This week has been pretty awesome. I have had solid workouts, and the sun has appeared on more than one occasion. Vitamin D anyone? I'd advise going out and getting some, while it lasts.
Sue and I went out for a 4 mile race on Saturday morning. It was at a metropark that basically sucks the life out of me, every time I run there. People love it for the hills while I dislike it for the hills. I approached yesterday's race kind of like I do every run at Sharron woods, with dread...
So, here is the thing about life in general. I preach that every morning, we wake up and make a choice. Our choice is to decide whether we are going to have a good or bad day. I would say 9 times out of 10, I make the choice that my day will be great. Well, OK, let's be honest here, once I come out of my morning fog, I make that decision. BUT, life may have very different plans for me. Again, I have to make another choice. Do I let the flat tire, bum breaks, long grocery store line, fall down the stairs, etc., define my day? I like to think that I don't (most of the time).
Most recently, I knew I needed new breaks on my car, but had no idea how bad the problem was until my breaks clamped down and wouldn't release. Next thing I know, I am sitting in a Midas (not my first choice for car maintenance), wallowing in a very expensive fix. And then several events happened. I decided to walk to my bank. I stood in line, and then got up to the counter. I told the teller my entire saga, much to her amusement, and I got one of the most wonderful compliments from a couple of people in line. Basically, one of the women told me that I have the best personality. I laughed. Not quite how I thought I presented myself at the bank, my hair a mess, my shirt wrinkled... But none of that mattered, what mattered was how I treated the people in the bank.
I walked out of the bank perplexed and headed back to Midas, my home for the afternoon... A new woman was sitting there with her three kids. She was getting unexpected new breaks, too. We talked and all of a sudden we were both laughing about our Friday afternoon misfortune. She actually thanked me for the chuckle? I don't want to go into detail, but we basically talked about how we were looking forward to meeting again, in the hospital, with broken arms or something, because that is how you meet new and interesting people.
Anyway, amidst my terrible grammar and misspelling, I do have a point here... Like my car woes, last week, the Sharron Woods 4 miler was nothing what I had dreaded. In fact, it was exactly the opposite. We headed out for our run to the tune of a steady, LSD pace. We continued that pace into mile 2, at which point we sped up a little bit. Mile 3 was a significant negative split, followed by mile 4, which is basically unheard of for us this year. I'm a talker when we run and the 'watch'man (I carry the watch), and I remember looking over to Sue, letting her know that I would tell her what happened during this race when we were done. She responded with a 'are we slow'? I wouldn't answer. After collapsing in the grass when the run was over, we celebrated what we thought was the impossible. Mind you, this wasn't a PR by any stretch, but based on where we have been this year, it was a mental PR for running.
Basically, what I am saying is this: Never underestimate the power of your attitude, be kind to yourself rather than dread a moment for what you THINK you can do, enjoy a moment for what you CAN do. You may have one plan, but your brain/body may have a completely different plan. Embrace it, enjoy it, celebrate it... And then go for a bike ride...
Sue and I went out for a 4 mile race on Saturday morning. It was at a metropark that basically sucks the life out of me, every time I run there. People love it for the hills while I dislike it for the hills. I approached yesterday's race kind of like I do every run at Sharron woods, with dread...
So, here is the thing about life in general. I preach that every morning, we wake up and make a choice. Our choice is to decide whether we are going to have a good or bad day. I would say 9 times out of 10, I make the choice that my day will be great. Well, OK, let's be honest here, once I come out of my morning fog, I make that decision. BUT, life may have very different plans for me. Again, I have to make another choice. Do I let the flat tire, bum breaks, long grocery store line, fall down the stairs, etc., define my day? I like to think that I don't (most of the time).
Most recently, I knew I needed new breaks on my car, but had no idea how bad the problem was until my breaks clamped down and wouldn't release. Next thing I know, I am sitting in a Midas (not my first choice for car maintenance), wallowing in a very expensive fix. And then several events happened. I decided to walk to my bank. I stood in line, and then got up to the counter. I told the teller my entire saga, much to her amusement, and I got one of the most wonderful compliments from a couple of people in line. Basically, one of the women told me that I have the best personality. I laughed. Not quite how I thought I presented myself at the bank, my hair a mess, my shirt wrinkled... But none of that mattered, what mattered was how I treated the people in the bank.
I walked out of the bank perplexed and headed back to Midas, my home for the afternoon... A new woman was sitting there with her three kids. She was getting unexpected new breaks, too. We talked and all of a sudden we were both laughing about our Friday afternoon misfortune. She actually thanked me for the chuckle? I don't want to go into detail, but we basically talked about how we were looking forward to meeting again, in the hospital, with broken arms or something, because that is how you meet new and interesting people.
Anyway, amidst my terrible grammar and misspelling, I do have a point here... Like my car woes, last week, the Sharron Woods 4 miler was nothing what I had dreaded. In fact, it was exactly the opposite. We headed out for our run to the tune of a steady, LSD pace. We continued that pace into mile 2, at which point we sped up a little bit. Mile 3 was a significant negative split, followed by mile 4, which is basically unheard of for us this year. I'm a talker when we run and the 'watch'man (I carry the watch), and I remember looking over to Sue, letting her know that I would tell her what happened during this race when we were done. She responded with a 'are we slow'? I wouldn't answer. After collapsing in the grass when the run was over, we celebrated what we thought was the impossible. Mind you, this wasn't a PR by any stretch, but based on where we have been this year, it was a mental PR for running.
Basically, what I am saying is this: Never underestimate the power of your attitude, be kind to yourself rather than dread a moment for what you THINK you can do, enjoy a moment for what you CAN do. You may have one plan, but your brain/body may have a completely different plan. Embrace it, enjoy it, celebrate it... And then go for a bike ride...
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| My picture from my ride yesterday. |
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