Weeding around the house

Back home again tonight. I am so overcome with the opportunity this is to keep a record of all the healthy ways to change my thinking and in so doing, my life. I was off work today- and needed to do some major gardening around the very wild and weedy side of the house. Out came the gardening gloves, shovel, small hand saw, pick ax, and patience! The first thing is to take some stock and acknowledge the problem. Small things first - pulling up all the small weeds. Next up, the BIG things. And by big, I mean the thick, bush-like weeds that I have been ignoring for a few years now. These big, bad boys have been pruned back a few times. But the roots were allowed to remain, and in so doing, these weeds have come back and come back again. This time, they are going away for good! And that means, roots and all. Slowly, slowly, I loosened up all the roots, dug them all individually. When I thought I had them all exposed, the plant was still stuck. Carefully, I moved around again and found the hiding root keeping these weeds in place. When the first plant came out, there was a THRILL of excitement. How often my mind is like those weeds. I prune back the discouraging, negative thoughts, but the roots remain, and these thoughts come back like the bad habit they are. It's time to root out all trace of these thoughts - the not good enough ones, the not fast enough of a runner ones, the you can't do it ones, the it's too hard thoughts. I could go on, you probably have your own thoughts like this one that come back and come back and come back to you. For me, the white flower I clipped on for the Madison Mini Marathon was a promise to myself to control and nuture my thoughts so that I had a good race, and so that I could finish with a smile. So here's my promise to myself now. My mind is like my home and garden. It takes work, and I want to have that fun life, a creative life, a productive, enjoyable, relaxed life. Time to go to work on the weeds! In the meantime, per myfitnesspal.com, I burned 909 calories with my 3 hours of weeding today!

Will run for bottle opener

It all began a year ago. I found this post for the Madison Mini Marathon, located in beautiful Madison Wisconsin. Wisconsin - home of beer, brats and cheese! The best part -the medal is a bottle opener, which would make me a HUGE hit at parties! My husband and I signed up! I was sold. Had to have this medal! No matter that it was located 7 hours from our home and I don't even really like to run. I had to have it. My half marathoning career began almost two years ago. I signed up with my then boyfriend (now husband) and we trained together. July 2010 was a hugely hot summer, and for some reason, we trained mostly Saturdays at midday, with the sun beating down upon us. The first training run I came really close to vomiting over the edge of a bridge over the interstate. After that, I refused to run. I was only going to walk. Finishing the half marathon gave me a new hobby - collecting medals. Races all give out different medals. And they are all so neat looking, heavy, unique to the race that gives it out. After the first half marathon, I signed up for 2 more the next spring. The first I walked, and the second, Robert walked with me around the reservoir. This experience proved to be miserable, for us both (hello, NO official smiling race photos!) Somehow, he resisted the urge to push me into the water, and we finished anyhow. After this, I took a break. It lasted a little over a year. The siren call of the bottle-opener medal could NOT be ignored. Robert and I signed up. We trained over the summer - another scorcher, which resulted in mostly treadmill training in the cinema room at the local Gold's Gym. Movies we partook in included: Morning Glory, A Little Bit of Heaven, Date Night, and 17 Again. (Apparently the ladies got ahold of the suggestion box, as last year's selections included more masculine fair) Each run was a chance to be on my feet, enjoying a movie, and mixing up the intervals in which I ran/walked. I LOVE my walking breaks and will run to keep myself about a 15 minute mile. After each common long run, I took to asking Robert if "he came there often" to flirt with him. He played along with me and we got some strange looks as we exited together. At last, mid-August Madison Mini Marathon came up. We had the time off work, we packed up the car, we drove the 7 hours to Madison. The night before the race, The usual fears and doubts came up. Can I finish? I am undertrained again. I don't know if this is worth it. How am I going to make it? In a packed expo hall, I began to shut down. So many people, so much noise, all the doubts. Then I came across a vendor called Fellow Flowers. Fellow Flowers offered flowers to wear in your hair - and a card that showed you something positive to focus on. The committment is to wear the flower, cross the finish line with your hands up and with a smile, then post your photo to the webside. I bought a white one with a committment to myself that I would finish with grace and a smile on my face! Accountability like that is scary, but it gave me a goal, a focus, and an intention to honor myself by making this the most fun marathon I had yet run. Over dinner with my husband, we discussed fears and doubts. He shared that he usually thanks his doubts for showing up, and then went on with what he set himself out to do. The following morning came. Doubts and fears were in full force as I took my place in the last corral. The race then started. I chose to run some, made myself walk some so as to have the reserve energy to smile at the end. It's amazing how many thoughts come up when you are out there by yourself. Another contestant was there from the same city as Robert and myself, 7 hours away. I thought about nuturing my inner child, with its doubts and fears. We ran past the state capitol, past a few spectators saving their cheers for their contestant. I chose to become my own cheering squad instead. I kept on running and walking in the cool air, perfect running weather, in peaceful neighborhoods, past lakes, with the sun, and the green trees, through neighborhoods again and the occasional beautiful cheering spectators. God bless them. I was working hard, and a cheer makes a world of difference! On and on, past the newbies during their first race, having them pass me again. Just keep going! I wanted that medal. Around mile 5, breakfast was burned off. I began running for snacks too! Snacks AND a medal! Snacks, a medal AND to finish with a smile. At last, we came near the end. I had just enough left for a few short sprints. I kept on. Past the aid station playing " The Final Countdown" Quiet steps behind the dorms on University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Around a corner, back on the city streets, and around the corner for the final block to the finish line! Mustering up some final strength, Ignoring the pain of the blister, The finish line came. And I crossed it with a smile so big the announcer said " Here comes Sarah, with a smile on her face!" It was a personal best time (3hr: 13 min: 29 seconds) - I got my snack, some WONDERFUL chocolate milk. Robert and I rested, limped back to the car to get my purse, then off to a Asian fusion restaurant for lunch. About an hour in the hot tub that afternoon, the muscles were still stiff and sore. That was yesterday, they are still sore. But it's a god sore. Dinner included Beer, brats and onion rings. Life really is so good - and the power to choose is always in our hands. So choose something that empowers you. The best time is right now!