Say

My friend Nan posted a status on FB recentlly illuding to a John Mayer's song "Say" that stuck with me.  It is about saying what you need to say and it being good to do so even when it's hard.  Remembering liking the song myself, I downloaded the song from iTunes and it's continued to stick with me.

I've been pondering what a blessing it is to have friends (and if you're lucky, family) with whom you can, "say what you need to say".  Those who with their hearts and ears somehow manage to listen to us.  To the good, the bad, the happy and the sad.

I think of how FB let's us share the simple things we need to say and how much our close knit group of friends appreciates this vehicle to stay in touch during this busy time in our lives.  I think we sometimes forget that we're sharing with more than 5-10 of our closest, but I think God uses this.

I think of how friendships from long ago can be rekindled.  And even when we don't know when we'll connect next, we give each other the freedom to just, "say it" and we are gracious enough to "hear it".  Like in the old days, but better because I think whichever end you're on in the moment, we appreciate the gift more now.

I thought particularly of this concept as my friend Nan called every couple of days to touch base with me while running up and down I-5 to tending to her ailing sister.  The calls would be short; the years under our belt requiring very few words.  But, there was no doubt that we could "say" and it was safe; a touchstone for us both during what at the moment are very hard times.  I treasured these moments with my friend Nan.

I am blessed to be able to "say what I need to say" and hope to never stop working on listening with love and graciousness.

Erin.

Gratefulness - The Great Heart Changer

I've said more than once it's been a tough year or so in parentland.  Nothing profoundly earth-shattering; just time catching up with me and coming to terms with my own sinful nature.  It's all very humbling (and frustrating, enraging, annoying, and, and, etc.).

I've found the Podcast!  Yes, instead of getting the new Nano that comes with an FM Tuner (for the news), I'm trying NOT to go out and buy the latest and greatest; to be satisified with what I've got.  Enter the Podcast. 

My favorite so far has been the stuff from Focus on the Family. Usually 10 minutes podcasts on a wide variety of family and parenting subjects.  I wasn't crazy about having to stop every 10 minutes while running to go to the next one (anyone know how to move through them without having to select the next one?), but they've been "that good" that it's been worth it.

Gratefulness was one of the recent topics and it hit me where I needed it this week.  At first it was, "I need to make sure my little people 'get' grateful".  Nice, huh?  Oh, yeah and maybe I should get on that train to.  So, I pondered some more.  I went to bed focused on grateful; despite being a little sad and very tired. 

Grateful for friends and family who are constantly giving me grace and understanding.  Grateful for a God who walks alongside of me even when things are so very hard.

I woke up this morning with "grateful" on the brain.  It wasn't easy.   It was morning afterall, and followed 6 intermitten hours of sleep.  It was a choice.

I chose to say thank you to my people for remembering and doing their chores.  I apologized for often asking for more instead of thanking them for what they do. 

Getting out the door to school can be nightmare and sadly, the nightmare can become a pattern. 

Today, we got out the door to school in a different way because mama's heart was in a different place.  Because by the shear Grace of God and making a choice, chose to be grateful instead of otherwise.

Gratefulness - The Great Heart Changer.....

Love to you,

Erin.

Three Generations

E, L and I waited all day for the rain to clear.  Then, we got a surprise visit from Grandpa Bob.  I guess we were supposed to wait today because we finally found our window of blue (enough) sky around 5 pm and then we were three generations, two bikes, a dog and off and running.

I was grateful today for my dad and my children who are both amazing and humbling reminders of how I got here and how I'm getting there.  They are patient with me and gracious to me as I stumble along trying to become the woman God put me here to be.  I hope I remember to be the same with them in return.

I love that I still get to run (and have to work to keep up) with my dad who turned 63 this year.  I love that we share a love for being outside and particularly running.  I love that my children get to see this. 

I'm glad our blue sky came late today.

Some running articles I dug this morning

Here are some links that I enjoyed this morning and thought you might also:

My friend H and I were talking about her experience running daily doubles this summer.  My first thought, was "no way", "don't have the time", etc.  But, the more I thought about it and occassionally tried it, there were things about I really liked.  Here is an article that discusses some of these points.  However, once school starts I'm sure it's "game over" in this arena.  But, maybe we try it once or twice per week through the fall before the winter kicks our behinds?

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Double-Up-Your-Daily-Runs.htm

For those who like a plan, don't have lots of days during the week to run and are early in their running development (or not), I like what Jeff Galloway is saying in the article below:

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/How-to-Double-Your-Endurance-in-6-Weeks.htm

And finally, two articles on strength training.  I started doing Jillian Michael's "Cutting it Up" routine with great results back in April.  Stonger, leaner and fitter I am for the things I like to do.  However, it's circuit approach which focuses on keeping your heartrate up and moving between upper and lower body assumes it's a complete workout with very little extra cardio.  I like to run about an hour a day and found it was making me super fatigued.  My solution was to cut way back on the lower body strength stuff while I'm running so much this summer and boost it back up this winter while continuing to do maintain upper body and core strength through two workouts per week.  That said, I'm still fine tuning the lower options as I don't like to completely eliminate lower.

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/3-Reasons-Strength-Training-Will_Benefit-Your-Run.htm

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Strength_training_for_runners.htm

http://www.active.com/running/Articles/Reach_your_best_running_weight__Strength_train.htm

Run on friends.

