Ego Tripping...

I totally trust the greatest trainer in the world, Berhane. I follow and do everything that he tells me to do, and he has not led me astray yet!

Lately, he has been telling me that I need to cut back on my long distance runs; it's tough on the joints. (What?)

I love long distance running. I no longer get that runner's high from anything under five miles. When I run six to ten miles, I feel mentally good. But when I run ten or above, I feel invincible even though my knees may be a bit sore afterwards. I recover quickly!  (Ego Tripping!)

He has been telling me to get the ego out of it, and do what is good for my body. (What???)

He's recommending sprints where I run as fast as I can around the track, then do a slower run around the track and constantly try to improve my time. He says that because my heart rate will go up and down, I will see greater results. (I absolutely believe this, but.....)

That's not what I want to do; I want to meet my running group every Saturday and RUN! (Ego Tripping!)

I love getting up early on a Saturday morning to run; I'm not sure what I will do with my Saturday mornings if I do not run. (Ego Tripping!)

I do trust Berhane when it comes to my health, but I am not sure what I will do with this new information. (Ego Tripping!)

People, offer me some advice please, because I think that I may be ego tripping!

Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why) 

by Nikki Giovani

I was born in the congo

I walked to the fertile crescent and built

the sphinx

I designed a pyramid so tough that a star

that only glows every one hundred years falls

into the center giving divine perfect light

I am bad

I sat on the throne

drinking nectar with allah

I got hot and sent an ice age to europe

to cool my thirst

My oldest daughter is nefertiti

the tears from my birth pains

created the nile

I am a beautiful woman

I gazed on the forest and burned

out the sahara desert

with a packet of goat's meat

and a change of clothes

I crossed it in two hours

I am a gazelle so swift

so swift you can't catch me

For a birthday present when he was three

I gave my son hannibal an elephant

He gave me rome for mother's day

My strength flows ever on

My son noah built new/ark and

I stood proudly at the helm

as we sailed on a soft summer day

I turned myself into myself and was

jesus

men intone my loving name

All praises All praises

I am the one who would save

I sowed diamonds in my back yard

My bowels deliver uranium

the filings from my fingernails are

semi-precious jewels

On a trip north

I caught a cold and blew

My nose giving oil to the arab world

I am so hip even my errors are correct

I sailed west to reach east and had to round off

the earth as I went

The hair from my head thinned and gold was laid

across three continents

I am so perfect so divine so ethereal so surreal

I cannot be comprehended except by my permission

I mean...I...can fly

like a bird in the sky...

Ego Tripping..........

Let's Do This People!

"I am capable of more than I ever thought possible."

I started running about five years ago. It seems like so much longer, but I think that it has been about five years. I started running, because I thought that it would help me to drop some unwanted pounds, but that was not the case; only extreme amounts of exercise may make up for a poor diet.

When I started running, I never knew that running long distances was possible for me. I started off by running with a group around a track, and from there I started running with the group that I currently run with, The Arlington Road Runners. And, the rest is history.

Running confirms to me that "I am capable of more than I ever thought possible," and that is basically why I do it. Yes, I do enjoy it, but what I like more than running, is the feeling that I get when I finish a ten mile run, a half marathon, or a shorter run: "I am capable of more than I ever thought possible." With consistency, anybody, and I mean anybody, can do something that he/she thought was impossible. Just think about it for a few minutes. There are some things that you thought you could never do, and you did it.

On Dec. 22, 2012, my college friend, Dave, finished his first 5K race, 3.1 miles, and when I talked to him after the race, I could hear the excitement in his voice.

Dave's first 5K

Dave and I reconnected through facebook, and I must admit that I was a little shock to see the amount of weight that he had gained. No judgement on my part, because I know how slowly those pounds can creep up on a person overtime.

In one of his FB post, Dave stated that he eats out a lot. You know that I had to say a comment along the lines of how he was basically killing himself and needed to consider eating at home more. We playfully went back and forth about this, but you know that I was very serious.

Shortly after this pleasant exchange, I saw on FB that Dave was in the hospital. This required more than a FB message, this required a phone call.

On September 22, Dave thought that he was having a heart attack: he was lethargic, weak, and his eyes were bloodshot red, so he went to the doctor to get checked out. Once they took his blood pressure, the doctors and nurses started doing those hurried movements as if "this is serious."

