! The weather outside, however, is AWFUL! It's cold, damp and windy. YUCK!!!! This will only mean that when the sun goes down (what sun?) my body will stage an all out mutiny, making Monday a challenge. I'm not being pessimistic -- I'm being realistic. If I'm wrong, it will be a first but in this case, I sure hope I'm wrong. We made it to church (albeit late - it's hard to get ready on time these days) and I was so happy. It was then that I realized it was better to lose my Saturday to gain His Sunday and worship my Awesome God! My negative had a huge positive attached!

This afternoon, I headed out to run the errands that I couldn't do yesterday. I must say it felt colder and the wind was really blowing -- ugh! And then I saw it. Our cherry tree. All week long I've come and gone and never even noticed it was budding. But as I looked at it, amidst the gloomy, gray sky, it's in FULL BLOOM! When did that happen? It must have been while I was I was sleeping. It must have happened in the middle of my dark day while I was wallowing in self pity. In the midst of my storm, God reminds that in Him is life. In Him, it's a new day and a new season. This is a time not to mourn what is lost but rather a time to rejoice in what lies ahead! When I'm open to the lessons that He wants to teach me, it makes me thankful for FM. I wonder, if yesterday had not turned out like it did, would I have missed the blessing of the cherry tree today?

So, with that, I leave you with a close up view of my cherry tree in bloom...

Gotta run...

Lisa

Sick and tired of being sick and tired

2010-03-27T09:10:00.004-06:00

I know, I know...I promised a race report. But, I've had a lot going on as you can see from this list:

Lately, my life has been comprised of making promises I simply can't keep. I start to write my blog and then, well, it just seems too overwhelming. I have LOTS to talk about...I have ZERO energy to write it all down. My life of late has been a roller coaster. I know, everyone's life is a roller coaster. Yes, everyone has their ups and downs but I'm at a point in my life where I'm both figuratively and literally nauseous and weary of the jerking and twisted turns that are coming so fast I can't recover from the last before the next thing comes. I seems that every positive thing in my life is immediately countered with a new symptom or a new pain in a new place.

But everyday is a new day (wow, that's deep, huh?) and since getting off the roller coaster of life is NOT an option (I'm certainly not ready to leave the amusement park yet!), I have determined that I'm going to turn around my way of thinking. Instead of thinking that every time something good happens, something bad is just around the next turn, I will embrace the negative because I know that for every bad thing that happens, something good is just around the corner. I know this is not rocket science but for me, this is a break through. I'm learning that a positive outlook is all I have. I can't rely on running any more to get me thru the dark times -- I have to instead find my courage and strength from within and let running be the result and not the source.

So, I've come to grips with the fact that some days I will live up to my GoGirlGo! persona and some days I'll just be GoneGirlGone but one thing will always be true, even on the days when I can't get out of bed, I always...

Gotta run!

Lisa

2010-03-06T11:03:00.001-06:00

What a beautiful day for a run! Race report forthcoming. Yes, I said race report - GoGirlGo is back!!! 3 months has been way too long!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2009-12-20T17:10:00.004-06:00

Today would have been my Dad's 78th birthday -- he passed away almost 8 years ago. It's always hard this time of year because I miss him SO much but there's also a strange comfort I get when I allow myself to stop & think of all the great memories I have and reflect on the man he was.

My dad was a runner. I know that doesn't sound very interesting in and of itself but it was where and how he loved to run that made him unique and brings a smile to my face. Dad was the maintenance man for our church, which was quite large both in number of members and square footage of the building. Dad paced out the sanctuary and knew just how many laps around equalled a mile. He would go into the sanctuary (not during worship services mind you), take off his shoes (I have always wanted to run barefoot!) and just run. With only the light that streamed through the stained glass windows, he would run and he would pray. Sometimes he'd be in there for hours but he never could seem to remember just how many laps he'd gone. He would be so intune with God that he'd forget to count the laps -- he just ran with God. Being a child and not a runner, I found this "ritual" to be quite silly and perhaps a bit irreverant. After all, he was running barefoot in the church building -- didn't our parents always say we should never run in church?!??!) Well, I'm no longer a child and I AM a runner so I must say, man, didn't he have it all figured out? Dad, I totally get it now!!!! How awesome to run free with your thoughts focussed on Almighty God as you reach out to Him in prayer. Did I mention that I totally get that now? :) He found a way to turn his love for running and his love for God into a way that drew him closer to God. But that's the way my dad was, everything he did, God was always the biggest part. Everything else was secondary.

I would give anything to run with my dad. Even if I had run with him as a child, I don't think I would have grasped the totality of what that would mean. Often when I run, I think of my dad and sometimes I even imagine he's right beside me. Especially when the distance is hard, it's my dad I think of. In my head, he escorted me across the finish line of the Little Rock marathon in 2008. Silly, huh?

While these are silly images I have conjured in my head to keep my dad's memory with me there is one thing that I can rely on. One day, when my life on earth is done, if the Lord find me faithful, I will get to run barefoot with my Dad in the presence of Almighty God! WOW!!! I can hardly wait!!!!!!!

Gotta run...

Lisa

The Best Worst Half Marathon Ever

2009-12-05T16:15:00.004-06:00

Several months ago, Mark finally caved into my constant begging a.k.a. nagging to run the St. Jude Half Marathon with me. Here we are at the start line, btw. Anyway, ever since I started running some 3 and 1/2 years ago, it has been my desire to cross the finish line with him, holding hands and raising them high in the air -- the perfect finish line photo. Well, today, I ran, er walked, er limped 13.1 miles with Mark by my side and we even posed for our finish line photo just as I had pictured it in my head.

It would have been a picture perfect race as well if only my knee would have held out longer. Sadly, it decided my race was OVER at mile 8 and then gave up altogether around 11. Now, mind you, I was not well trained for this race. The last 14 weeks have been difficult. I wasn't able to get my 10 miler in nor was I able to get in any weekly runs for most of the training period. I would have advised anyone else to "sit this one out" but not only was my husband signing up to run but we both committed ourselves to running it as St. Jude Heroes and raise money for the precious children who are being treated there. How could I possibly drop out? So I showed up at the start line and wondered what this day would bring. The 1st 5-6 miles were AWESOME!!! Although we walked alot when we ran, we ran fairly strong and averaged 13:30-14:00 minute miles. At 6, I began having a few nagging pains in various places but I pushed thru ok. More walking than running between 6 and 11 and then things began to deteriorate rapidly. Sometime after the 11 mile marker, my knee began throbbing and I couldn't put my full weight on my left leg as a result. Then the calf cramps hit the right leg and I was practically immobile. At that point, I didn't think I could make it to the finish but who drops out at 11.5 when you're that close to the finish? Mark grabbed my hand and was literally dragging me along while I winced in pain and begged him to let me quit.

When we saw the gates of AutoZone park, we began to jog. At the moment we entered the gates, BAM, calve cramps in BOTH LEGS! I came to a dead stop and the tears began to flow freely, knee still throbbing all the while. The volunteer at the gate says to me, "we've taken 2 runners out of here on stretchers. You're NOT going to be #3. YOU CAN DO IT!!" For some strange reason, I believed her and Mark & I headed to the finish, hand in hand. I was limping but I was going to make it. The photographer snapped our picture with our clasped hands in the air and we were smiling. As soon as we passed her, my calves cramped again just in time to see a 2nd photographer who captured me crying out to Mark that I was about to fall and him looking over at me. Oh well, at least we got one good finish line photo -- or should I say hope. Once past the finish line, one of the medical personnel asked me if I was ok and before I could answer, saw just what the problem was and began helping me work out the cramps. This process, I must say, is as painful if not more so than the cramps themselves. But his torture worked and I was on my way to THE MEDAL! Boy, did I earn that thing today!

So while this was by far my slowest, most painful half marathon EVER, I am as proud of this one as I am of my marathon finishes. I proved to myself that I can do anything if I possess enough desire and determination (and maybe a little bit of insanity) and Mark and I did this together! And we did it for the kids at St. Jude! I truly felt like a hero today.

Now it's time for some much needed rest and recovery because you know me...

Gotta run!
Lisa

There's still time to donate - please visit www.mystjudeheroes.org/rundream Thanks so much for your support!

Six in the City

2009-11-07T19:17:00.007-06:00

Today I did 6 miles in downtown Memphis. Running by the river always cheers me up and today, I especially needed some cheer. This has been a particularly bad week for me. When I showed up for today's 6 miles, I fully expected to do 6 laps around the St. Jude campus, figuring I'd be lucky if I could even do half the distance. But my two teammates wouldn't hear of it. Morris would be running ahead of me and Lenore would be walking behind me -- I was literally book ended by the two of them. When I made it back to campus, I was in a lot of pain and was determined to call it quits at 5.39 miles. Morris would have nothing of that. He cheered me on and encouraged me not only to get to the 6 mile mark, but to add a lap around campus for a total of 6.39 miles. So tonite, even though I am quite sore and can barely walk, I feel like I really accomplished something today. Now, I just hope I can recover in time for our 10 miler next Saturday.

It has been difficult for me to accept my limitations of late and I have a hard time not looking out too far into the future. I don't have to determine today that my marathon days are over. I don't have to determine today that my half-marathon days are over. Today, I had 6 miles to cover. Today, I determined (with the help of my friends) that I could not only do it, but I could go just a little bit farther. Today, that's good enough for me because I...

Gotta run...

Lisa :)

4 Miler

2009-10-24T15:13:00.002-06:00

While it's quite an accomplishment for me to blog 2 days in a row, I am most proud of this morning's 4 miler. I anticipated it wouldn't be much to write about since I ran a 5k last nite. I assumed I would be walking most of it. I didn't get to sleep until almost 1am to boot. When I arrived on the St. Jude campus, I was really not wanting to go the distance and when at 8:05am no one else had shown up, I thought I might just go back home and go to bed. Just as I was about to go to my car, Morris & Laurie showed up raring to go. Oh well, I thought, I'm just going to walk so it'll be fine.

