mindfirerunner

This morning was one of those mornings I really did not want to get out of bed. I hit the snooze button a few more times than normal, and somehow managed to crawl out of bed. It’s amazing how many thoughts go through your head from the time the alarm goes off until you’re actually out of bed. I thought about how tired I was, how good I’d slept, how warm I was, what laundry there was down stairs and if I should throw in another load this morning or wait until I got home, what Connor’s blood sugar would be since we did a site change the night before and he was running high, what I needed to pack for the baby since his 1 year appointment was this morning, if I needed to run the dish washer or if there’d be room for the breakfast dishes, and what kind of coffee I wanted to have…and if I should hit the snooze one last time. I saw this the other day (thanks Cuz!) and laughed so hard because it is pretty darn true of the thought train that runs through my head almost constantly and manages to wreck only once in a while.

I managed to get out the door this morning for a run, but began looking back at all of the things that could have stopped me. As a mom, spouse, friend, co-worker, sister (you name it, we all have our roles) there are things that will always be on our to-do list. Most of them we will never get to, and that’s okay. We learn how to prioritize. We learn what really matters. We learn to roll with the punches (cat puke on the floor, dog peeing in front of us on the carpet while we stare in disbelief, kids screaming and crying) and sometimes we laugh – sometimes we cry. Sometimes we manage to do them both at the same time even. But this is what makes life…life. How boring would our lives be if we knew what to expect all of the time? So, we clean up the puke, the dog pee, wipe tears from eyes and carry on.

My family is laughing while reading this, I’m almost certain. I have always been the one that has to have everything in its place, and order has to exist in everything all of the time. I have been working on maintaining order while maintaining sanity though. It’s easy to get caught up in the little things that can drag us down and wrap us up into little tight knots of stress and tension. Even our best laid plans of getting in our run can go out the door – without us. And, that’s okay.

Hi, my name is Luciana and I’m an ADD/OCD runner. What’s your name?

I was listening to ESPN Radio the other day and, as usual in Denver, they were talking about Tim Tebow and his “God-given abilities” to overcome in the 4th quarter. The same proved true in yesterday’s game with a late 4th quarter play, field goal, and overtime, chalking another win up for Tebow. Someone made a comment about his ability to win no matter what the circumstances and the joke began on how he even won his very first race (conception), and has been winning ever since. The conversation quickly turned into how all of us are winners. We all won our very first race into existence. Think about it – how many other potential “people” did you beat out to take first place? I was laughing so hard I was crying, but the conversation was so poignant. How many times do you hear “I never win anything”, or “I’m just not good enough”, or “I’m not worth it”. Well, you won your very first, and one could argue quite validly, the very most important race in your life.

Society has “dummied” us down. We accept mediocrity and provide medals and trophies to our children who finish 2nd, 3rd, last place. By doing this, we show that it doesn’t matter how you do in life you will always be rewarded. I don’t agree with this, but I agree with knowing that there are other forms of winning. Winning is more than taking first place. Winning is the ability to set all else aside for a few minutes a day for you. Winning is the ability to know when you’ve failed, but you look for chances to be better. Winning is recognizing that you’re not perfect and never will be, but unlike the mainstream concept of “Why Try?”, you try – and you try harder each day.

Sometimes we have to lose a few in order to understand and appreciate the effort that we put into trying. If it were easy we would never push ourselves to be better or try harder, or in some cases even try. What’s the old proverb, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”? What if Tim Tebow just gave up once the Broncos reached the 4th quarter. Who could come back from a loss every single time this late in the game?

So, it’s 4th quarter and you’re down. You haven’t had a chance to get out and run all week or you’ve lost your motivation and beat yourself up because you want to get out there and run, but you just haven’t. What are you going to do about it?  I say, make it Tebow Time and go get yourself a win.

It’s amazing what gets us excited to run. We’re like little kids in a candy shop when we put on our shiny new tennis shoes, or when our fancy new watch arrives in the mail, or we get our tech t-shirt from the race expo. My husband bought me a pair of socks from his Las Vegas trip and I can’t wait to put them on and go for a run. That is seriously demented, right? But it gets us out the door sometimes. I’ve had people tell me they don’t like to run because it’s boring. Running doesn’t have to be boring. If the wind in your face, sun on your back, or view of the Colorado mountains or eastern plains aren’t exciting enough to keep your mind occupied (if you live in CO), then find out what it is that excites you to run. Is it the feeling of conquering something? The knowledge that you overcame the desire to do nothing, or the fact that you know you’re giving your body what it deserves?

We went to San Francisco in October and my husband had a long run to plan for, which for most people to plan an 11 mile run in a strange city can be daunting. Not for him! He mapped out a route that would run him across the Golden Gate Bridge; a run that I dare say might have been one of his most memorable to date. That doesn’t mean it was an easy run, although there’s something to be said for sea level when you come from Denver, but what it means is that the desire to run overcame all fear of the unknown. I struggled the first few days running in San Francisco. I wasn’t familiar with running in the city and got completely annoyed at all of the traffic and stoplights, and very nearly gave up on the first day until I rounded a corner that led me down a path along the bay and I saw the Golden Gate Bridge gleaning in the sun. Running in San Francisco from there on out was a no-brainer. I knew what was around the corner and even though I dreaded the mile and a half it took to get there, I knew it would be worth it.

