Thankfulness & Appreciation

Today Sonya and I went running.  It was the first time we went back running since I came back from Florida a week ago.

While I was in Florida, I decided I would keep running.  I will admit that on a period of 2 weeks, I ran, I think, a total of 3 times.  Kev, my very patient boyfriend, helped me measure the private plane runway in his neighbourhood and it was exactly 1 km long.  I thought I would run it back and forth 5 times. Easy enough.

Welcome, Me, to Florida weather.

The ambient humidity is probably 99.9%.  Your sweat does not evaporate.  In fact, as soon as you step outside, you have a nice and oh so sexy fall of sweat running down your back. And that's when you just stand there breathing.

So I thought "No big deal, right. I'll run when the sun sets.".  Ha. Hahahahah. After sunset, aka the hour when the sun has shone 14 hours straight on the pavement with enough intensity to make you feel you are walking on the surface of the sun, is not (much) better. And you're really gasping for that 0,01% left in the air that is oxygen.  Not a pretty sight (a Canadian running in Florida, I mean).

In any case, first night was a disaster with me stopping every length to catch my breath (that's a really nice way to put it).

The second time I went, it was better, I felt. I thought if I can run here I can run anywhere (I confess I had this really cool mental image of me running in the savannah, then).

The third time... Now the third time was one of the best runs of my life.  Let me put you in the context though: Kev, who's an AMAZING cook (don't even get me started, I swear!) was lovingly cooking my favourite meal in the universe, giving me all the time I needed to run, and it was completely dark outside.  After a hot day, heat lightnings were lighting the sky, far from the runway but close enough to look beautiful, turning the dark skies into a shade of soft orange.

I started to run, my Parlotones songs in my ears, slowly breathing the air that had time to cool a little.  I barely saw ahead of me except for the houses along the runway that were lit up.  I ran my 5 km, admiring the sky above, feeling lucky to be where I was...  In fact, I had this acute sense of being exactly where I wanted to be.  The love of my life was a few steps away from me, I had the best spot in town where to run all to myself, I was in one of my favourite places in the world, my heart was pumping, sweat was rolling, legs and lungs were cooperating...

When I was done, I downed my (now warm) water and allowed myself to lay flat on my back on the pavement.  In front of me, the sky looked like a black velvet coat with golden stars lovingly embroided by the hand of God.  Yes, I was exactly where I wanted to be and where I was supposed to be.  Here and now.  I gave thanks to the Universe and listened to my own heartbeat slowing down.

It was one of the best moments of my life.

Now back to today, Sonya and I had a perk:  our friend M was supposed to meet us "somewhere, sometime" on the mountain.  The run went well, although I had to take several small breaks, but we both made it to the top and all the way back.  When I arrived at the end, Sonya and M were waiting for me, M taking pictures of my triumphal (at least in my head) arrival.  Sonya had beat her time of 45 minutes (amazing!!!!!).  By the way, I want to give kudos to M who managed, lately, to reach the top even if he's not a runner at heart!!!!  I'm amazed, M, and I bow to you!

We were discussing what keeps us going when it gets too hard (Sonya and I both have the hardest time running between the stairs and the Beavers Lake) and usually, it's a perfect stranger: someone who's old  and/or handicapped and is still insisting to be there on the mountain to walk.  You see them struggling at every step and you can only think that if they can do this, you can definitely put one foot in front of the other.

So thankfulness, I guess, is the theme of this post. Thankfulness for love, for friends, for doing what I love to do, for being healthy enough to run,  for goals achieved and new goals created, for life, because it is such a good one, for inspiration under all of its shapes...

Always (try to) remember to take a moment and say thank you.  For no matter what's going on in your life, there are always blessings to be counted.

Stoked!

I don't think I've ever used that word before but I am STOKED.

I am stoked because yesterday, Sonya and I went running and I ran a distance of 12 km!!!!!!!!!! Longest run yet, yes!!!!!!!!

It was very cool and it was raining a little and as every time, we started by walking between our two lucky trees (we also come out between those two same trees) and before long, we were jogging slowly until I told her to go ahead and pointed where we'd meet back.  I started my jogging playlist on my iPod and started the same stream of positive thoughts I mentioned previously.