But something happened out there that caught me completely by surprise. My body wanted to run! So, I ran. Now, I took walk breaks but I really felt like I ran more than I walked. My Garmin supports that theory. I am a slow runner but an even slower walker. I cannot seem to walk any faster than a 17:00 - 18:00 pace on my walk breaks. This is something I'd really like to work on but running always seems to be the area I prefer to work on. Now, these numbers are not speedy by any stretch of the imagination but for me at this time (I'm still in a major funk but I can see the light at the end) these numbers are quite encouraging to me. Mile 1 - 13:13; Mile 2 - 13:42; Mile 3 - 13:16; Mile 4 - 13:20. I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere.

Now to deal with the residual aches & pains but it is to be expected when you just...

Gotta run...
Lisa :)

True Blue 5k

2009-10-23T20:45:00.008-06:00

You gotta love a 5k that winds thru the campus of your alma mater and "spits" you out thru the giant tiger's mouth after you cross the finish line!

Sorry for the blur -- the BB doesn't take the best photos. :(

This was a really weird race for me. For some reason, I felt really out of place. Perhaps it was because my last 5k was so disastrous. Perhaps it's because I haven't felt much like a runner lately. Whatever the reason, I felt odd but I was determined to "stick it out" and see if I could redeem myself with a better finishing time than the last 5k I did about a month ago. Besides, the more people watching I did, the more comfortable I became. I noticed all these "runners" who looked fit, dressed the part, doing these amazing stretches. They looked like real pros I tell ya with one exception, they had their bib numbers pinned on their backs instead of the front. I thought maybe that's what you do now -- after all, I haven't been participating in many races lately. Anyway, when it came time to line up at the start line, I made my way to the back of the pack. That is where I feel like I belong. I heard a guy mumble under his breath, "it goes on the front, doofus" and I was relieved. I hadn't missed the memo about the new rules about proper bib placement. As the race began, I enjoyed picking off "those" runners who started out way too fast and pooped out at mile 2. I wasn't fast mind you, but there's a lot to be said for slow and steady. While I didn't PR tonite (thankfully, I wasn't expecting to) it was a great run for me. I ran/walked in 40 minutes and some change. So while I may not be completely back in the game, I'm definitely moving in the right direction. YES!!!!!!

Gotta run...

Lisa :)

ThermoBurst + Cool Temps = AWESOME 7 Miler

2009-10-17T12:43:00.005-06:00

Wow! What a morning! The team & I decided to change our venue and meet at Shelby Farms for our 7 miler. It was downright cold at 7:30am! There was only 3 of us who braved the temps and the distance but we were so glad we did. There's something about cooler weather that just breathes new life into my running. A good friend of mine also introduced me to an energy supplement, ThermoBurst, which really helped too! I was energized from start to finish and even ran to my car afterwards! My usual, pre-run, Grande, No Fat, No Foam Latte was never able to do this! I felt so good that at one point, when my Garmin beeped to tell me it was time for a walk break, I actually uttered an, "oh crap" out loud. Now, I have been known to utter many "oh craps" when my Garmin beeps but those are ALWAYS when it beeps to tell me to RUN not WALK! I was so surprised by this -- when I looked at my Garmin, I was doing a 9:50 pace. I don't know how long I ran at this pace (probably not very long) but I was impressed that not only was I running that fast but I didn't want to stop!

It's runs like today that remind me why I love it so much. The weather was perfect, the scenery with the changing of the leaves was gorgeous and the lungs and the legs were completely in sync -- AWESOME! There's just nothing more that I can say other than...

Gotta run!
Lisa :)

Technology is awesome!

2009-10-09T13:51:00.000-06:00

Sitting in the car rider line IthoghtI would try blogging from my BB. And I didn't even need my 11 year old to help!

Running on the River

2009-09-26T13:54:00.003-06:00

Today was our 4th group training -- 5 miles. I have to say I was more than anxious about how this would go. After last week's 5k and the lousy weather we've had lately, I really didn't know what was in store. The weather held up nicely and we only experienced a few sprinkles about half way thru but they were a welcome relief as the temps weren't quite as cool as I had hoped for. I mapped out a route that was a "bit" more challenging than our usual, flat laps around the St Jude campus. We ran the Auction Street bridge over to Mud Island, did 3 miles on the trail parallel to the river (it was gorgeous, even on a cloudy day!) Then back over the bridge and back to campus. My 1st run up the bridge was tough. Here lately, I don't find my rhythm until after the 1st 2 miles. But, on the way back over, I ran the entire uphill and coasted (not walked) down the other side. I finished slow but strong. This was just the success I needed after last weekend which taught me that you must respect the miles. Whether they be short or long, if you're not prepared, it's gonna be ugly. The 5 miler today taught me that even though I have a lot of work to do, I CAN DO IT! Whew!!!

The rest of the team did awesome! Only 6 of our 18 members made it out today but what we lacked in numbers, we made up in enthusiasm. Everyone left feeling proud and accomplished -- the bridge was a killer. We felt like we climbed Everest! On an early, humid morning a speed bump would have been enough. I was very proud of them too! Whether I have a right to or not, I feel like a mother hen when it comes to my team. Their successes are my successes and their failures are my failures. Fortunately, there have been no failures -- this is a great group and they are more than willing to put the work into their training. It's exciting!

I had hoped that Mark would have been able to join us today. One of the greatest feelings in this whole process is that I will running this half marathon with my husband. But, unfortunately Ian came home from school yesterday with a cough and a fever. We suspect it's the flu -- we will be taking him to the Dr. shortly to find out for certain.

Hopefully, next week's report will be just as encouraging. I will no longer underestimate 3 miles so anything can happen. Stay tuned but for now...

Gotta run!
Lisa :-)

1st Group Training Session

2009-09-06T17:14:00.003-06:00

Our 1st group training session was held Saturday at 8am on the St. Jude campus. The weather was absolutely gorgeous! There were scattered T-showers in the forecast but it was sunny and slightly cool at the start. We were scheduled for 2 miles -- 2 laps around the campus. Of our 15 members, 8 showed up -- a great turnout considering this is a holiday weekend.

Training went well and everyone had a good walk or run. What an inspiration to run at the very place we are raising money for. It has really helped my running to not only have a longer distance to be training for but a cause and a purpose behind it. Who knows, my marathon days may not be over after all.

I'm really looking forward to more group walks/runs and helping the kids at St. Jude. But for now...

Gotta run...

Lisa :)

www.mystjudeheroes.org/rundream

Kicking the Habit

2009-08-08T14:58:00.003-06:00

Well, after reading another article on the dangers of tanning beds and hearing a very moving speech by a woman who lost her daughter to melanoma, I decided to make a change. I cancelled my monthly unlimited tanning package and am now on the road to a paler, more healthy ME! Considering I have frequented the tanning salon and poolside religiously for most of my life, this was a very difficult thing for me to do. I have not seen the true color of my skin for more than 20 years (except briefly while I was pregnant with Ian that is) As the color begins to fade, I am faced every day with a new "spot" that I never noticed before. Have all those years finally caught up with me? Needless to say, I have an appointment with a dermatologist on the 31st of this month. I originally had a few places I wanted him to check. But every day, I find another one -- I think I'll be asking for a full body scan! The good news is that this has breathed new life into my running. I have either run or walked every nite this week and I am looking forward to a 3 mile jog in the park with my son as soon as the sun goes down. I don't know if there is a correlation to my decision and my renewed love for running, I just know I have been waiting to get this part of my life back for a long time.

I don't know what the outcome of my trip to the dermatologist will be. And although I'm not scared, I am quite concerned. Until then, I will learn to love the new, paler me as I make my way back to becoming the strong, fit runner I used to be. Until then...

Gotta run...with sunscreen...
Lisa

Calling All Heroes!!!

2009-07-18T05:33:00.004-06:00

Our team, Running Down a Dream, has officially been formed! Here's what you need to do: Go to www.memphismarathon.com and register online for the race of your choice (5K, Half Marathon (13.1 miles) or Marathon (26.2)) You will be asked if you would like to be a St Jude Hero - select "YES!" You will then be asked if you would like to join a team or would you like to sign up as an individual. Please select "Join a Team" and enter in our team name, Running Down a Dream. You will receive email confirmation within 24-48 hrs that will also contain instructions on how to access your individual fundraising page as well as access to our team page.

After everyone has had the chance to join, Christopher Beck with ALSAC has graciously offered to host a mini kick off meeting for our team! You will not want to miss this opportunity to meet Christopher and get some valuable information about how to conduct your fundraising campaign.

I am in the process of developing a website or some other form of communication (perhaps this Blog or Facebook or Twitter - I'm open to suggestions) to keep the team up to date with group training, fundraising tips and any other information that needs to be mass communicated. I'll send out more info as it becomes available. Remember, training for the Half officially begins the week of August 30th with our 1st group training session on Sat, Sept 5th. If you have an idea where to meet for that 1st session, we will be doing 2 miles so if you know of a good 2 mile route, please let me know. We'll determine the time when the date draws closer.

If you have any questions, need training schedules or have any other concerns, please let me know. And if you have friends, family members or co-workers who would like to join our team, please let them know they are more than welcome!

I am SO excited to begin our journey of getting in shape & raising lots of money for the kids at St Jude. Now that's what I call a win-win.

Gotta run...