And, it was serious. Dave was not having a heart attack, but he was experiencing a hypertension crisis. He got to the doctor just in time to get great treatment and basically save his life.

Dave told me that "he kept thinking about his son and how Drake needed a father." He also stated:  "I couldn't let him grow up without a dad. I vowed that I was not going to die, because I was unhealthy."

Dave got out of the hospital and literally started to "run for his life."

I was both sad and happy for Dave. Sad that he had to go through this, but happy that he was warned, by his body, "to get it together." And, "getting it together" is just what he is doing.

Dave texted me to let me know that he was running in his first 5k, and you know that I went straight into support mode. I knew that if Dave successfully finished that first 5k, then he would be convinced that "he is capable of more than he ever thought possible," and the sky would be the limit for his health.

So, on December 22, Dave completed his first 5k. It was almost exactly three months after he thought that his life just might be over:

Before and after

Dave has lost thirty pounds and is on a health journey....

Now, Dave is just like you and me, and sometimes we let life "just happen." However, sometimes, we get reminders to live consciously and that "We are capable of more than we ever thought possible,"

Our bodies are incredible: they normally warn us when something is not right, they can be stretched to the limit, they can get stronger and stronger, they will heal themselves and are "capable of more than we ever thought possible."

Everytime that I run, whether it is a good run or a bad run, it is a reminder that "I am capable of more than I ever thought possible."

You, my Dear Readers, are also "capable of more than you ever thought possible."

Thankful Thursday: People, People, People...

Kelly and Me

Around mile 6 of the Rock and Roll half marathon, I ran up on this guy named Kelly, who is in the picture above. I did not know him, but I knew that I needed someone to run with in order to finish this race. So, I saw him running my same pace, and I started running next to him. At first he had on his headset and was paying me no attention, but I wouldn't go away. I said to him "I like your pace," he said "Thanks." Then I said "You look like a strong runner." This caught his attention, and he took off his headset, and we were a team.

I asked him if he had ever seen the movie or read the book The Hunger Games, and he said no. I told him that in the movie, the main character was able to work with a partner in order to try and win the games, and I knew that once they partnered up, they would surely win. I told him that now that we were partnered in this race, we would surely win, and we did. We finished the race strong and together. It's amazing what two or three people can do when they combine their efforts.

I know for sure, for my life, that people make the world go round. As stated by Paulo Coelho in the novel Eleven Minutes:

"Humans can withstand a week without water, two weeks without food, many years of homelessness but not loneliness. It is the worst of all tortures, the worst of all sufferings."

Now, there are many ways to cure loneliness: read a book, think, watch TV, play a game on your phone, talk on the phone or spend time with people who want to spend time with you and that you want to spend time with in return.

Nothing brings me more joy than being with people, and today, I am so Thankful for people who definitely make my world go round.

I've been out of town quite a bit, but thank God for text and email, I have still been able to stay in contact with quite a few people. While away, a co-worker texted me to check on me, and we spent a wonderful day together at the pool on Tuesday. Wednesday, I met some ladies to bike ride. I did not know them before the ride, but they sure did fill my desire to be with people and workout. (I killed two birds with one stone.) There is not a lot of talking on a bike ride, but there is enough talking to create a bond. Thursday, I am meeting a friend in DC for lunch which is what we love to do since I'm not working and can actually meet someone for lunch. I spend quite a bit of time alone, but I need "my people" from time to time for sure.

I do this often, try it, and see don't you feel happier. I think pleasant thoughts about as many people as I can each day. There is no way that I can be in touch with all of the people whom I love daily, but I can think pleasant thoughts of them, and it makes me so happy. I think about someone having a great time on their vacation, or someone having a really great day at work, or someone meeting the guy or girl of their dreams and  the pleasant thoughts come back to me a 1000 folds over. Try it right now..... Thoughts are FREE!

I try and image my life without people, and I can't image it because it makes my heart sad. I want and need an abundance of good people in life.



On that note, today, Thankful Thursday, I am sooooo Thankful for people.......

Call or text and connect or reconnect with someone whom you think is great today; It's medicine for the heart.

Happy Thankful Thursday!!!!

If you are in my life, just know that I totally appreciate you!!!!!