SPACE TO PARIS

Wednesday, December 23, 2009
SPACE TO PARIS


I guess you are thinking that Space is a round about way to get to Paris. But let me explain....... There is a lot of time and distance between Space and Paris, however this is my story. It's been so very long since I've posted on my blog for more reasons than anyone wants to know. Mostly because things have been so busy and hectic. but anyway let's start with Space, that would be the SpaceCoast marathon and first marathon for my biz partner, Christine (seen on right of picture, that's me beside her). I am so very proud of her and thanks to her I was able to experience the last 9 miles running with her. The Spacecoast Marathon is small by comparison to the bigger Chicago, New York, Disney marathons but it was a beautiful course and the weather couldn't have been better, even for Christine. Miss picky! Anyway we had a nice Expo and she had a rockin' race with a great finishing time.
And that brings me to Paris..... I am currently training for my next marathon in Paris, France on April 11th 2010, Just 2 days after my 50th birthday. I thought it would be a great 50th birthday present to myself and prove us "mature gals" can still achieve big accomplishments. My 18 week training program started December 6th, so I am now in my 4th week of training. I really slacked off between Chicago and my new training schedule so I am really struggling to regain my fitness level. I am also dealing with lots of other challenges. I've gotten a bit used to the steep hills, but I have had some bad encounters with dogs whose owners don't seem to care where they roam, but then again I've also made friends with about 8 dogs that run regularly with me on one of my routes. I've named them all and will post pictures and tell you more about my "canine running club" in future post. And speaking of Canines...I have been trying to decide what Charity to raise money for for this marathon. There are so many worthy ones and most that are officially associated with the marathon are very large organizations with lots of money. I had decided I wanted to do something to help rescue animals and had toiled with an organization called Canine partners, dogs that help people with disabilities. A great cause but they are based out of the UK and the more I thought about it and the more I experienced the problem in my own backyard, with the ignorance of so many animal owners, the more it became clear to me that I need to raise money to help a local organization that is committed to putting an end to the problem we have here. Enter "Logan's Run", a rescue organization that places all dogs in foster homes until they find permanent homes for them. They are also extremely active in spaying/neutering, medical care and temperament training. While seeking rescues and homes for the abandoned. I will be putting together a website and taking donations through that and also putting together some events on the web and here in Murphy, NC. Plus I'll be in Florida doing many marathon expos for Milestones Jewelry and plan some fundraising events there. I hope you will follow my progress in my training and my fundraising.
I am excited about having the opportunity to help Logan's Run in their quest.
Here is their mission statement:
The "call" of Logan's Run Rescue is to give humane care and rescue to abandoned animals and to promote spay and neutering of pets; to reduce over-population while adopting a commitment to change the community's awareness and educate the public in improving the welfare of companion pets. Logan' Run Rescue will not endorse or support euthanizing healthy animals with reasonable temperaments, including those who are elderly. This rescue will attempt to treat those that are sick and work to improve the temperament of those who are ill-tempered because of past treatment or a lack of socialization." WOW, is all I can say!!!!!
check them out at www.logansrunrescue.com


"When you have the enthusiasm and the passion, you end up figuring how to excel".

Deena Kastor, U.S. Olympic Marathoner

LIFE IS LIKE A MARATHON

Life is so much like a marathon! Your first step is your longest stride.

You decide on a program to follow (a life plan) and you try your best to follow it, but inevitably something comes up and you skip a work out or a work out goes poorly. So you do your best to get back on track, and then everything is clicking, going as planned and one morning you wake up with a minor injury, you nurture it and hopefully in a few days with adjustments you are back on track with your training. You are committed in a way you never thought possible. But so many days you don’t want to run, don’t want to eat right, and just don’t want to be present in your training. But you do it anyway, and then as you progress into the training you start to feel strong, you have the days when you think you’ll never make it and the days that YOU KNOW no one can stop you.
Unfortunately in marathon training as in life you sometimes sustain an injury that cannot be nursed back to health in time for your targeted marathon, you try running through the injury, you try everything. Nothing works and you have to drop out of that particular marathon. It crushes you and you believe nothing could be worse. You feel like giving it all up and think you can’t go on.
But you later discover that it does not mean your marathon days are OVER. You’ll work it out, get the help you need, you’ll rehab the injury and you’ll target another date for your next marathon. And this time you’ll look out for the warning signs, you’ll know better what to do to avoid the injuries. And you’ll train harder, and better. And you’ll still have your good days and bad but you’ll keep putting one foot in front of the other and soon you’ll be standing at the start line of that marathon. You’ll remember the lessons learned in the past. You’ll not make the same mistakes again, and if others try to stand in your way you’ll understand WHERE they come from but you will not let that detour you. You are running a marathon, called "YOUR LIFE”. You must be present in it every moment, for life is not a given but a given gift.
And when you step up to the start line you will be ready, you will have trained for this and you’ll know, start slow and steady, don’t rush, enjoy each moment, it will not last forever. At times you’ll feel like quitting but you’ll repeat one of your favorite mantras; mine Is “Pain is temporary, Pride is FOREVER!”
You WILL cross the finish line of this marathon and the ones to come. Many things will go into your training for the future marathons of life. You’ll never forget that you can make it to the finish line. By having the courage to take the first step in the direction you want to go is forever life changing and is rewarding each time you accomplish what you set out to do. .
As all of us recreational athletes know, it’s all about your PR, your “Personal best”, we all strive to beat our PR with each race, as in life we need to strive to beat our PR every day.
“If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late could you say goodbye to yesterday? Would you live each moment like your last, leave old pictures in the past? Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day? So live like you're living twice, don’t take a free ride in your life. So do what it takes, you can’t rewind a moment in this life“. From the band Nickleback. Check out the entire lyrics at http://www.metrolyrics.com/if-today-was-your-last-day-lyrics-nickelback.html Great song!! And every word is great to live by.
What next Milestone you are targeting?
Run on my friends. Your health, physically and mentally is the most important thing you have.