Lisa

New Additions

2009-07-03T07:12:00.006-06:00

After a 2 month hiatus, I decided it was time to try to catch everyone up. I say "everyone" lightly as I feel relatively sure that everyone most likely encompasses only a handful of people. I most likely have lost any followers due to my lengthy silence. Oh well, blogging is therapeutic and I am in serious need of therapy.

2 weeks ago, I received a call from Guardian Angel Pet Rescue that 2 Yorkies were on the "chopping block" and would be euthanized if a foster home wasn't found fast! Well, Mark & I love Yorkies so we agreed to take them in. Aren't they precious?

Baby Bear & Honey Bun

Well, it seems that they like it here, we love having them and Bandit & Teddy like them -- I'm feeling that fostering them will lead to something much more permanent. That will bring our dog total to 3 Yorkies and 1 Bandit -- 4 DOGS!!!!! That's just one dog shy of being white trash! What are we thinking?!?!? Obviously thinking is something we are NOT doing.

Now, to catch everyone up on my return to running or should I say my "desire" to return to running. The actual return has yet to take place. I can't seem to get back into it and it is very upsetting. When I do attempt to run or walk, it's great but the aftermath is brutal. For instance, this morning I did a very easy 4 miles in the park. Mostly walked and peppered in some running or rather some very slow jogging. I felt great! I met a girl in the park and we got to talking and the time just flew by. I had intended on a 30 minute workout but it turned into a 4 miler. I stretched afterward and used the Stick but now, an hour or so later, I can't put weight on my left leg. My knee cannot straighten out fully and my leg feels like my bones are made of rubber. This is not a new occurrance either. After every workout, no matter the distance or the intensity, the aftermath is the same -- I can barely walk. I move around like a 100 yr old who just had both hips replaced. Is my body telling me something that I refuse to hear? After all, I'm inclined to throw caution to the wind and do what feels right for the moment with utter disregard for consequences. (see above re: I NOW HAVE 4 DOGS!!!!!)

I realize this isn't much of a "catching up" post but in fairness, my life lately hasn't been much more than trying to get my endurance back and rearranging my house to accommodate dog crates. So for now...

Gotta run & I LOVE YORKIES...

Lisa

Meet my new running partner!

2009-05-11T18:53:00.003-06:00

BANDIT - ADOPTED

It's official! If you go to Guardian Angel Pet Rescue's website and scroll down thru the available dogs, you will find Bandit. Guardian Angel Pet Rescue is a wonderful agency that rescues dogs & cats from death row and finds them their forever home. Bandit is a great dog even though Teddy isn't quite in agreement.

My running, that had started back up with a vengeance had sputtered to a small spark with all the gloomy, rainy weather of late. My back yard has become nothing more than a muddy murky swamp. Poor Bandit! He's been so cooped up. So I decided that today was the day to"kill 2 birds with 1 stone" so to speak. I laced up my Asics and put the leash on Bandit and out the door we went. He did AWESOME!! In the beginning, he was practically dragging me but as we settled into a steady pace, we ran side by side. By the end of our 30 minute run, we were both exhausted. There were a couple of times when we got a little tripped up -- me over the leash and he over my 2 feet. Oh and of course, in the beginning, he had to mark every mailbox and sniff every yard but he quickly caught on. I thought it was a great start to what I hope becomes a common occurance.

So if you're in need of a running buddy of the 4-legged persuasion, please consider adoption. I'm sure glad I did!

Gotta run...

Lisa

Run Softly and Carry "The Stick"

2009-04-21T18:18:00.000-06:00

I have learned over the years that if you want a boat load of unsolicited advice, you should get pregnant or acquire a sports related injury. I chose the lesser of 2 evils (or did I?) and decided to injure my already-not-so-good knee. Ever since I developed issues with my knee, EVERYONE seems to know what I should or shouldn't do, the right drug to take, cream to try, the proper stretches, etc, etc, etc. Now, it's not that I mind the advice. After all, I want to run and I want to do it without making things worse. The problem is that I've gotten so much advice that it has become virtually impossible to sift thru it all to find a solution that works for me.

But last week, I was talking to the leader of our walking group at work and she told me about one of her clients who had experienced the same calf cramps when her mileage ramped up to double digits as well as knee pain. Someone recommended The Stick and after trying it out, her knee pain completely disappeared and she ran a marathon with NO CRAMPING! Well that single testimony was enough to convince me to give it a try. I used it for the 1st time after my run last nite. I am pleased to say that I'm experiencing very promising results -- still have knee pain but not as much! I was also able to pinpoint several trouble spots or "triggers" that I was able to work out. And I slept GREAT last nite - no achy, sore legs. Hmmmm.

I decided to use it BEFORE my run today and wow what a difference! I did notice some areas that I wished I had hit before hand but those spots were the 1st I worked on after my run. Boy do I feel great. I'm still a proponent of RICE but I'm convinced that the stick should be in every runners gear bag. My only regret is that I discovered it's benefits after injury when I truly believe had it been in my bag of tricks pre-injury, well, I simply would not have had this issue.

But the stick was not the only factor that led to my successful run today. Today I decided to engage in mindful running. I have blogged about this before but I can't say enough about this technique. If you find yourself running alone, as I did today, it's great. Usually I use my runs to "work thru" my problems, solve world hunger, calculate complex algebraic equations and think about what I'm going to wear to work tomorrow. Mindful running forces you to dismiss such mental pursuits and focus solely on your running - your stride, your breathing, everything! Everytime I could hear my footfalls, I would imagine that I was running on a cloud and tried to "tread lightly." For the most part, this was an easy task as during most of this run, my heavy breathing drowned out the sound of heavy feet but still I focused on just my running and not my "drama-saturated" life. The time flew by. After a 5 minute warmup, 25 minutes of running and a 5 minute cool down -- I felt almost as proud as if I had run a marathon. Ok, not quite that proud but proud none the less. Tomorrow is a rest day but thanks to the stick and my rekindled love for the run, I'm looking SO forward to Thursday because I...

Gotta run!
Lisa

On The Road Again

2009-04-14T18:23:00.001-06:00

For reasons other than filing my taxes, I have been dreading April 15th. April 15th will be exactly one month since I crossed the finish line in Little Rock and exactly one month since I've gone for a run. I've walked a handful of times and I took a few jogging steps for my photo-op on the Golden Gate Bridge but a full fledged run, nope, haven't done it. I've had a million & one excuses and honestly, they've all been valid. An injured knee is not something to take lightly. But, to be honest, the reason I haven't been running is because somehow, I lost my nerve. I can't explain what I'm afraid of any more than I can explain why it's so cold outside when it's supposed to be spring! But as the 15th approaches, I realize I'm more afraid of never running again than what will happen if I do. So with that realization, I headed out the door for a 20 minute run.

It was not spectacular. It was not fast. It was not without lots of aches & pains. It was, however, a new beginning and it felt GREAT! As I was winding down, I started thinking about an email I received from a very dear friend. I was telling him about the struggles leading up to, during and after the marathon in March. He candidly asked me if I thought I'd be interested in running if it didn't bring so many challenges. I had never really thought of that before & after only a second, I realized that he makes an excellent point. If running were easy for me, I would quickly become bored and move on. It's the obstacles & challenges that truly captivate me. So today, in those measly 20 minutes, I basked in the aches & pains and the huffing & puffing that comes with a month of the lazies. I vowed to start over, re-build my strength and endurance and enjoy the ride. Today I'm setting out to recapture what I thought was lost. I learned I haven't lost it, it just needs a little dusting off.

I am definitely back on the road again...YES!!!!!!!

Gotta run...
Lisa

Back to reality

2009-04-11T07:53:00.000-06:00

"Running" the Golden Gate Bridge

It's hard to believe that 1 week ago I was in sunny California! The reality of my unpacked suitcase is like a harsh slap in the face and I am SO tempted to just go back to bed. I am having the hardest time adjusting my sleep patterns to the central time zone -- you would think I was in San Francisco for months rather than days.

I had hoped to post pix and blog from San Francisco but alas I packed the cord for my MP3 player instead of for my camera. I had also hoped to regain my running mojo while on this trip. After all, who wouldn't be inspired by this scenery? Well, as the running fates would have it, after a very long plane ride (boy was I stiff!) and then a "not-so-gentle" bump of my bad knee on a car door, running was no longer an option. I must now deal with another reality that a visit to an orthopaedic is most likely lurking in the near future. Another reason, as far as I'm concerned, to go back to bed this morning! Hopefully, I can find a Dr who will help my knee without telling me to hang up my Asics (a girl can dream, can't she?) Cuz we ALL know that I've...

Gotta run!...

Lisa

Big Blue Cow & the Daffodil "Ditch"

2009-03-21T18:16:00.000-06:00

I had signed up to do the Daffodil Dash 5k today. I knew it was probably not a good idea considering it hasn't even been a week since Little Rock. Besides, what's 3 miles to a "marathoner" Ian had wanted to run this race with me so I didn't think twice about it. Then Thursday nite, his best friend's mom called to invite him to spend the nite Friday and spend the day Sat. What was an 11 year old boy to do? Well, it was a no brainer -- he planned to ditch me. His dad, however, would not allow it. So off I go to the race with my son in tow. By "in tow" I mean dragging him kickin' & screamin'. Ok, so maybe I'm being a "little" dramatic. When we get there it starts pouring down rain and the temps are in the low to mid 40's. Oh & did I mention he's in short sleeves? Yeah, there goes my nom for mom of the year! Normally, a cold rain with a throbbing knee less than a week after a marathon would not scare me away. But here I have this boy that I'm hoping will someday develop a love for running and I'm not certain that coming down with pneumonia will get me any closer to that hope. So, we picked up our shirts, crept shamefully back to the car and tried to drive away without being noticed. Oh the disgrace! But the boy, he felt no shame. He was happy to be leaving until he realized that if only his dad hadn't made him come to the race, he wouldn't have been here in the 1st place. Then he got an attitude. I know, an 11 yr old boy with an attitude, what a stretch. He was ticked that we didn't run the race and he was equally ticked that he didn't get to spend the nite with his friend. So I did what any mother would do in this situation & I took care of that attitude...I took him to Target and bought him something! Ugh...guilt is so powerful especially when wielded so artfully by a manipulative pre-teen with big brown eyes... So there you have it -- the race report for the race that never was.

