What It’s Really All About

Every now and then, I end a run feeling totally great. I have no significant aches. I’m not freezing, sore, blistered, beaten, or in need of a bathroom asap. I’m not starving, parched, or otherwise compromised. I actually enter my house with a runner’s high, thankful for the fact that I was able to run, either solo or with my running people.

Take the past few Saturdays, for example. My running partner and I, in the midst of training for a Cinco de Mayo marathon, had a number of Saturdays (in a row) that went really well. We ended these runs thinking for some brief moments that we quite possibly could be some sort of running super hero duo, having been able to brave single digit temps and live to tell about it. Even in the midst of this mild winter, we endured all sorts of things, from black ice to 100 mile an hour winds (okay, at least they felt like it) to frozen digits and stomach issues, all in the name of 15- 17 milers. We may have gone through hell, but by the time we stopped, we felt a post-run euphoria that comes after giving it your all, and doing it in the company of a good friend.

I also appreciate my early morning runs with my other running friends – one who lives down the street, and another who lives a few miles a way and has been my running friend since childhood. The only way I get out of bed at 4:45am to run at 5:00 on a weekday is when I am meeting either of these two gals. I appreciate the conversation and the fact that they get me on the road early, in essence gifting me with the rest of the day to do other things than plan a late afternoon run.

In addition to my friends I physically run with, I have a group of friends I’ve met because of running. Marathons and miles brought us together, but what have endured are solid friendships. In addition, running led me to my husband, a fact I like to remind him when he tells me I’m crazy for running so much. It led me to you, it can’t be all that bad, I tell him.

And that, in essence is the heart of it. It’s not really the act of running that has kept me out on the streets and trails. As much as I call myself a runner, and say how much I love it, I admit that it’s not always easy. After all, when I started out this piece, I proclaimed that “every now and then” I end a run feeling totally physically great, having no outstanding issues to complain about physically or mentally at the run’s end. The reality is that many times I end with aches and other minor ailments. No, running isn’t a piece of cake by any means. The truth is, though, nothing in life is. The most perfect of jobs, hobbies, activities, or situations have moments that test and challenge us. In fact, some of them seem to challenge us much of the time.

But, running has taught me that even the most imperfect situations can be made better when you share them with like minded folks, or in a state of deep self reflection that spurs a sort of inner zen.

Just as I could list many, many times when I felt absolutely tortured on a long run or in a marathon, I can counter those bad feelings with the sense of peace I felt by sharing those runs with someone else. There is a certain camaraderie that comes when we go through tough times together. In addition, it didn’t have to be the runs themselves that were physically difficult. The runs may have been the easy parts, with the challenges being the life issues my running friends or I worked out together on the road.

The thing of it is, it doesn’t really matter whether it’s a bad run, a bad job, or a bad situation. What matters is that we remember that there are people around us to share these moments with. When we do this, it becomes clear that even the most awful moments are bearable, and often laughable after all is said and done.

If we keep this in mind, it seems that we might be able to tolerate the bad moments more, and learn to live through them, knowing they’re not necessarily all bad. Further, we can then end each run (good or bad) with a runner’s high, realizing that our aches and pains are not unique to ourselves- we all experience them. So why not just accept this fact, and do our best to be there for each other so our good runs are great and our bad ones are at the very least supported?  After all, isn’t this what it’s all about?

Enjoy all of your runs, friends, and remember to always be there for the people who run beside you.

by abbey algiers
copyright 2012
imrunnerchica.com

 

Guest Post from Scott Krizek…Runner and Guinness World Record Holder!

* Below find a very special addition to imrunnerchica.com- guest blogger Scott Krizek discusses the World Record that 62 Milwaukee area runners set in 2011, all in honor of local runner, Jenny Crain. Crain, an elite athlete, was hit by a car during a training run in 2007. She suffered severe brain injuries but has made great strides through intensive and expensive rehabilitation.

World Record

January 24, 2012

 This morning we received the long awaited news that Guinness had certified our World Record for “Most Runners Linked to Complete a Marathon.”

The entire day I found myself thinking about the World Record and sharing the good news with everyone who knew of the event.  “Congratulations” were phoned in, emailed and posted on Facebook and LinkedIn.

At the end of the day, I had planned to ski but instead opted to enjoy the sunshine with a run at the lake.  Certainly, running was not an unusual thing for me to do, but the change in plans was so fluid that it seemed like my schedule had been changed for me.

For those that know the Lake Michigan Lakefront “track” I ran to the point near Veterans Park and then opted to go north for no other reason than I felt good and didn’t want to stop.  I climbed the Brady Street Bridge and suddenly it occurred to me that I was a block from the scene of Jenny’s accident.   I was struck that the winds had taken me to this fateful place.