To us, the time we spend jogging really is a time of meditation and thankfulness, a time we take selfishly for ourselves and there is no thinking of what goes wrong, but only what goes right.  I have found it is the only way that your body will follow beyond physical pain/fatigue. You have to find what will make your feet continue to go one in front of the other.

Something else I have noticed is that when you run, you want to take your mind off the effort so bad that your senses become more aware of your environment.  The green of the trees is greener, the sky is bluer,  you rejoice in the scent of pine trees and new flowers (something I especially notice at the mount and also when I run at the botanical garden), the sound of your feet hitting the gravel keeps your rhythm as does your breath.

Speaking of rhythm, I find it important to mention that when you are out of breath because you did not keep your pace as cautiously as you should have, it's okay to stop running for a minute and walk, take deep breaths to calm your heartbeat and start running again at the pace that is yours (we all have a pace we can go a long time on somewhat comfortably).  See it as a new beginning rather than "Oh no, I walked.". And a good way to feel good about that mini-break is also to tell yourself that a lot of people are at home sitting on their butt while you WALK.  :)

So back to my awesome run, when I reached the top, I felt like an asthmatic gasping for air. I'm sure it was a pretty sight. :P  Of course, that doesn't last long, you just have to take a few steps and keep breathing and really enjoy everything about reaching the top (or your goal distance) like the rush of blood I have become so addicted to, that feeling you have because your heart has pumped a lot, the sweat running down your skin, even the people looking at you with that obvious look of "I could never do that." (I want to guarantee them that if I can they can too).  (I refuse to think they might be thinking "Should I find someone who knows CPR?!? She looks like she's about to DIE!!!")

Nods.

So I was doing all this while admiring the view and then there was this amazing song that started playing in my ears. Not sure if I've ever mentioned it before but it's maybe my all time favourite song for running. 

Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQYpF2pCkLI&ob=av2e

It was all I needed to turn right back on my steps and run down instead of taking that shortcut that saves me something like 20 minutes of run. So there! Instead of 8 km, I did 12!!!!! And it never felt better!!!!!

Here I go again...

"Miss P.", said my friend, "you haven't updated your blog in forever."


I know I know I know I know I know..... (Hey I oughtta leave young thing alone... ain't no sunshine when she's gone... heheh...)
 

So here is how it is.  Last summer, Sonya and I subscribed to a 5 K marathon and finished it UNDER our normal time  (somewhere around 27 minutes).

We were SO PROUD.

Allow me to share a little story about that run.  Despite Sonya's reminders, I did not eat enough that afternoon. I was worried I wouldn't finish the run. We had run 5 K a few times without problems but it was still hard and we usually ran in the morning and that 5K run was at night.  Anyway, we ate milk bread before going and peeps, please take note: that never is enough.

Yes, good to eat bread before a run but for the love of God, add an orange, yogurt or nuts. SOMETHING to hold you to your feet for that kind of physical effort (yes, even just a 5K!).

In any case, I started the run on a high "How beautiful this landscape!", "How exciting to be here!", "I feel so good about this!"... I wouldn't shut up.  Sonya was running next to me, focused on her breathing and giving me side looks until she warned me to do the same or I would lose my breath talking so much.

Every km we ran was announced on a little board. 1 km... "Pfff! Feels like we haven't even started yet!". 2 km... "Omg.... A BREEZE!".. 3 km... "I'm *panting* still feeling good! Wooh! Go we can do it!"

For some reason, when I got to 4 km, I flenched. 

It had happened to me before on our runs when I had forgotten to eat or did not eat enough. Near the end, I would feel totally empty. Head would start spinning and I would feel the blood drain from my head and limbs to my heart. It is not a good feeling.

So I was ready to stop. I told Sonya. I did not care. I want to stop. I feel like crap.

"You can not stop now."

She was adamant and I did not want to give up on her. But as my partner, I knew she was aware of what was happening to me so she gave me a look.

"You can do it."

One whole kilometer to go and the meters seem to go endlessly... 4.1....4.2..... Impossible how is it going soooo slow?! (hum... because you feel like shit maybe...)

4.5 km

"I MUST stop, Sonya, I'm sorry."

I thought I would fall face first on the ground.

She grabbed my hand.

"I'm not letting you."

She squeezed my hand and we both ran hand in hand like that and however silly it sounds, it is how we ended our run. For half a kilometre she was dragging me behind her.

I surprised myself telling her:

"Don't let go of my hand please."