Consequences of Freedom - Nike Free's Part Three

This is the third post in a series on my experience training in the Nike Free's.  As discussed in previous posts, these shoes are intended as supplements to your existing running shoe.  But, in true E form, I walked for 1 week instead of 3 and ran 5, then 6 miles on consecutive days when I was supposed to try running a single mile. 

My bad.  Really.  I've got this nice pain in my glute which is running down the middle of my hamstring.  And like my long ago sciatic issue, I'm not 100% sure yet if it's muscular or nerves shooting junk down my legs from my lower back.  I suspect it's the latter, but honestly I go back and forth.  For now, I'm running through it hoping it'll go away.  Stop laughing.  You've done it. 

I haven't given up on Freedom, just going back to the original plan.  Back to walking in them for now.....

Love my ASICS GT-2140's.

Run on friends.

These are the days to remember....

I've finally mastered (using this term loosely) the "art of pre-positioning" with my children.  After years of carefully pre-positioning possible outcomes with clients so as to make a future experience occur without surprise and/or incident, I've finally started to take this approach with our kids.  For example, one approach might be, mommy comes downstairs in the morning and says, "we're going on a bike ride (while mommy runs), so saddle up (please)".  On the other hand, something like (at the beginning of summer), "you need to plan on being on your bikes an hour each day so that daddy and I can get our runs in this summer", while met with initial groans doesn't come with any immediate consequence and so passes quickly in the moment.  But, the seed has been planted.....

Of course we didn't make them get on their bikes everyday this summer.  But, when we have asked them to do so a couple of times a week, it's come as no surprise and with little to no whining.  Plus, we've found lots of ways to make it fun along the way.  In fact, as the summer has progressed we've found these outings to be our very best times.

Tonight Logan and I had time just the two of us.  He has enjoyed some additional freedom he's earned this year by getting to bike to and from places solo or with his best buddy, Van.  To and from their houses they've gone or to and from soccer practice.  The sense of freedom has been a thrill for them both.  But, I digress.  Off he and I went tonight for what ended up being a 9 mile bike ride to dinner, dessert and then a ride home using headlamps; a fun little adventure in total.  We chatted along...as the pace and time not trying to do 10 things at once makes room for lots of questions, comments, jokes and laughter.  Great gifts, indeed.

A couple of days ago, Logan and Van joined me on their bikes for a 9 mile run.  Yes, I'm not above subjecting my friends' kids to the insanity.....At one point during the run, they seemed to be lollygagging up ahead of me and my first thought was, "The gig is up.  They have finally figured out that they can outpace me on their bikes and are going to start getting bored with these outings."  When I asked Van if I was slowing them down, he responded in his true philosiphizer (This is a word, if you know this boy we love) with "no" and then something about bike gearing and pedals that I didn't understand for the life of me.  I was so relieved.  Maybe it's that they've biked with me since they could and only gradually gotten to the point where they could so easily leave me in the dust that it didn't even occur to them to do so (they always wait a ways up ahead which I think is really sweet) and/or were so enjoying each others company and chatting away as we went that it didn't matter.  But, regardless; the experience was pure joy.  The quiet rhythm of the park, the river and the pace; the carefree chatting and biking I got to watch (and even sometimes got to join in) which comes from years of being best buds.  Another great moment.

Our kids bicker.  Yes, it's shocking I know since I'm sure they are the only ones that do.  Mark and I do not enjoy this.  Get them out biking while one or both of us run along and they generally do this less.  Maybe it's the lack of confined space or the fact that they are otherwise engaged.  But, other than the occasional "she cut me off", I find these outings to be a nice reprieve from the silliness.

I've mentioned before that I dig hills.  I like that it's hard to get up them and how great it feels once you've caught your breath.  My little Elise has become a hill monster.  I asked her to join me last Saturday morning on the run that I try and do as regularly as possible with my sister.  With sis out of commission last weekend, I thought I'd see if she'd join me so we could have some one on one time; figuring competing with Saturday morning cartoons would be a futile exercise.  But, along she came.  I was so glad to have her along.  I told her ahead of time that in the middle of the run there would be three small hills; two a little steep, but all pretty short (notice, the pre-positioning? ;>).  It was so fun to encourage her up them all.  Despite needing a little push here and there, there was no whining and the victory was all hers.  She felt like a rockstar!  Big smile and yes a big cookie for us both at the end!

So, if it's not completely obvious by now, I love having active kids.  Kids who can get into a rhythm with me and spend quality time doing something that we all enjoy and that's really good for us on so many levels.  Who knew that lacing up a couple of shoes and pumping up a couple of tires could do all that?

Free Running - Day 2

Day 2 of Free Running.  In classic form I pushed the recommendation of how much to actually run in these "barefoot shoes".  Luckily, my friend H shouted at me on Facebook what my pea brain had been whispering to me tonight during a "measly" 6 mile run, "BE CAREFUL, we are not Kenyan and have been in shoes for a very long time.  The 2140 is a structure shoe; the Free has no support".  She went on to suggest something about the possibility of stress fractures in my feet; an area I've never had trouble with before. 

I will say this about day two, I like that more of my leg muscles seem to be showing up to the running party.  But, H is likely correct about pushing the mileage in this new fangled shoe.  I could sense some possible issues in my right ankle, my hams from my glutes down were doing something a little funky (not good funky) and I actually noticed my shins when I was done (not bad, but not in a good way either).  Finally, I noticed that in the second have of the run I had to pay closer attention to my posture/stride so as to not get sloppy and cause additional issues.

Key take-away at this point.....walk in them for 3 weeks, then do a mile the next week.  Not 12.