As humans, we don’t like to stray from the norm. It makes us feel uncomfortable and out of place. Sometimes that’s how it is when we run. Whether you’re a beginner just getting your feet on the road, or you’ve been running for as long as you can remember, there is always some element that sets us aside from the rest of the world. But we know we’re not alone. There are other runners out there going through the same struggles. Other runners who have lost their motivation to lace up. Other runners who, regardless of how well they’ve planned and prepped for a long run, still bonk and end up walking home. And, other runners who are heading out the door, about to round the corner and see what lies ahead.

I came across a running quote I thought put things into perspective a bit. It said, “If you think life is tough, try running a marathon. If you still think life is tough, run the next one faster.”  I couldn’t disagree with this quote more. Obviously, the person who thought up this genius quote never had to run while serving in the military and avoiding life-threatening conditions, or is the person who has a condition that will never give them the ability to walk much less run, or the one who can’t even afford a pair of tennis shoes.

We spend countless hours giving ourselves excuses for not doing something, and only a fraction of time giving ourselves an “excuse” to get out there and do anything. What is it about our human nature that always prods us to be minimalists in everything that we do? We can’t cook food fast enough because the microwave is too slow. We want our on-demand movies from the cable company NOW, and we push the speed limit going down the road because it will save us so much time.

If getting out there and running doesn’t motivate you alone, find something that will. A buddy (Alex Ross) is running the Leadville 100 to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Find a charity, an event to support, a person in your local community you can help raise money for, or a kid to coach and mentor, and find your motivation to get out there and move! Then, turn around and be someone else’s motivation – pay it forward. It’s the best get rich scheme ever.

Babe Ruth is thought of by many as the greatest baseball player of all time. We all know about the “curse of the Great Bambino” and the Red Sox trading him to the Yankees in the off season of 1919 and not seeing a title for decades to come. Baseball is a great game. We take the day off of work and pull the kids out of school to go to Opening Day every year. We don’t realize what a mentally challenging sport baseball is though.

Our oldest son plays competitive baseball and over the past year we’ve seen him develop immensly as a player, but it’s always interesting to see a team crumble before your eyes and wander what on earth is going through these boys’ heads. My husband put it well. He said, “Baseball is a game of failure”. He’s right. How many times do you strike out, or a fly ball caught, or are thrown out at the bag? Every time a batter steps up to the plate, we hope and anticipate (if we’re rooting for that team), that they’re going to hit a homerun, but how many times does that happen? Yet, we continue to play the sport. We continue to go to the games, and we continue to haul our kids across town three times a week for practice just so that they can continue to play a sport that ends in failed attempts time and time again.

We experience the same with running. We go to races that don’t function the way that they should. We get frustrated that our times are worse than we thought, and aggrevated by the elements. We get leg cramps and have to walk, or stomach cramps and end up puking, but we continue to get out there and run. It doesn’t always work out the way we think it will or should every time. We feel like we have failed, but truth be told we only fail if we never try. So go out there and knock one out of the park. You might strike out a few times before you get there, but eventually you’ll hit that homerun. You might even pick up some fans along the way.

It’s that time of year again – WINTER. The winter months can be some of the toughest months to get through as a runner. We not only have the cold to deal with, but all of the other elements (snow, wind, ice) that sometimes makes running more of a contact sport than most of us are used to. With a long run on Saturday of 10 miles, I knew it would be tough mentally and physically. What I didn’t know was that I would question whether or not I really was that “crazy runner girl” out on the road, which is often expressed in gaping stares from neighbors and passers-by.

We’d just gotten another few inches of snow and it was still snowing, was bitterly cold, and the roads weren’t plowed yet. I knew I had my work cut out for me. I bundled up in all of my gear and headed out the door. I never thought about not running. I’ve come to learn that if I think about the cold, snow, rain, whatever, that I can too easily find a reason to not lace up my shoes. It was 3 degrees this morning. It’s supposed to be -9 tomorrow morning, but let’s face it: cold is cold. I run first thing in the morning so that I don’t give myself time to back out. I’ve never had a run I’ve come back from where I wish I’d never gone. Funny.

This run was no different. My first two turns nearly landed me on my butt in the road.  The third turn the road won, and I wanted nothing more to do but go home and try again tomorrow, but I figured it would be the same thing to deal with so I thought I should  just play it safe and smart and slow down around the turns. I was aggrevated that the roads weren’t plowed, and that I couldn’t get my footing and any decent speed. I powered down the watch and figured it best to just get through the run without injury. I got in a groove (believe it or not). I learned where the slickest spots were and trusted in my footprints from the previous laps to guide me.

