Couch to ATHLETE!

I truly enjoy the opportunity to practice self reflection which, I realize, can take many forms. Some people meditate, others chant, some pray and I run. Today, while at church, I recognized that running has been the greatest form of hospitality I have given myself. My church, which I lovingly call the hippy church, has been focused on hospitality this month which has been interesting on many levels. I view hospitality so very differently that many. I practice hospitality as most humans do by opening my front door and welcoming anyone to join me in conversation, for a place to crash for a night (or five) or to sit around the dining table with me. On the other hand I view spending time with supportive people and always being myself as a way of providing me a form of hospitality; I am talking about the people I can talk to without limit, the people who I can be comfortably silent with, fall asleep with while watching a movie in my home (rather than trying to stay awake to entert...

Last week I disclosed that fears often hold me back from achieving my dreams. I also expressed my interest in tackling my dreams without regard to fear. I am going to start talking about and expressing my biggest fear now so as to rally as much support as possible! In one month from today I will be celebrating my completion of the marathon. I am guessing I will still be on cloud nine two days after the marathon but my fear is that I will forget to encapsulate the amazing accomplishment and lose my drive. This song kind of mirrors my fear of losing running: Being a person who struggled with finding the 'right' thing I recognize that losing running, because of the pure joy it provides me, is my biggest fear. I find hilarity in the fact that I have already decided I am going to run another marathon (or two) next year seeing as a 10k was only in my sights for the first time two years ago; however I am the queen of the exercise sabbatical. This is the year that I am going...

I lived in Boulder Colorado for four years while I was studying at the University of Colorado at Boulder. During my time in Colorado I fell in love with the mountains, skiing, hiking, the dry air, moderate winters and gloriously sunny summers. I never went 'home' to Chicago over the summers but instead stayed in Colorado so I could take summer classes and be around my nephews at the time. I always had the desire to be an athlete while living in Boulder but never the drive. About six months ago I started planning a vacation to Colorado centered around a 50 mile bike ride in the foothills of Boulder and of course to visit my brother. What really happened amazed me. I started my journey driving out to Colorado from Columbus Ohio, logging some decent runs along the way. I had extreme trepidation as I began pondering the 20 mile training run that was scheduled for September 10, 2011, just one day prior to the Buffalo classic. My brother informed me that he took Friday off from ...

I have received many gifts in my lifetime. I remember my first cabbage patch doll, the trumpet my dad brought home from work after Christmas, the scooter I received for my first communion, the scarves people have made for me and the list goes on. I also remember the gifts of time. There is nothing I value more than the time I spend with people. I believe my parents instilled in me the importance of time. When I hated reading in sixth grade, my mom would sit with me and read, page by page, the Call of the Wild. This was a gift! Over the last few years I have deeply embraced cycling, swimming and running. Running has definitely become my favorite sport and I have been trying to figure out why. For me it was the most challenging to embrace but has probably been the most rewarding. I honestly can't remember how I was initially introduced to running. It must have been the exercise bully, otherwise known as my oldest sister. I was recently talking to a friend of mine who is a...