I reached the busy intersection of Brady and Farwell, and stopped for the light and noticed a new and unusual crosswalk signal.  The signal was not a part of the traffic light, but rather stood alone at about 5 feet tall and held a button to press to cross and a speaker that barked a stern warning “Do Not Walk.  Do Not Walk.”

As I looked at this new signal post, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was there as a result of Jenny’s accident.  Struggling to find a silver lining, my first idea was that this machine had prevented many similar accidents.

Our great hope is to find meaning from events that shake us.  I hope to God that there is far more than a walk signal that comes from this.  It seems just too trivial given what was lost.

Is the deeper meaning, the motivation to organize and achieve a World Record?  While impressive in many ways, it may be more trivial because a World Record doesn’t even protect people on a street corner.

This is what I think we accomplished:

We helped a friend in need.  The incredible number of supporters was a testimony to the quality of person that Jenny is.

The number of people involved extended well beyond those who ran.  Robin Gohsman and the other people who organized and supported this group deserve the majority of the credit.  Of course, there were hundreds of people who gave generously to a person whom they never met.  In total, Jenny received over $116,000!

Secondly, I think the “Jennipede” was an example for the city of Milwaukee and perhaps even nationally of people coming together to do something that was in its very nature Good.  The relatively large amount of press that we received suggests that the community was thirsting for something good to cheer.  Here are just a few of the recent examples:

http://www.wisn.com/news/30288453/detail.html

http://www.620wtmj.com/news/local/138034508.html

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/lifestyle/137974478.html

Finally, I believe in the Chaos Theory of Good and that somehow these generous acts and sacrifices will lead others to help someone else when given a chance.   Many friendships were formed in this group and my guess is those people will again “link up” to help others.

As I ran home, I was kept trying to understand why I ended up running to that spot.  I guess God wanted me to reflect on life a little.  I do know that it made me sad and proud.  To be honest, I wish we did not have this record.   I wish that guy had kept his car under control or that Jenny had stayed home with the flu that day in 2007.

Of course, I can’t change the past so all I or anyone can do is remember one of my marathon mantras,

“Just Keep Moving”

Thank you for being a part of this event.  Your gifts and support will have a positive impact well beyond Jenny’s care.   We will never know the total Good that will come of this event but it will be significant.  I am honored to say that we followed Jenny’s take on life…

“Make it Happen!”

* Donations are still being accepted and appreciated for the continuing rehabilitation of Jenny Crain.  Visit
http://www.active.com/donate/jennycrain/scottkrizek

for details. 

Thank you!!!

And We Danced…

This was the title of the song that was playing as I left my house late this frigid afternoon, trying to get a run in before the sun went down. Starting out, I was pretty excited because I had just discovered that my new running jacket had a pocket to fit my iPhone perfectly- gone were the days of carrying it as I ran. I envisioned audio bliss, with great music taking my mind off the cold and wind.

Imagine my surprise when approximately three minutes and seven seconds into my run, “And We Danced” came on again. I must have clicked on the “repeat” button in my haste to get outside. Now, I liked this song in the 80′s, and I liked it as I began my run, but I definitely was not up for listening to it for 30 minutes straight. No problem, I thought, I’d just advance the song using the remote changer on my headphones. Note to Apple: this is an impossible feat when wearing bulky mittens. I thought about my options- I could stop altogether and dig my phone out of the new pocket, or I could take my mittens off and see if I could use the headphone control. Neither option really appealed to me because it seemed that the temperature and sun were having a contest to see which could go down the fastest. Bottom line, I needed to focus on the business of running home, not on being my own personal DJ.

With that in mind, I at first tried to not think about the fact that I’d be listening to this same song at least 8 more times. This wasn’t the worst thing in the world, I reasoned. Nor was it an impossible situation. I could take my headphones out and have no music, for crying out loud. However, I decided to use this never ending time travel 80′s song as a self-test of sorts. This song in all of its repeating glory, reminded me that there are many things like this in life- things we can’t stand, but we must face day in and day out because they are part of our reality at that given moment. There are many examples of this- jobs, commutes, relationships, or situations that seem hopeless and never ending. I thought back to classes in school (algebra, geometry and basically every math class since kindergarten) that I had endured, thinking they would never, ever end. I thought about jobs I’d held, where I’d dread going in to work because I knew exactly the hours of “drudgery” I’d face. Then I thought of my mom’s advice in those situations- this too shall pass.