Now, as promised, I leave you with some pics that my sister took in Little Rock last weekend. Enjoy!

Approaching the Finish Line!

Still Approaching the Finish Line!

Finished!!!!

Gotta run...

Lisa

Long Awaited Race Report - No Photos Yet

2009-03-19T07:02:00.000-06:00

While I am waiting for my photos (used a disposable camera instead of my digital), I decided to post a pic of the biggest finisher medal I have ever seen. You could serve a meal on this thing!

I decided I better go ahead & post my race report before the details start to fade rather than wait on my photos. 1st glance of the race photos, however, lead me to believe I may not be sharing photos at all but that's a post for another day. Can you say "big blue cow?"

The weeks & months leading up to this race have been difficult for me. Going into this race 20 lbs heavier than last year and problems with my knee made me think this would definitely be my last marathon. I just didn't feel like I was in the proper shape & this run would be my undoing. I am happy to report, however, that I WAS WRONG!!!!! Although I crossed the finish line with cramps in both calves and my left knee throbbing, I felt strong and confident that this was not my swan song.

Last year, my struggles started between 8 & 10. This year, my struggles started at 19!!! Can you believe that? At mile 15, I was ahead of my pace by 5 minutes. My plan was to cross the finish line in 6:30 -- that's an average pace of 15 minute miles. Totally doable, even for someone as out of shape as me. My strategy was to walk "Mt Everest", take is slow on the downhill and then make up the time on the out/back (it is very flat) At the 20 mile mark, I was dead on my pace. Now, I was thrilled to be on my pace but totally disappointed that at that point I had not made up any time as I had planned to do. It was here that the cramping in both calves started and refused to let up. Mind you, this is the farthest I have ever gone before without cramping but it was still frustrating. At 21 there were bananas and I was sure with some stretches & potassium, I would be good to go...NOT! At 22 I realized I was not going to make my goal but I was not upset. I was still doing better than last year and felt very happy for that.

Then came mile 25. I thought that I had hit the wall before but boy was I mistaken. At 25, I literally could not put one foot in front of the other. I wanted to lay down on the road -- I was absolutely spent. I have never felt anything like that before and I hope I never do again. I'm ashamed to admit that at mile 25, I actually considered quitting. I came to a dead stop & said to myself, "this is NOT worth it!" About that time, I hear a voice behind me say "nobody quits @ 25. 1 more hill and you're there." I turned to see where the voice came from & saw a man in a wheelchair. Not the hand-cranked, aero-dynamic kind you see at races mind you. This guy was in a regular wheelchair. He was feverishly cranking the wheels on this massive hill telling ME not to quit. I can't tell you what that did to me. I had no choice but to get moving and that's just what I did.

That was the longest mile I have ever endured in my entire life. I thought it would never end. When I reached mile 26, I still couldn't run. I resigned myself to the possibility that I would be walking across the finish line this time. There should be no shame in that I thought -- at least I'm finishing. But when I looked up and saw my wheelchair friend flying across the line, I started to run. I didn't even think about it -- I just did it. It wasn't fast and it was a little wobbly and it hurt like heck BUT I had a smile on my face.

Although I didn't make my goal, I did shave 6 minutes off last year's finish time. Although it didn't work this time, I still think my strategy was good. I'm thinking if I did this well for not being in the best shape, what will I be able to do if I AM properly trained and in shape. On the ride home, I began mapping it all out for next year. Yes, that's right, NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!

So, once again an unlikely marathoner has another finisher's medal on the wall and there's no obvious signs that I will be giving up this addiction any time soon because it all boils down to this...

Gotta run!!!!!
Lisa

8 days & counting...

2009-03-07T13:02:00.001-06:00

Today was my last "long" run before Little Rock -- 6 miles -- piece of cake, right? WRONG!!! The 1st mile was rough. It was very windy and my legs felt SO tired. I about decided to call it a day but decided that I just couldn't let that happen even if it meant walking the whole darn thing. So I continued and decided to take in the sights of my surroundings rather than focus on the aches & pains. I enjoyed watching a hawk soar overhead, in search of its morning meal and tried to capture it on my cell phone but wasn't able to. As I made my way to the other end of the pond, I saw something I've never seen before -- a duck sitting in a tree.

I've never seen a duck in a tree before...

Close up

Ok, so maybe this is not that strange but it struck me as odd. Then I got to thinking, I'm like this duck in the tree. The duck looked really out of place to me -- ducks can fly so why should it seem unlikely for one to be in a tree. Like me, I'm feeling really out of place with this upcoming marathon. But why? I'm a runner and I've been here before so why should I feel strange? While I was pondering this question, my garmin beeped to let me know I had gone a mile. My pace was 13:00. Are you kidding me? A mile without a walk break and a fairly decent pace for someone who's nursing a very sore knee. I decided to keep running and didn't take another walk break until I reached mile 3. After a 1/4 mile walk break, I started running again. At mile 4 I looked at my garmin to find that I was off my race day pace by 1 minute!!!! WOW!!!! Mile 5, I made up the 1 minute deficit and finished at the 6 mile mark. It was in that moment I realized that ducks sit in trees and 43 yr old back of the packers run marathons! Bring it on Little Rock!

After a GREAT run, I had the privilege of taking a 2 mile walk with my favorite new mom, Susan, and her sweet little boy, Isaac. Wished I would have taken a pic of them instead of using up my cell phone memory on the duck...live and learn, I suppose...

Gotta run...

Lisa =)

Winter Wonderland

2009-03-01T07:38:00.000-06:00

The view from my patio this morning.

Even taken from a cell phone, this is a pretty pic. But 24 hours prior, the scene was not so beautiful -- it was downright nasty. Having put off my 20 miler last Saturday because the weather was "icky", yesterday was do or die. Little Rock is in 2 weeks!!!! Friday nite, as I listened to the forecast for Sat, I knew I had made a fatal mistake by waiting. If I thought last week's weather was "icky" it was sure not to compare to what was in store this weekend.

I woke up Saturday with nausea and cramping. I'm on a new medication and boy am I experiencing every side effect. I headed out the door a little past 8am -- an hour later than I intended but still pumped. It was cold, windy and damp but not raining or snowing - so far so good. 1st 5 miles felt great -- had to dodge some puddles from the heavy rains the nite before but so far, the elements were not a problem. When I get to the park, it was practically under water, making it increasing difficult to dodge puddles. It would have been easier to swim in some places. My feet get wet -- it's unavoidable and certainly not a good thing. The wind picks up. Bad for me, good for the water as by the time I'm headed out of the park, the puddles are practically dried up. At 14.5 miles, it starts. The temps begin dropping, the wind picks up even more and it begins to rain/sleet/something! My face, which by now is wind burned, cannot handle this precipitation -- it stings! I decide to call it and head home. Home is either 2.5 miles or 5 miles, depending on which route I take.

Next comes the great debate. I know I need to get in 20 -- this is my last chance!!! But the cold, damp conditions have caused stiff muscles, throbbing knees and ankles and I honestly can't remember a time when I experienced this much pain. I opted for the 2.5 mile route and vowed to finish up on my treadmill. The closer I got to home, the more I hurt. I was literally chilled to the bone and there was nothing dry on my entire body.

When I got inside, I just started bawling uncontrollably. I left a trail of wet running clothes and gear that led to my bedroom, quickly put on something dry and did the one thing you should NEVER do -- I climbed into bed and shivered off to sleep. You don't have to be a seasoned runner to know that laying down after a run is a sure fire way to invite soreness to set in. And when you have it there to begin with, well, it's just a double whammy.

Fast forward to this morning. Yes, the snow is beautiful but the events leading up to it, not so much. The good news for me is that I'm FINALLY warm. The bad news, I can barely walk. While I didn't get in my 20 miles yesterday, the 17.5 I did manage to crank out felt like a marathon to me. So I might not shave any time off my finish at LR in 2 weeks but after braving the elements that yesterday threw at me, I KNOW I will cross the finish line. I'll do whatever needs to be done to earn that medal & that shirt -- afterall, that's what it's all about right? Clothes and jewelry!!

Gotta run...

Lisa =)

Quench Gum, Pepper Spray and the Pinewood Derby

2009-01-31T17:58:00.000-06:00

Ok, so you're a little puzzled by my title, understandable. But, believe it or not, these items were key in my 18 miler success today. I'll explain.

Last Saturday, I "enjoyed" my favorite pre-run breakfast of peanut butter toast. Well, for some reason, that breakfast turned on me and my 16 miler turned into an 11.5 miler when I hurled in someone's front yard...TWICE! So this morning I did a HUGE no-no, I skipped breakfast. When I trained for my 1st half marathon, I ALWAYS ran on an empty stomach. When I trained for my 1st marathon, I was told in no uncertain terms, I should NEVER run on an empty stomach. Well, I did today and it was AWESOME! Not once did I ever feel nauseous. I happily chewed my Quench gum. Folks, if you haven't tried this stuff -- it is absolutely wonderful. And no, this is not a paid endorsement but Quench, if you're reading, call me and we'll talk...

