Whatever You Set Your Mind To

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb...so the saying goes. I think this year it came and went like a lion. It's been a crazy spring so far. Record cold. Record snow. I'm ready for warm weather to stay. 

We decided to "quit the gym" this winter. It made for some creative ways to stay active. I ran in some of the coldest temperatures I've felt in Virginia. John shared a variety of equipment with us, from bands to bars to jump ropes (picture family fitness). More recently he and Elliot decided to install a permanent pull-up bar in Elliot's room. Sydney prefers to hang upside down from it like a monkey.

Then March arrived. I didn't have many teaching assignments. After all those snow days teachers didn't need a substitute. I ran and ran and ran in preparation for the upcoming Historic Half Marathon. March was cold then warm, then cold then warm. I ran alongside melting snow. I ran over snow. I ran admiring amazing sunsets. In this past week, I ran with daffodils and budding trees. I listened to hours of music and a variety of podcats.  My favorite has been a podcast called Serial.  It's a weekly spin-off from another radio show called This American Life.  It chronicles a true story of a teenager who allegedly murdered his girlfriend.  It kept my attention and my mind off the miles, but that's not my point here.

Sunset near Route 3 on a Wednesday evening

One thing I did listen to a few times was an essay turned spoken song by Baz Luhrmann called Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen).  I first heard it during the relaxation portion of a yoga class a few years ago.  It was originally given as a commencement speech.  It has such good and simple advice.  I am putting the link here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHE_XGtUNx4).  It's 7 minutes.  It's a good reminder of many of life's "lessons."  

In March I officially ran 107.2 miles.  This is a pretty big deal to me.  I've never put in that many miles.  Maybe I'll do it again, maybe I won't.  I'm grateful though.  I'm grateful for the time I had to do it.  I'm grateful for my health so that I could do it.  Mostly though it proved to me that the body achieves what the mind believes.  The human body is capable of some impressive stuff.  Admire it.  Challenge it.  I am not saying everyone...RUN!  My hope is that we can find something we love doing and do it.  Pull ups, jump rope, swim, bike, walk...the choices are endless.  Whatever we set our minds to we can do.

Out of running shoes!

Running over snow...is it Ohio or Virginia?

Here's to spring's arrival.  Here's to April!  52 days until the pool opens!

Thanks for reading!

My favorite post run spot 

Where have you been?

Present

It's been quiet on the blog. I'm still here!

Happy new year! Christmas vacation ended today and it was hard to wake up to an alarm.  The class I taught had recess around 11 a.m.  I made a mental note that in the past two weeks it wasn't uncommon for me to still be wearing my pajamas at that time.  And, I will admit, there were a couple days that Sydney and I only got out of our pajamas to shower and then put on fresh ones.  Isn't that what vacation is for?  December should be a "happy-at-home, stay-cation-mindset" month.

Our Christmas was...early...as in predawn.  Our usual sleepy child had us up at 5 a.m.!!  By 7 o'clock all the gifts were opened, a pot of coffee was empty, and breakfast was cooking.  By 10 o'clock John and I were back in bed for a much needed nap.  The week after Christmas brought a second Christmas disguised as a visit from my parents and my dear aunt from Virginia Beach.  There were endless cookies eaten, many games of Uno played, the working of a 700 piece puzzle, and fun shopping trips.  New Years Eve was spent with friends.  The real gift of the season came on January 1 as we gathered with our guests to watch our Buckeyes capture victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl!  What a game! Nail biting, teeth clenching, breath holding, palms sweaty kind of game. What a great day to be a Buckeye!  I woke up on January 2nd still feeling like it was a dream.

Glorious Buckeyes

  I reflected on my expectations and all my "shoulds" for the past year.  I keep these in the deep folds of my mind.  It's never quite the safest place to go alone.  Luckily I have a few friends to share these Coo Coo's Nest thoughts with.  After listening, they don't run away from me.  They just help me untangle the Great Expectations and bring them back down to earth in a gentle way.  I looked over my journal for 2014, and again I was reminded that greater plans than what I cook up usually occur.  Prayers and people I placed into my God Box didn't hold the heavy weight they did when I placed them in there.  That's not to say the year wasn't without a tribulation or two...it's just to say that as another year drew to a close I was again able to see progress and that is a very good thing.

Kindness was my word of 2014.  I wrote about it last January.  If you missed it, you can read it by clicking here.  I wrote about how I wanted to practice more kindness towards others, especially myself.  I've also made progress there.  I was able to more often ask myself "what were you learning?" instead of "what were you thinking?"  This too is a very good thing.

NYE 2014

I also continued to run.  I conquered my first 10K and was pleased to finish in less than 1 hour.  Just before my second anniversary of becoming a "runner," I ran my furthest distance yet.  I ran 10 miles.  I did it on a solo run and it felt pretty damn good.  This prompted me to sign up (with a little less fear) for my first half marathon.  See, I'm only half crazy. :)  It's the Marine Corps Half in Fredericksburg in May.  I am scared.  I am excited.  

2015 asks for a new word.  My word this year is present.  I don't mean it as a noun, like a gift.  I mean it as an adjective.  In that form it holds this meaning:

1. being, existing, or occurring at this time or now; current
2. at this time; at hand; immediate: articles for present use
3. being with one or others or in the specified or understood place
4. existing or occurring in a place, thing, combination, or the like

I like this word already.  It’s a gentle challenge that I need.  I can use it when I’m a runner, wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend.  It will help me to just be.  It reminds me:  breathe in, breathe out...repeat.

Last night Sydney was having trouble going to sleep.  Probably because we stayed up too late and slept in too much over our break from school.  Nevertheless, I decided to just lay in her bed with her to help her settle down.  I didn't “do” anything except be present.  I felt her silky hair against my cheek.  She held my hand.  I listened to the sleepy music filling her room from her cd player.  It reminded me of the nights we listened to it rocking her and Elliot to sleep.  I love those moments as a mom.  I love the reminders of where we've been and the present moment of where we are.  They become intertwined.  Sydney drifted off to sleep and I stayed for a moment.  Just long enough to feel really present in that moment.  Breathe in, breathe out...repeat.  What a way to end vacation.

Cheers to 2015

What will your year ahead hold? 

As always, thank you for reading.