Four plays into this song, with maybe two and a half miles left, I reminded myself of just what a blip on the radar this run was. What was my problem, anyway? I was having a good run, my digits were toasty, and the area was well lit. Instead of thinking of how much I now hated all 80′s music, I decided to focus more on the things around me. I took a deep breath of the crisp winter air. I peered in windows, which was now an easy thing to do with the darkness surrounding me. I focused on the fact that it was actually fun to be out here, and how it would make me appreciate my toasty house when I returned.

Then, before I knew it, I was approaching the last half mile of my route. I would survive this audio hell! Minutes later, inside my house I thought about the run and how significantly insignificant it had been. Never was I really in any sort of physical, mental, or emotional danger because of that damn repeating song. Yet at first, with the cold, wind, and darkness overwhelming me, it seemed like this song would be the thing that threw me over the edge.

But the thing was, it wasn’t like I was truly stuck listening to that song- there were many things I could have done to stop it. But I chose to keep on going, knowing deep down inside that in the big scheme of things, it really was a very short and insignificant annoyance. And while many of the things that, like this song, test us to no end and seem like they will never end… we have to remember that they, too will eventually end. We also need to remember that not only do we have the power to get through those things, we also, many times have the power to change them. It’s all about what we’re willing to do and what feels right to us at the time.

So, as you all continuing running through this frigid winter, friends, remember that you always have many roads you can take. You can continue on the path you are on, with faith that you will one day get to a toasty warm house where you have full liberty to listen to whatever you wish… or you can stop right where you are and decide enough’s enough. It’s up to you. It’s your life and you can dance through it any way you like.

by Abbey Algiers
imrunnerchica.com
copyright 2012

Running into Another Year

We find time for the things that are important to us. Period.
- Scott Douglas

It’s that time of year again, when many of us are in the thick of New Year’s Resolutions. There are the standard resolutions- clean up our diets, exercise more, give up a vice, spend less time working, more time with family- the list goes on and on. We’ve probably all claimed one of these resolutions at least once- January 1 is a handy day for making life-changing proclamations. It’s the one day of the year where we can safely say, “Hey, I’ve got a clean slate. From this day forward, I’m going to do X.” The extra bonus is that we’ve got lots of company as we admit that areas of our life need improvement… most of the world joins us in our efforts to create better lives, after all.

Personally, one of my New Year’s Eve declarations was to make more time for writing in 2012. I had planned to solidify and advertise this declaration in a brand spanking new Runnerchica on January 1. Wow, not only would I say I was going to write more, but I’d actually write more and do it on the first day of the year! Does it get any better than that?

Well, funny thing is, it’s January 2 (two hours from the 3rd), and here I am just crafting this post. Does this make me a New Year’s LOSER? Does this make any of us who made bold proclamations this year (that were perhaps exactly the same as last year’s) only to see them extinguish quickly… losers also?

To this I’d like to answer with a quick “of course not!” The thing that isn’t advertised on the covers of health magazines whose covers shout things like, “Make 2012 Your Year to Get Fit” is that there really are no New Year’s Resolution Rules. There’s no statute of limitations on the number of times we can make the exact same resolution, or the number of times we can fail by the evening of the first.

The problem of it all lies in the fact that when we are making our clean, new proclamations each year, we often are a bit hard on ourselves. Here we are, announcing how great we will be in this New Year. Then, when we blow off a resolution early in the game, it feels like a failure- our grand proclamation turned into another one of the many things we say each day, a fleeting thought lost on our ever growing to-do lists.

And maybe herein lies the problem. With so much on our plates each day and each year, there does tend to be less time for sticking to the things we value enough to outwardly recognize as areas for improvement. Sure, we think they’re important enough while we’re enjoying a New Year’s Eve toast, and they’re important the next day when most of us are spending quiet time recovering and relaxing after the busy holiday season. But, when life starts again, and we resume our frenetic lives… the good intentions tend to slip and the bad habits seep in again.

What it comes down to, then, is maybe less about focusing on things we are resolving to do this year, and more about focusing on what’s important to us. Is it our health? Our fitness? The people in our lives? Perhaps if we focus on these things enough, we’ll just automatically do the things we know we need to do. Who wants to smoke and eat like a pig when good health is our goal? Is staying on the couch really going to help us run that 5K? If we want to spend more time with our families why are we staying so late at work? I think the point is pretty clear.

In reality, we all know exactly what we need to do in order to reach our goals. Sure, we might falter from time to time. But, the truth is, we do make time for the things that are truly important to us. Period.

Here’s to a New Year filled with everything that’s important to you.

copyright 2012
imrunnerchica.com
by abbey algiers

Slow Down

In the midst of the holiday madness, I’ve been doing my best to keep it together. As if life isn’t busy enough January through November, the holidays certainly throw everything into high gear. As I write this, I’m planning on a 5 a.m. wake up so I can run, work, and then fit in a holiday party and concert. Plus, I still have shopping to complete, and then cookies to make for a work party the next day. Isn’t this supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year?”