After only 1.5 miles into my journey, I was startled by 2 dogs. Granted, they were someone's pets and not strays, but when 2 big dogs come out of no where, you don't pay much attention to whether they are wearing a collar and tags. I am a HUGE dog lover and normally would not have been scared but they were both barking, showing teeth and drooling! I stopped dead in my tracks and couldn't help but scream. At the same time that I was taking Pepper Spray out, a car came by and both dogs just froze. The driver of the car slowed down and kept looking back at me while I quickly walked away. When the dogs retreated back to their house, the driver, seeing I was ok, went on. Luckily, I didn't have to spray them but luckily, they didn't attack me. People, your dogs don't bite you because you're their owner. They don't know me and I don't know them -- keep them put up for goodness sake!

When my nerves finally calmed down, I started running again. And in the beginning, I took very few walk breaks -- it was amazing. My body seemed to drive this run. After last Saturday's run that was so mental and full of positive, self-affirmations, my body told my head "take a rest, we got this." I decided to end my 1st half at the church where Ian's cub scout troop was conducting it's annual Pinewood Derby. Although the race was over, I managed to show up just in time for a slice of pizza, a refill of my water bottle (with ice too!) and to see my son presented with a 3rd place trophy for the Weebelo's division. Not a bad mid run rest I have to say. I stayed just a short time -- I didn't want to get stiff. So off I went to finish out the 2nd 9 miles.

This had planned to be a blog about what an awesome 18 miles it was. Although in many ways it was the best 18 miler I've had in a long time, it was not without its challenges. At 11.5 the calves began cramping. This always seems to happen since it first happened in Little Rock. Sometimes it starts at 8 miles, sometimes at 13 miles, today it was 11.5 miles. It was so bad at times that I thought I would have to quit & call for a ride home. But I told myself that it didn't matter how long today took, I wanted and NEEDED to get all 18 in and well, I am proud to say, that's just what I did. Today, I found that person inside me that I thought I killed in Little Rock. But she was still there and I'm so glad she was. Today was the 1st time since LR, that I truly felt like I could do 26.2 again.

At 15 miles, I was running again. And even though I was averaging only 14 min miles by this time, I felt like a Kenyan! When the cramps would start, sometimes I could stop them by just slowing down. But, I never called it in and that's what I'm proud of most. Tonight, when I log today's run, I'm not going to log the time. I don't really care how long I was out there in terms of hours/minutes/seconds. I was out there for 18 miles -- yeah baby!

A couple of ibuprofen and some ice for the legs, I'll be good as new tomorrow but for now...

Gotta run!
Lisa

The Scale vs. the Start Line

2009-01-17T09:56:00.000-06:00

This is a post that is long overdue. About a week ago, I had an epiphany - a virtual light bulb came on above my little peanut brain so to speak. Those who know me well know that my weight is something I'm very bothered by. For most of my life, my brothers "lovingly" referred to me as birdlegs. Then genetics decided one day to play a mean, nasty trick on me & bestowed me with thyroid disease and diabetes -- metabolism's double whammy. At the age of 40, having never had to battle a weight problem before (actually the weight became an issue in my thirties, but did I even really exist before I became a runner? hmmm) I decided to get off the couch & run. Like Forrest Gump, I just started running and I kept on... But, eventually the running took over (not complaining) and I quit making healthy food choices, blah, blah, blah... This post is NOT about how I got here - this post is about how I'm going to get THERE.

I'm a slave to the scale, or rather, WAS. Everyday I'd step on and if there was gain, I was depressed and the rest of the day was impeded with thoughts of "why try." If there was loss (rare, but it happened) I'd think of all the indiscretions of the previous day and say "if I could eat as much as I did yesterday and STILL lose, why, I can have cheesecake for breakfast today! Yay me!" Neither of these methods work by the way and any that you lose is quickly found again and those pounds have friends!!!!

On the drive home from work on Thursday a week ago, I was really giving myself a hard time about it. After all, I've run half marathons and marathons, I have discipline in this area of my life. Why don't I have any when it comes to this? Then the lite bulb went on and I started re-evaluating my approach. As with all moments of clarity in my life, they are always accompanied by some lesson I've learned from running and most often revolve around the marathon. You see the marathon is the greatest physical accomplishment of my life. I say "the marathon" because it's not one particular race, it's all the races (even Chicago) and all the training miles that lead up to it and all the recovery miles after it that make up this glorious event called "the marathon." You quickly learn that when you stand at the start line, you have to call your mind immediately into submission. If you stand there thinking, "I've got to run 26.2 miles!!!!!", you'll say to yourself, "no way, that's impossible" But if you tell yourself, I just need to make it to mile 1. When you get to mile 1, then goal then is to make it to mile 2. So basically, you run it 1 mile at a time - sounds a lot easier that way, right?

So, why not look at weight loss with the same mindset. Instead of standing on the scale and looking out towards how many pounds I have to go to reach my goal, why not focus on 1 lb. at a time. After all, who can't lose 1 lb a week? That sounds much easier. Then I started thinking that although it sometimes seems that way, the pounds did not show up all at once. They came on gradually. I began to think that 6 months should be my goal. Ok so let me do some math here: 1 pound per week for 6 mths or 26 weeks = 26 lbs. Hmmmm.....the marathon is 26 miles!!! I literally got chills. So there's my plan...

Fast forward to today, well, yesterday actually - weeky weigh in day is Fri. Remember, my epiphany came on a Thurs so I started on Fri. You can imagine my dismay when I saw that I had GAINED half a pound! Although I was disappointed, I resolved that I would NOT be discouraged. Not every mile is easy (in fact most are anything but) -- not every pound is going to be a given either. I looked at the past week and logically looked at things I did well as well as the areas for improvement. The "needs improvement" items far "outweighed" (pun intended) than the things I did well. Realistically speaking, that's good news. If I had done everything right and gained, I'm sure I'd be giving up today.

Anyway, sorry for the lengthy post but I felt I just had to share. Remember, keep your dream in front of you even if it seems farfetched and there's no better time than now, no better day than today to stand at the start line and take it one mile at a time...

Gotta run...
Lisa

Re-connecting with your past...

2009-01-05T14:01:00.000-06:00

I LOVE Facebook!!! I have had so much fun reconnecting with dear friends from the past. It makes me wonder how we ever survived before cell phones and laptops!

Unfortunately, my attempt to connect with one particular friend ended in sadness and disappointment. I was excited to find her mom and 2 sisters on Facebook but my excitement was soon snuffed out when I learned that my dear friend Janet passed away 3 years ago. I felt like someone sucker punched me right in my stomach!! I realized at that moment how easy it is to let time get away from you. We all get so busy but is that really an excuse? How could I have let myself lose touch with someone who meant so much to me? All I can do now is to "resolve" not to let this happen again. I will cherish every moment with my friends and when I feel that time or busy schedules are causing those moments to slip away, I will remember Janet. I know I said I don't make new year's resolutions but I resolve that this year and every year I have left on this earth, I will remember what's most important -- relationships and I will put them first.

I heard it said once that the way to have true JOY in your life can be summed up in this simple formula:

J - Jesus 1st

O - Others 2nd

Y - Yourself last

Gotta run...

Lisa

Good-bye 2008!

2009-01-03T11:56:00.000-06:00

I've never been one to make new year's resolutions. I believe if there are changes needed in your life, resolve to make those changes TODAY whether or not today happens to be January 1st, December 31st or anywhere in between. On Monday, 12/29/2008, I decided to make a much needed change in my running habits or should I say rather I decided to make some running habits. I had no substantial miles since the half marthon on 12/6 and I'm staring down a short 11 weeks until the Little Rock marathon in March! I tried to play catch-up with my training schedule but you can't go from 0 miles in 2 weeks to a 14 miler on Saturday. I decided to consult a very trusted source to see what I should do. Susan helped me to see that because my goal was too lofty, I was becoming frustrated and bitter and that was keeping me from being able to "get back into the groove." This was something I already knew, but sometimes it takes the opinion of someone you admire, trust and respect to really make it clear. So, I regrouped and found a new training schedule -- one that met me where I am right now rather than one I had to hurry and catch-up to. Monday, 12/29 was my 1st day on this plan and it was ugly. I was not discouraged. Tue, 12/30 was a little better but still not very pretty. I was not discouraged. So far so good.

Thursday, 1/1/09, the 1st day of the new year and my 3rd annual new year's day run tradition and everything just clicked. It's amazing how one really good run can erase all the bad feelings that have accumulated for so long. It's exactly what I needed to feel like it was all coming back to me. Fast forward to today, my 10 miler. It felt great! After 3 miles, I was really into it and feeling strong. At the 5 mile mark, my son joined me. And although he could only make it 2 more miles with me and I logged only 7, I really feel I'm headed in the right direction for the 1st time in a very long time. Besides, the day's not over and what's 3 more miles, right?

Like I said, I don't make new year's resolutions. But as we say good-bye to 2008, it's good to look back (as long as you don't look back too long) but it's even better to look ahead and resolve that this is gonna be a better year, I'm gonna be a better me and it's never to late to start over.

Gotta run...
Lisa =)

Perception...

2008-12-26T19:11:00.000-06:00

Every morning, I face my own personal Everest, i.e. the ever-growing mountain of dirty clothes that is taking up over half of my master bath. Yes, we have a hamper but it has long overflown its brim, spilling out into the floor and thus creating this mass of stress and irritation for me. I try to ignore it but it's much too large for that. This past Sunday as I was getting ready for church I decided to move this mountain and step on the scale. I don't think I have to tell you what an awful decision that was! As I continued getting dressed, I grumbled and grumbled about the mountain and chastised myself for being lazy and undisciplined. About that time, the bathroom door opened and Teddy scampered into the room, completely oblivious to my rantings, and proceeded to make a nice, comfortable bed out of that mountainous mess.

