Bad run, good trip

Dearest Readers,

First, a note to let you know that I appreciate the time you spend reading my blog and I so love the comments, no matter what they may be. It is good to know that I am reaching some people and perhaps providing a little more than entertainment - on the good days. The rest, such as my ranting and b....ing about stuff is sometimes just to raise awareness and make you think about the issues I see exist/arise in our everyday lives. Mostly though, I just love learning and finding out about new things and feel it to be my DUTY to pass some of it along to you, if I deem it worthy or happen to remember.
Good then... what's for lunch?

I posted last on Wednesday and promised a part two for the next day. It didn't happen. Beeeeecaaaaaaaause I was faced with new challenges, some of which turned out most excellent and another not so good. Cannot excell at everything, right? I take failures or anything that doesn't turn into a success very poorly. I stress and get tensed up to the point of having breathing difficulties. Then I go for a 10 miles run. So let me elaborate on that experience and tell you why it was so great to be out on a Sunday morning even though the run was NOT a success.

This week running got the backseat to the new challenges in which I had to invest most of my time. So by the weekend, I was having withdrawals and felt that I really really needed the mileage to pick me up and and let my thoughts flow freely (with a lot less oxigen getting to thee brain) and re-energize! So I went out with tired legs and a tight back. At 3 miles I knew I should turn around but that would've been giving up and admitting to a failure. I did that already that week (once). So I pushed on. I knew I started late; after 7 the sun rises fast and the heat starts beating you down merciless. I was running a loop, so after 5 miles I had no choice: a cirlce is a circle. But let me talk about the route because it is important, it is part of the experience that helped me "get over" my run. From my house I can go down to Flagler and on up to the Southern bridge over to the Island on A1A and back West to LW over the LW bridge. 10 miles.

How I got over my run and the searing pain in my thighs was partly due to this scenery and partly to the comradery I felt when passing about a 100 other people, running, biking, walking, and mostly smiling and waving. So then picture a Nano full of music, a beautiful sunrise and a grand scenery speckled with the spirit of human endeavour, vigor and spirit! I saw runners, joggers, cyclers, triathletes, the Leukemia team, walking moms, and a few other uncathegorized persons bobbing along the Intracoastal. And although I don't think I was influenced by the runner's high because I walked about 8 times during the run, I may have been a little dehydrated to feel so elated by this experience. I don't know, you tell me! I did have to stop at the Leukemia Team's waterstop and ask for a refreshment. They did not want to deal with a deranged sweaty person so they gave me some water....lol. When I got home the next day (ok, maybe not that late) I was feeling pretty good about having done my pitiful run, and not because of its training value but because of its human value...

When I see seriously overweight women running in pairs or groups, and elderly guys shuffling along with what looks more like limping than jogging, and volunteers handing out water and monitoring hte course (for the Leukemia Team training) I want to say GOOD FOR YOU, KUDOS TO YOU AND KEEP PLUGGING AWAY! And no offense or disrespect to the athletic community but all of you high speed cyclist and runners with your high tech sunglasses who cannot acknowledge a friendly "Hello" because you are too wrapped up in yourself than in the experience; you look like you are not enjoying your workout half as much as the bobbing non-athletes and weekend walkers and that I think is a pity and something I hope I'll never feel or show. So one morning or evening please take the time and get outside and remember why it is so envied elsewhere in the world to be living in Florida, and why, with this many sunny days and scenic routes you have no excuse not to get motivated, appreciate, rejuvenate, inspire and encourage yourself and others to smile. It's such an American thing, so smile!