I eventually finished that run. My quads ached from plowing through four inches of snow for 10 miles, but I felt good. It was cold enough that I figured I didn’t really need to ice my shin and forearms from biting it earlier. Hey, I’ll take it. Most importantly, I chalked another one up to determination. I’ll tuck it away and use it on another snowy, cold day when I think the elements will get the best of me; and I’ll win again.

So, the hubby is in Las Vegas running the Rock ‘n’ Roll 1/2 Marathon on the Strip tonight. Las Vegas is usually not my thing during the winter months. I prefer sitting by the pool in the heat of 100+ degree weather sipping on more favorable drinks. Not bundling up in a jacket and running from casino to casino in the cold and rain (yes, it rains in Vegas) and making sure I eat healthy and stay fit to run in a race. I’ve also determined time and time again that I am not a night runner. I try to change it up every few months. Mostly, because I get lazy and don’t want to get up in the mornings, or I try to justify that I need to get something else done, or that the weather will just be better later in the afternoon. None of these ever prove to be true. So when determining whether or not to go with my husband to Vegas and run in the dark, I opted to stay home with the kids and let him have a guys weekend with his bud.

He had pneumonia a few weeks ago and missed out on two weeks of training time, but that hasn’t deterred him from spending countless hours at the race expo, geeking over running on the strip at night, and expressing nothing but sheer excitement over looking forward to what will take place in just a few short hours. He has reminded me that running should be fun. Sure, we work hard. We train hard. We are competitive and beat ourselves up. There are times we get mad and just want to give up. But sometimes we need to ditch the Garmin, tracking devices, and all that tech crap and just hit the road and have fun. We get too caught up in time, pace, turnover, and mileage, that it’s easy to forget that sometimes we just need to get out there and have fun.

So, tonight my hope is that you have fun. That you see the Strip in a whole new and exciting way. And, that you might even see some “exotic dancers”, since Vegas apparently doesn’t have strippers.

Happy Running.

It didn’t occur to me that people thought running came easy to me just because I’ve always done it. I remember when I started running. I was 11 years old and in the 5th grade. I used to hate to run. No, I mean I really hated to run. It all started with the Presidential Fitness Test. You remember that one, right? You had to run “The Mile” in a specified amount of time. I was never a fast runner. In fact, I was in high school when I ran my fastest mile in 8:11 (nothing worth noting). However, it was my elementary school teacher that got me hooked. I remember him talking about running, and it seemed so easy, so I thought “Why not?” If I practiced running a mile, maybe I wouldn’t dread it the two times a year I had to do it. So I started running.

The more I ran, the more I wanted to run. Before long I noticed how much I started enjoying the empty country roads of Indiana and the chance to break free for a while. I can still feel the cool fall air, see the dark overcast skies, and hear nothing but my feet on the road with not another soul in sight. Those were the runs I lived for. Some days felt better than others, but there’s a lot of mental shredding that takes place when you’re pushing your body and mind and it pushes back. I’ve always been a competitive person; first and foremost with myself. I have never backed down from a challenge. I don’t like to be told that I have limits, but that doesn’t mean it comes easy.

I’ve re-focused my running over the past several months. Found that I have even more to tap in to. Got smart and asked for help and have shaved nearly a minute and a half off of my high school mile time.

A run is never just a run. If it feels easy, then I’m not doing anything to make myself a better runner. Sometimes, I beat myself up because I just can’t seem to get my legs moving, or because I’m not running the pace I know I can. It’s a tough sport. Those that don’t run don’t understand the conversations we runners have with ourselves every day we’re pounding the pavement. Sometimes, it’s a pep talk. Sometimes, it’s a beat down. But every time it’s a mental game that requires us to shred out the nonsense and focus on the core of what makes us runners.

I usually like running in the snow, especially when it’s just starting to fall. It’s not only pretty, but there’s something peaceful about fresh snow falling. Most people decide not to run because of “inclement” weather. I tend to do just the opposite. I like knowing that I’ll do what most people won’t. It’s the rare occasion for me to prove to myself that I’m tougher than the elements, and a majority of the time I’m glad I decided to run no matter what the weather.

This morning was easy compared to last Saturday’s run. It wasn’t snowing on Saturday, but running 8 miles in wind that sometimes kicked my feet sideways left me tired and I’ll admit…a bit cranky. You know when you’re running and trying to be mentally tough, but then there comes this strong gust of wind that stops you in your tracks? Needless to say, I yelled a few times at Mother Nature, but kept plugging through. I remember saying out loud as if it mattered, “Seriously?”. Like the wind was going to stop blowing on my behalf.

We’re ignorant like that. We think things should come easy and when they don’t we give up, or better yet don’t even bother trying. We look outside the window and say, “Wow. Looks cold out there.” It’s those times that we look out the window and say, “Wow. Looks cold out there. Can’t wait to kick some Mother Nature butt.”  that allows us to step outside of the norm and do something that makes us stronger.

I’ll continue to run through the snow every chance I get. I might even buy a pair of ski goggles in case the wind decides to blow.