The end result of his pawing and rearranging was this nice, warm, cozy bed. Then it hit me, this concept of perception. I looked at this mess and saw only my inadequacies -- Teddy saw only a cushy soft pile. What a smart guy that Teddy is -- he sees only the good from the bad. I learned a lot from Teddy that day. Yes, I still need to do my laundry. In fact, there is always going to be laundry -- hopefully not this much at one time but life is not about a clean house or made bed. When it comes my time to face my Creator, I will not look back on my life and say, "I sure wish I had done my laundry!" I'm going to try to live my life in such a way as to see all the good in things and not the negative. This pile of clothes, instead of causing me stress helps me to see my blessings -- I have nice clothes to wear, a nice, big master bath to pile them up in and a really nice washer & dryer that works great should I ever decide to do actually use them.

I'll leave you with a poem my dad used to say to me when I was little:

'Twixt the optimist and pessimist, the difference is droll;

The optimist sees the donut - The pessimist sees the hole.

Gotta run...

~Lisa =)

St Jude Half Marathon Race Report 12.6.08

2008-12-06T17:34:00.000-06:00

Until the finish line photo and my pic with the 2 Elvi are posted, this is my proof that I did in fact finish today's half marathon. There were a couple of times today when I was a bit concerned that I might not. I thought I felt strong at the start -- I've been wrong before and today was no exception. The 1st 2 miles were brutal as my legs were absolutely killing me. That's the price you pay when you don't take the time to stretch properly. I pulled over and went thru my whole routine. Much better! From mile 2 to exactly 8.5 (I looked at my Garmin the minute they started) I was really in the zone. In fact, if I could carve out this stretch, I would say this was the strongest I've felt in a VERY long time -- slow but STRONG. Then at 8.5 miles my calves started twitching, spasming, tightening and eventually locking up. I tried everything I knew but it wasn't until a knight on a white horse came to my rescue. Well, actually it was a guy on a bike but the rescue part is true to form. He showed me a stretch that I've done many times but just didn't think to use and it helped a lot, well actually only a little but it got me from I'm quitting to I think I can crawl the rest of the way to I think I can walk it in. By mile 11 I was running again -- albeit very slow. But it gave me the confidence that I could run across the finish line. And isn't that what really counts? Looking good for your finish line photo and being able to make it up that LONG flight of stairs to enjoy a cold piece of pizza and a warm bottle of water?

Although this race was not one of my best performances, I had such a great time! Seeing Malia at the start line and Susan at the end was a great way to b0ok-end my effort. I didn't get to see Norma but she texted me at the start as well as afterward. She DID IT!!! My congratulations go out to her and all the 1st timers, especially Lance, Susan's friend who ran his 1st MARATHON in 4 hrs and some change -- totally UNBELIEVABLE! Lance, you ROCK!!

By the way, my Garmin finishing time was 3:08 which sounds much better if you pretend I'm 105 yrs old and only 1 week recovered from a full hip replacement...come on, squint real hard and visualize it in your mind. See how much better that is!!!

Well, after a long nap I think I'm going to have a bite to eat -- the cold pizza has officially worn off.

Gotta run...
Lisa

There's a Hero In Everyone of Us

2008-11-15T11:30:00.000-06:00

I am asking for your support in the fight against childhood cancer. In August of this year, I took a job in the Human Resources department at St. Jude. I feel so blessed to be a part of this mission. Every day, I get to see what a miraculous place St. Jude truly is. I had already registered to participate in the St. Jude Memphis Half Marathon on December 6 but when I was approached to run it as a St. Jude Hero, I simply could not say no.

Did you know that no patient is ever turned away for their inability to pay? For more than 45 years, St. Jude protocols have benefited patients from all 50 states and around the world.

Together, let’s make a difference in the lives of children battling cancer. Consider sponsoring me and helping me to reach my fundraising goal of $1,000. You can donate online at my personal Web page, www.stjudeheroes.org/users/23085.

Thanks for helping me accomplish my dream of becoming a Hero to thousands of St. Jude kids.

Gotta run...

~Lisa

Out With the Old, In With the New

2008-11-08T13:47:00.000-06:00

Out with the old..

In with the new...

Okay, so maybe the shoes at the top don't look so old but trust me, if you could see the tread on the bottom, you would agree that not only are they old but they should have been replaced a month ago. I have always loved Saucony and the model that "was perfect for me" just happens to be pink. This is or rather was my 2nd pair of Saucony's but I began to question whether they were perfect for me or not as rather they are new or old, I ALWAYS get blisters at any mileage above 3. But they are the most cushioned ride out there. UNTIL I tried on the shoes to the left. I've never worn Asics. Don't know why, just never have. No running store I've ever entered has ever put me in them. Today, I took my destiny into my own hands. Meet my new favorite running shoe - the Gel Cumulus 10. There is a reason Asics names there shoes after clouds - the second I put them on my feet, I felt like I was on a cloud. They are completely mesh across the toe, very flexible, lighter than I expected. When I got them home, I took them for a spin -- very smooth...SWEET!!!!! There is one tiny problem tho...they're red. I'm not a red person, I'm a pink person. This is one characteristic of this shoe that I'm just going to have to deal with. I guess you can't have everything. Ok, so that's a lot blah, blah, blah about running shoes, I know but then I realized that there is a lesson here. For me, anyway.

Just like my pretty pink Saucony's, I have tried to make a certain person/situation to be the way I want it to be. And all the wishing and hoping in the world won't make my Saucony's quit giving me blisters -- all the wishing and hoping in the world won't change "her" (if you know me, you know who "her" is -- we'll leave it at that) You see, I plan to keep the Saucony's. I'll wear them on Saturdays, for quick trips to the grocery store, etc but they won't help my running progress. And even tho the Asics are not quite my ideal (sorry, I can be superficial, I know) they are what's best for my running success. I can't and won't disown "her" -- and even tho I can't have the relationship I want & need, I'll have to go forward with what I've got. I can't change the past, I can't get it back but I can move forward. I can break free of what I think things should be and accept things the way they are. That's what's best for me. Who knew buying new running shoes could be so enlightening.

I'll hop down off my soap box for a moment to mention that it was another great run in the park this morning. I can't say it enough, I love this time of year for running -- it truly breathes new life into it for me. At one point today, I felt like I was coasting, I was really in the zone. I ran a mile with no walk breaks at right under 10 min. That may not be too impressive to some, but after a week of battling a viral infection and laryngitis, I was not expecting great things this morning. What a nice surprise! It shouldn't have been too much of a surprise tho -- I was running with 2 of the most inspirational and encouraging ladies I know, Norma and Susan. We are gearing up this week for Norma's 1st 10 miler next Saturday. I can hardly wait -- new shoes, a new accomplishment for Norma and a new attitude for me. I'm going to view all my upcoming runs as if I'm running TO something new rather than running FROM my past. But for now...

Gotta run...

~Lisa

Let Your Voice Be Heard

2008-11-04T08:31:00.000-06:00

Well, the irony is certainly not lost on me. This morning, I cast my ballot -- I let my voice be heard. Funny thing is, I physically have no voice. I lost my voice Sat afternoon. It comes and goes but it is for the most part, it goes. I open my mouth to speak yet the sound that occassionally comes out is indistinguishable and downright not human. It causes Teddy to bark. Anyway, I hope my "voice" is heard loud & clear when the election results come pouring in.

If you're like me, you're ready for this election to be over. I don't care which candidate you support, you have to admit this campaign trail has been a long one. I understand the historical importance and I am proud to be a part of this in my life time. Whomever is chosen, history will be made. We will either have our 1st black president or our 1st female VP, who will pave the way for the 1st female president. Although I don't completely agree with either side and I have my "preferred" choice, I think I'll be happy either way. I hope I'm alive when America elects the 1st black female president tho!

So, this time tomorrow, we'll have a new president and hopefully, I'll have my voice back. And remember, if you don't vote, you lose your voice...

Gotta run...

~Lisa

YES!!!!!!!!

2008-11-02T14:08:00.000-06:00

She arrived at the park fully armed -- water, apples w/peanut butter, gloves and a big smile. She says she was nervous. I believe her only because I remember my 1st 8 miler -- I was very nervous. By looking at her, you would never have known.

"Before"

I think I look more nervous than she does.

I woke up Sat morning still not feeling well. My fever broke around 3:30pm on Friday but Sat morning was the 1st time I'd been out of bed since I got home from work on Thursday. But Sat had absolutely nothing to do with me. I knew this run was going to be the deciding factor for Norma. Her decision to run St Jude in Dec would be based on her performance today.

"After"

Norma with Coach Susan

As you can see, Norma met her 8 mile goal. Seeing her face afterwards made me glad I got out of bed. Not only was it a great accomplishment for her but very inspirational for me. On November 24, 2007, I met Norma for the 1st time. She wanted to run 2 miles by her birthday. Almost a year later, she has an 8 miler under her belt! It just goest to show, you can do ANYTHING if you want it bad enough.

Well, it's time for my next dose of Advil Cold & Sinus.

Gotta run...back to bed...

~Lisa

Beware of the Black Light Test

2008-10-25T21:58:00.000-06:00

This should be a post about Race for the Cure. What an awesome experience!! While there was no way to get any running in (we were literally elbow to elbow), it was truly one of the most fun races I've ever done. It will definitely be an annual event for me. My hope is to get a team together next year and raise some money. But, unfortunately for me, the joys of the morning were spoiled by a "simple" $9.99 purchase.