And she gave me a "I won't. I won't let go of you."

What was ahead was the hardest part of the run: in the dark we saw dozens of lights (we all had to wear a little led light) going UP and I mean UP.

"This is how I die." was the thought in my head.

But my feet kept pushing me up, her hand kept pulling me up.

Up, up, up.....  Then all I remember is a turn and that arriving line. And our time. 27 something. Faster than we ever went. A LOT of people applauding and cheering. And that feeling, that indescribable feeling of "I DID IT!!!!!!" and also SO MUCH LOVE for my partner who flashed me a victorious smile.

I could see us the first time we decided we would run. 1 lap is what we did. 1 lap of run. 250 meters.

And here we were. We did the Energizer 5K.

Fall came and we decided we were crazy for running around the Beavers Lake. I mean in the summer, the heat there is unbelievable. The sun thinks your head is an ice cube it has to melt or the world will come to a full stop.

So we decided to run up the Mount-Royal. In fact, Sonya did.

"Are you NUTS?!", I asked.

"I'm sure we can do it."

I kept silent. But then I said 

"I'm sure we can."

And that was it. It is always like that with us. One has a "brilliant" idea and the other gives a resounding  "Yes we can!".

I'm sure if it had been our mandate some 50 years ago we would have been the first to walk on the moon.

It would have gone something like:

"Look at that moon... I always wanted to walk on the moon."

"Dude so did I! Let's DO IT!"

.............Thinking of it maybe it's better the way it was with Neil Armstrong and all the crew....

So we run up the Mount-Royal right.

So now it's not only about running a 5K (we had no idea then but it amounts to something like 8K), it's about running up and up for 8K. It burns your butt and legs where you never thought possible and it makes you shut your pie hole after 1 minute of running.

Ipod on ears and I'm zoning out or else forget it.

Mind focused on keeping my breath regular and repeating the same positive thoughts that don't necessarily make sense over and over again.

"Life is beautiful. I love this life. The tree tops are so green. Love running on gravel. I'm here, I'm healthy, I'm alive, I'm happy." 

And other randomness of the same kind.

We arrive to the top and we go down. Immediately. No break. But we take a short cut to go down by the stairs which saves us a bit of the way back. Going back down really feels good. It's not EASY because your heart is still pumping and you're tired, but it really almost is.

So yeah... 8km.

We did this for a little while then it quickly became too cold.

I started school and little by little, I really ran less and less.

I did run sometimes but it was like once a week if even.

Then last week I thought about it. I had to make a choice: did I start again or did I give it up for good running only when I felt like it?

I remembered how much I loved it. And also I love being with Sonya. Really when you think of it, if you make abstraction of your laziness, there is NO downsides to running (if you pay attention to not hurting yourself like I used to, for examples, with my shins and Sonya with her knee until we paid attention to it and avoided what we did that provoked it).

Running makes you feel free, running is good for you, running doesn't cost a thing, you can run anywhere, everywhere, any time, all the time, it helps you focus, meditate, appreciate, it helps you reach goals quite quickly, it's very rewarding, it transforms your body, it boosts your metabolism, it gives you that rush of blood through your veins that feels so damn good...

I'm a HUGE fan of running.  And I've decided this is going to be a lifestyle. Not a short time interest. It's a passion.

So I went back to the Mount Royal with Sonya this week. I wasn't sure I would be able to do it.  We both agreed to meet somewhere at the end because we don't have the same pace (Sonya always ran faster than I do and she did not stop running during the winter, running one her treadmill so she was not at the same level anymore and she actually runs all the way down now, which amounts to 14 km!) and off I went. I had forgotten my iPod so I focused on my breathing. I breathe out a bit longer than I breathe in. I feel it helps me breathe slowly enough. I kept my pace. It went very well.

I stopped about 3 times for 1 minute promising myself not to stop longer than 1 minute each time I would feel the need to catch my breath. But I made it to the top. I was super proud and impressed at how my body remembered. It needed some regular exercise again but I was still maintaining a certain level from all my previous work. Amazing! I ran back down without stopping and my time was quite good! Sonya told me how impressed she was too and I congratulated her on her amazing work and we went home quite happy with ourselves.

I will not give up again. I'm in for the long run, no pun intended.

I'm a runner because I run.... and it feels AMAZING to be back. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQYpF2pCkLI&ob=av2e