Life is like a box of chocolates... you might get lucky and get the sugar free gem, or you might end up puking from the high sugar content.
It has been quite a while since my last blog post. But I can promise that I have not been lazy, just crazy busy. As we all know, life is about choices. As a teacher and a parent, there is no getting around the fact that April through June is the nuttiest time of the year. Every night, my kids have one activity or another. And while I have not been reflecting on my life much as of late through this blog, I have not stopped running. No excuses need to be made, as I have transformed into Forrest Gump! I have prioritized running into my life in a way that still allowed me to be there for my kids, still do my job, and still work toward overall better health. For example, on days that my daughter had softball games, I would run at the dirt track around the field, which is about a half mile long. Sure, I had to run in front of all the parents for 6 softball teams, but at this point I don't care. There is NO WAY I would have had the guts to do that even a month ago! I think that once I ran a couple of 5K races in front of people, I realized that I can do something that most people are unable to do- run long distances! Some days, I would drop my son off at baseball games early, and then run before his game. Maybe I missed the warmup and a couple of innings of the games, but I got my exercise in. Spring rain? No problem. Aside from thunder, I have learned to love running in the rain! No excuses! I have prioritized running and improving my health.
As I sit here typing this now, I have about a week of school remaining until I start my summer recharge break! I am very inspired to keep running this summer. I am running the Warrior Dash next weekend (with the warrior beard in tact), through the fire and mud! I can't wait for that!
Beyond that, I am not signed up for any races. Well, actually I am signed up for a Beatles-themed race in Cambridge at the end of August. Aside from that one, do I intend to race? Absolutely! When and how far? I have no idea yet. My longest run to date was last weekend, when I ran 6.8 miles. That is a 10K plus! Pretty cool, huh? Before I had surgery, I couldn't run down the hallway at my school! I will be racing though, and racing soon. I am discovering that there are so many cool themed races. It is just a matter of picking and choosing.
One thing that is crystallizing in my mind is the thought that at some point, I want to run a half-marathon. 13.1 miles. I am over halfway there, and hope to keep pushing toward that goal as my training continues to intensify. If and when I do commit to running a half, I want some greater good to result from my efforts. Although I have never done this, I am thinking seriously of raising some money for a worthy organization. I have one in mind, but need to iron out a few more details, as well as choose a half-marathon to run in, before I can announce it. But please don't worry... I will be hitting all my friends up for a donation very soon!
I am looking at the onset of summer, not as high heat and humidity that will prevent me from training, but rather as a chance for me to run new and interesting routes early in the mornings or late in the evening. I plan on traveling some this summer, and I am already looking forward to running fresh routes! It is like I will be on my own adventure, which I know more than ever, is leading me toward long-term and sustained healthy living!