Linens N Things is going out of business and liquidating their stock. This product normally sells for $19.99 and I'd heard it really works. I was eager to get it home & try it. Basically, if you're not familiar with it, you shine this black light on your carpet, walls, anywhere and it will show you urine, blood and other "things" that you can't see with the naked eye. It really highlighted the areas that needed dusting but that's another post for another day. Anyway, I thought to myself "I'm sure Teddy has peed in this house but he's 4 & 1/2 lbs - how much damage could he do?" Well, my friends, either Teddy has made my entire home his toilet or there has been a gruesome murder committed in virtually every square foot of my home! I went thru the 24 oz. bottle in no time and never left my dining room/living room. I went thru every room of my house with that light and let me tell you, more than a few tears fell. Teddy followed me everywhere & had this look on his face like he knew what was going on. What am I going to do with him?

Some good did come out of this tho. We shined the light in Ian's bathroom. He looked at me, left the room and came back with the Chlorox wipes. He & I cleaned his bathroom until nothing showed when we shined the light. I think it was an eye opening experience for him. As Ian and I worked on our Bible lessons for tomorrow, Teddy begged to be held. He kept licking my face and putting his head on my shoulder. Perhaps this was his way of saying sorry -- perhaps this was an eye opening experience for him too (yeah, I know, but it is a nice thought)

While I'm not being paid to peddle this product, I will have to admit, this is impressive stuff. Some of the stains I have sprayed are gone, some have faded and I'm hoping by tomorrow, will also be gone. There is a caveat -- if you're not prepared for the worst, just say no to this purchase. If you're not prepared, it could potentially ruin an absolutely awesome day. This product should definitely come with a warning label. Caution: Black light test could cause uncontrollable weeping. Not safe to use around emotionally unstable women with PMS or who are perimenopausal. Can cause death or bodily harm to men, children, Yorkies or any species that contains high levels of testosterone as their very presence adversely reacts to the emotionally unstable user of this product.

Well, enough of that, for now...Gotta run...to bed...

~Lisa

Rest in Peace, TOM II

2008-10-17T20:28:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday, October 15, 2008, TOM II, the 17 year old Bengal Tiger and University of Memphis Mascot, passed away - he had recently been diagnosed with cancer. He was a beautiful animal and he always made me proud to be a tiger. The games will not be the same without his presence but just like his predecessor, TOM I, he will NEVER be forgotten.

1 Year Ago Today

2008-10-07T19:55:00.001-06:00

In some ways, it seems like it was only yesterday. In some ways, it seems like it's been a lifetime. One year ago today, I was sitting in an outdoor cafe with my roommate/fellow Team in Training teammate. Back at the hotel, TNT was throwing a post-race celebration, hosted by my idol, John "the Penguin" Bingham. We went to the party long enough to hear his words of consolation & encouragement. But when the DJ started spinning records & people headed toward the dance floor, we headed toward the door. We sat in silence for the most part, both trying to understand exactly what happened that day. We searched for answers that never came. For 4 months, I endured training in the hottest, most humid conditions I've ever experienced -- suffering thru shin splints, ankle tendonitis, an upper respiratory infection. For 4 months I held garage sales, sent out letters & emails, made calls, passed out flyers and raised $4,000 for life saving cancer research. The finish line was to be my reward... Things weren't much better for Jill. While she was able to cross the finish line, she did so with no photographers, no cheering crowd -- instead she was greeted with sirens, stretchers, fallen runners. Not the moment of victory or sense of accomplishment she had hoped for. We had both envisioned that day very differently -- this was my 1st mararthon, she was trying to qualify for Boston -- we had both practiced our "finish line phot0" moment but sadly, in vain.

In the days, weeks and months that followed, I tried to console myself in the fact that the most important thing about this marathon had indeed been accomplished -- I raised a lot of money. For this brief moment in time, I made a difference. And while I am indeed proud of that, something is missing. I received a card in the mail several months back from my patient hero. She is now in remission. This, in addition to the thank you card she sent me shortly after the marathon, are 2 of the most priceless possessions I am honored to have. But again, something is missing. I am plaqued with thoughts of what if and why but I try to push them aside as quickly as they arise. In many ways, this experience has made me a better runner and a better person. I try and tell myself that it's ok to be disappointed, it's ok to hurt, it's ok to cry but it's not ok not to move on. I am moving on, slowly but surely. It's been a year -- it's time to turn the page and write the next chapter of my life. But someday, Chicago, you'll see me at the start line again but this time, I won't be denied...

Gotta run...
~Lisa

It's A Cinch

2008-10-04T14:14:00.001-06:00

What a GREAT day for a run! I know I have started posts out that way before, but it was so true of this day. Everyone's schedule came together and we had a nice group (Susan, Norma, Linda and me) It was a little chilly at the start but after a brief warm up & some lively conversation, it was relatively unnoticeable. Linda had to cut out at 2 miles followed by Norma at about 3 miles. Mark planned to drop Ian off at the park on his way to work so that he & I could enjoy the Arts & Crafts at 9am. I decided to catch up with Susan while waiting for Mark. When Mark arrived, Ian just continued with Susan and I. Sometime after 9am, we waved Susan on (I think she had a 10 miler planned - I have no doubts she accomplished her goal) & Ian & I browsed the booths. I looked at my Garmin & noticed my mileage, 6.5! I had set a goal of 3 miles and I had doubled it! Not to mention that I walked almost 1/2 a mile warming up. I was amazed at how easy it felt today. In the running miles, I never took more walk breaks than I should (not like me) & we were on a walk break when we came to "the hill" and decided to sprint it (also not like me) It felt so good -- today's effort, well, it was a cinch.

Then I saw it! The booth selling Beijo bags. If you know me, you know that even tho I have only 1, I LOVE Beijo bags! I instantly fell in love with the brown one.

I LOVE THIS BAG!!!!

I asked how much -- $80. Hmmm...do I really NEED this bag? I got the seller's info and decided I would think about it & give her a call later. On the back of the business card she gave me, she wrote down the name of the bag & the price that she quoted me. Guess what it's called? "It's A Cinch" Coincidence or a sign that I should purchase this bag? Only I can connect 2 totally unconnected things to rationalize purchasing something I not only don't need but shouldn't spend the money on. If you ever need help rationalizing a purchase your spouse or significant other wouldn't understand, please consult me. I'm an expert in this area. Anyway, having my penny-pinching 10 year old with me, I was able to walk away. But, that bag will end up being mine eventually. If not today, some day I'm sure. Mark was shocked to find out that when he went to the park later this afternoon and saw the Beijo bags, I had not purchased one. He described me to the seller and then inquired how many I bought. He called me & praised me for "being strong" and then vowed to stay at the park until the Beijo lady packed up & left. But, as much as he knows me, he has failed to see that I function under the premise of "where there's a will, there's a way" It was this philosophy that saw me to the finish line of 26.2 of the most gruelling and painful miles I've ever known. It is this philosophy that will get me across that finish line again in March '09. So in re: to the bag, I definitely have the will, and the way, well that'll be a cinch...

Thanks, ladies, for a great day at the park! Beijo bag lady, that means you too!

Gotta run...

~Lisa :)

Long overdue for a GREAT day...

2008-10-02T20:59:00.000-06:00

It's late but I just could not go to bed without posting a few words about my day. For those of you who don't know, I was supposed to run in Harbor Town Tuesday after work with Brooke & Norma. I was sidelined by a migraine and had to skip. Wednesday, we kicked off Walktober at work and still I had a lingering headache. I tried to be a trooper and get my steps in (my goal is 10,000/day) but I only got 6,600. This morning I woke up & noticed right away that my headache was gone. I'm definitely off to a good start. I had a wonderful lunch with my manager from Hallmark, Janis, who by the way, is doing some temporary work at St Jude. It is so great to be able to work with her still even tho I don't get to see her as much as I would like. At noon, I walked the St Jude campus with a rather large group of ladies who are also participating in Walktober. I made a new friend & also got to chat w/the Director of Comp/Benefits. It's so nice to be able to get to know people and get in shape at the same time. I met Brooke after work for a run on the river. This is a recycled picture from a previous post but the view from the park hasn't changed -- ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!!! How could you not be inspired by this view!

Anyway, my plan was to do something, be it run, walk, or crawl, for 45 minutes. A huge thanks goes out to Brooke. If she hadn't met me, I would probably have skipped it. It's just no fun by yourself. It was so great to be able to catch up. I really miss seeing her every day -- I am so glad I work downtown so we can get together even if it's just a couple of days/week.

I'm beginning to feel like I'm getting back into the swing of things. Susan is on the mend & on cloud nine -- she's ready to hit the road again (on the mend) & found out that she's having a boy (on cloud nine) I cannot begin to tell her what joy awaits her. My sister always told me that there is a special bond between mother & son. Now I know exactly what she was talking about. I knew I would love my child but to be able to say that my 10 year old boy is one of my best friends, well, I certainly never expected that. I can't remember what celebrity said that, "having a child is like having your heart walk around outside your body." Ian is truly my heart. Isaac will be that for you too, Susan, as I'm sure he already is. When you find out the gender and give them their name, well, that's when it really became real for me.

You may be thinking, ok, you had a great day but not that much happened really. I'm learning to be thankful in small things, small successes that put me in a postive frame of mind. Today just felt really great -- oh, and I almost forgot, I put 16,215 steps on my pedometer today. The thing is virtually S-M-OKING!!!!

Gotta run...
~Lisa

October 1st -- My New Beginning

2008-10-01T21:14:00.000-06:00

Ok. I've got to get serious here. 5 weeks into training and I have relatively speaking, no miles. No substantial miles that is. Today, the wellness program at St Jude kicked off Walktober. Basically, you register, pick up a pedometer, wear it all the time, log your steps, earn leaves, win prizes, get in shape...This is just what I need to kick start my training. Today my steps were not too good -- only 6000-ish. Best I can tell that should translate to about 2-3 miles. My goal is to get in 10,000 per day. That's going to be tough but hopefully on the days I run, maybe it won't be too tough.

All this week I've battled headache after headache with Tuesday's turning into a full fledged migraine. That caused me to bail on the run on the river with Brooke & Norma but I'm hoping that tomorrow I can try again. I truly believe that if I can get back into running on a regular basis, the headaches will stop or at least get less severe and I know my stress level will go down significantly. These days it seems it's always something.

The great thing about life is that if you don't like where you are today, if God grants you another day, you get a do over, you can start fresh. And that's exactly what I intend to do. And it's what I'm going to keep doing until I get this right!

Gotta run...

Lisa

Seasons of a Woman's Life

2008-09-27T20:14:00.000-06:00

This weekend I had the unique opportunity to gather with apx 119 christian women for a retreat that focused on the different seasons of life we all go thru and the blessings and challenges each season brings. This retreat could not have come at a better time for me. And although the hotel was only 5 minutes from my house, I felt like I was a million miles away. I just love the artwork on the program!

I have really faced a lot of challenges lately. And although I had challenges prior to, it seems that things really began to unravel for me following the Chicago Marathon in Oct '07. It just seemed that once the ball got rolling it was one thing after another -- injury, illness, financial problems, job loss and then coming to grips with things from the past I had buried deep inside. It has been an emotionally, spiritually and physically draining time for me and I just knew I was the only one. I have also dealt with the guilt of wanting to just run away from all of it. I have felt like a failure at motherhood, a failure at my marriage for having feelings of just wanting to leave. I have been consumed with thinking "what have I gotten myself into? why me? I don't need this much stress in my life!" Then when I got the job at St Jude, I somehow convinced myself that everything would miraculously get better. But it didn't. The laundry still piles up, the dishes still get dirty, my son still refuses to clean his room and complains about homework, my husband still sleeps thru TV on the couch, and I'm still overwhelmed, in fact, more overwhelmed than ever. The problem is that I now have a job that pays well enough that I can financially afford to leave. How can I claim to be a God fearing christian woman when I entertain thoughts like these? The guilt consumes me. Then I hear a message Friday nite and learn something that just completely set me free from the guilt. Not only do other women find themselves feeling like this BUT other CHRISTIAN women do as well!! WOW! Then, I was given the tools combat these feelings -- tools that I've always known were at my disposal but sometimes you just need to be reminded of what they are at a time and place where you are among godly women who know what it's like. I was reminded that through prayer, I can have intimacy with God. I can tell Him anything. Not only can I unload all my troubles on Him, but I can expect Him to deal with them! I can rely on His word for every answer and I can be assured that it will ALWAYS guide me in the path of righteousness. I need to have an attitude of service. For me, it is easy to have an attitude of service at work and with friends but I never looked at my role at home as a place where I needed a servant's heart. I have always viewed cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc as obligations and the "have to" stuff in my life. I was truly humbled and ashamed that I have missed the opportunities to please God in such simple tasks as folding towels and scrubbing toilets. I also learned that marriage is not about feelings and it's not about whether I'm happy or not. I made a vow before my family, my friends and most importantly, my God and regardless of how many times he overdraws the bank account, my commitment to my husband is TIL DEATH DO US PART! And while these seem like such personal issues and that the decisions I make about my marriage, my family, my life, may seem like they are no one else's business, I learned another sobering truth. People are going to judge God by what they see in me. GULP!! What an awesome responsibility! Everything I say & do, including the way I handle things when life becomes difficult, the way I treat my husband, the way I interact with my son, EVERYTHING is a direct reflection on my heavenly Father.

I also had the opportunity to walk (and even run a little) with some of the ladies from my church -- that was such an incredible experience. Then at lunch, I met some very sweet ladies. Some time during the meal I overheard them discussing the St Jude Half. Well, you know me and whenever the subject of running or St Jude comes up, especially when the 2 are combined, I'm going to be all over that! Talking with them really rekindled that desire in me. Their enthusiasm coupled with my planned runs on the river next week with Brooke have really motivated me. It helped me to realize that even tho I'm having issues with my foot still, there's no need to quit. I just need a new plan, a new strategy and an altered goal -- the miles will be the same; the way I cover them will change. And that's ok.

I feel like I could write a novel about the events of the last 24 hours but it is late and I am tired. I am excited about tomorrow -- it's been many years since I was excited about going to church. I usually don't give it much thought -- it's just habit for me. Don't get me wrong, church attendance is a very good habit but that shouldn't be why you go. I'm simply looking forward to the opportunity to worship my God, who revealed Himself to me this weekend thru godly women in such a way as to give me hope and strength and renewed faith. And even tho my laundry is piled to the ceiling and the dust bunnies have taken over every surface and Ian's bathroom (I won't go there), I can rest knowing that I will have the opportunity to serve my family and my God by addressing all those things tomorrow and I will do so with a cheerful heart. It truly is all about how you look at things...

Gotta run...

Lisa

The Face of a Frustrated Runner vs. the Face of a Frustrated Wife...Is There a Difference?

2008-09-20T18:40:00.000-06:00

The plan, a 4 miler @ 7am. At 6:15am, I received a text from Norma -- raining really hard at her house. A look outside to check the weather in Olive Branch showed conditions looked iffy. So, I decided to check the forecast only to find that my cable was out which for me, means no TV, no internet and no phone. We decided to bail. I told myself that I would run later but really felt that was most likely a lie. The good news is that I DID get out for a run about 6pm. The bad news is it wasn't a very good one. I shouldn't have expected great things. I haven't been very consistant lately. And I've come to rely very heavily on Susan's company. I have such a good time that the time and the miles just seem to fly by. But the biggest problem today occurred at mile 2 -- numbness in the left big toe. I so thought I was over this problem. Well, I ignored it and by the time I decided to call it quits, the numbness had radiated my entire foot and up to my knee. What the heck is that?!?!?!?!?!?! This is the face of a frustrated runner...

(Please forgive the lighting. The camera phone is a great thing but...)

I make my way back to my car and I'm trying not to be too hard on myself. I'm supposed to call Mark to let him know when I'm done. Usually, he's very good at helping me see the good in everything and running is no exception. I'm expecting that I'll whine a little and he'll tell me to cut myself some slack, etc, etc, etc. When I call, though, it goes straight to voice mail. I wait a few minutes and try again. Same thing, straight to voice mail. This can only mean that his battery has died. Should this cause me frustration? Well, no not really. Cell phone batteries die, I do understand this. But, what I don't understand is why can't he go to his truck, plug it in, call & check on me OR why can't he use someone else's phone to call & check on me. It has been over 2 hours since I called to tell him I was headed out for a run. He specifically asked me to call him when I was thru so he would know I made it home all right. It has been over an hour since I finished. He'll have a legitimate excuse (as always) and I am home safe & sound (as always) but this is something I deal with on a daily basis. Well, usually I get, "my phone was on silent & I didn't know you called." This is one of the many reasons I get frustrated and here's what IT looks like...

So, while frustration comes in many different forms for many different reasons, it looks the same. Or it does for me anyway...

And the frustration continues even at this late hour. All I want to know is "DID MEMPHIS WIN?????" We are not in Knoxville, yet I know that Tennessee lost (I HATE that!!) Arkansas lost also (I also HATE that!!!) But this is Memphis for goodness sake -- what about the Tigers!!!! There are still some of us fans left....PLEASE!!!!!

With all this being said, it's time to take my frustrations and put them to bed. Tomorrow is a new day...

Gotta run...

~Lisa

Since I'm obviously not using them for running...

2008-09-15T20:25:00.000-06:00

Could the weather be any more perfect? Normally, temps such as this would have me out the door in seconds flat only to return home when it got too dark outside to see. But, alas even these ideal running conditions could not persuade me to even look at my dusty Sauconys let alone put them on. No, instead I went SHOPPING! I'm as addicted to shopping as I once was to running. I honestly don't know what to do to get my motivation back. I am registered for the St Jude Half in December; I am registered for the Little Rock Marathon in March -- good grief! Are these not 2 of the best reasons there are to get cracking?!?!? In the mean time, since I'm trying to become more environmentally conscious, I believe I've found the answer as to what to do with my running shoes...

Gotta run...well, that is, Needta run...

~Lisa

Goodbye Yahoo 360...

2008-09-13T07:28:00.000-06:00

Well, it finally happened -- I am officially dumping Yahoo 360 and moving on to bigger & better things. I finally got tired of typing for 30 minutes only to receive the message, "your post could not be saved!"Anyway, I've threatened to move my blog for months now. Better late than never I guess.

So, I had such a hard time coming up with a title for my blog. I do tend to stress over the smallest of things. I knew it had to have some reference to running. You know running -- that thing I'm not very good at but I love to do anyway. I tried to be clever -- Marathon Mom, Divas Do 26.2, Eat.Sleep.Run.Repeat -- I just couldn't decide. I was looking at my shirt from the Cooper Young 4 miler last nite. Yesterday, I woke up feeling very ill. I haven't been getting good sleep and then with the nausea, yesterday was just not a good day. But, never once did I consider skipping the race. Why is that? Well, yes, I love to run, I love the crowds, I love the comraderie (thanks, Susan!) but most of all, I LOVE the T-Shirts. And to be able to wear the shirt with pride, you have to run the race, right? So there you have it all summed up -- I run for T-shirts. When I learned that, in addition to the T-shirt, if you finish a Marathon or a Half, you get a medal, well, that was a no brainer for me! :) Okay, so there's a lot more to crossing the finish line than the bling but you gotta admit, it's much better to show off your medal than to show the blisters you got somewhere around mile 14 that painfully burst at mile 21...I digress...

So, in keeping with the title of my new blog, I find it only fitting that my 1st pic be of the shirt that I earned on a VERY warm & humid nite while not feeling well...

I promise I will spend the upcoming days & weeks improving my photography skills. :) But for now...

Gotta run...

~Lisa