The fact of the matter is, it IS the most wonderful time of the year, but we tend to forget this when all we are doing is running around… and I’m not talking in a Runnerchica 10 mile run kind of a way.  Take one look around any grocery store or shopping mall, and you’ll see faces of people who may be physically in one place, but their minds are definitely scattered in many directions.

There’s a problem with this. A big problem that was very evident yesterday, when I mistakenly showed up at a doctor’s appointment one hour early.  After applauding my promptness, the nice receptionist suggested I go to a nearby mall instead of staying in the waiting room.  Happy to be gifted this time, I stopped at a strip mall to run an errand.  As I left the store, I witnessed an SUV backing into my car. THIS was definitely not on my list of things to do. I didn’t have time for this! As I walked to my car, I wondered what the driver would do- speed off, or stop? Luckily, he  got out of the car.  As I approached him, it was obvious that this mishap had thrown a wrench in his busy schedule as well. He apologized, and then proceeded to get the insurance info together. Remarkably, I remained very calm- I was more worried at that point about making it back to my doctor’s appointment and then shopping, than the dent that now graced my back fender.  I guess you’d call that a case of holiday shock.

Maybe ten minutes later, after the man and I had exchanged all of the necessary info, he told me that actually he considered this a “wake up call” for him to slow down.  It turns out that he also had been running around like crazy, going in a million different directions.  I told him I whole heartedly agreed; that things like this were actually GOOD because they caused us to pause and stop, perhaps preventing more serious accidents that might happen if we continued to be so distracted.

This incident also reminded me to slow down and remember that a good holiday isn’t measured by the things we get at the mall, the cookies we bake, or how clean our houses are for company.  When it comes down to it, all of those things are about as important (or not important) as a dented bumper.

So, as we wind down this holiday season, perhaps with many things still on our lists… I invite you all to pause. Slow down as if you are at mile 25 of a marathon, the point where you equally want the end to come and not come, where everything slows down and you just soak in the scenery around you. Slow down enough in these last frantic days so you can clearly see those around you, the people who mean the most.  They are like the fans on the sideline who cheer us on, but we only notice them when we pause long enough to really look at them. Your fans- your family and friends- are the things that make this holiday season worthwhile.

So here’s to slowing down this holiday season, maybe even to the point of jogging. And here’s to this holiday season being the most wonderful time of the year for you and yours.

Focus on your Assets

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.

- Zig Ziglar

At a recent staff meeting, my principal began by asking the teachers how the school year was going.  As can be expected, there were mixed reviews, and a cyclone of complaints steadily gained momentum.  From staff shortages to computer problems to general middle school issues, the natives were definitely getting restless.  My principal acknowledged these “deficits” but had one request for us… he asked us to focus on our assets instead of the things we were lacking.  He told us he was aware that there were tons of additional items we needed, but unfortunately, we couldn’t have them all. So, could we ban together and accentuate the positive, doing the best with the resources we had?

Now, I’ll have to admit that I’m a little brain-dead during after school meetings, and sometimes messages don’t hit home. In fact, many times I zone out completely. However, that day, I stopped and listened to his honest and sincere logic.

Focus on your assets.  That made a lot of sense, and actually reminded me of my most recent marathon, where I had some stretches where my assets were not at the forefront of my mind.  For some reason, I was feeling tired, sore, and wiped out at mile three. This is way too early to feel bad, so I started to freak out.

My inner dialog went something like this- My hip hurts. Why the hell does my left hip hurt? And why am I hungry? I shouldn’t be hungry now. Come to think of it, I’m kind of thirsty too… what is going on?

Then I ran a mile or two more, and just when my hip pain disappeared, my left knee began hurting.  Next it was my right ankle, then my left knee again.  I was convinced I would fall apart, right there on the course, before I even got to mile ten.  I knew I had to do something drastic in the “mind over matter” department.

 At first, I tried to tell myself that I felt great.  You are looking good. Your body feels great. You don’t have to use the bathroom. You’re not going to die.

Yet, all of these fine proclamations did little more than completely tick myself off.  It’s a pretty sad state of affairs when everything in the world is making you miserable including yourself.  So, I asked myself, “What would Oprah do now if she were in my Brooks Adrenalines?”  Surely she’d have a fabulous body-mind-spirit cure to get through.  I remembered her talking once about gratitude and  how it could help us through rough times.  Something about how it’s better to focus on what’s good instead of bad.  I wasn’t quite sure exactly what she said, so I decided to just focus on what I was grateful for.  It took me a minute to get the hang of it.

I’m grateful that even though I feel like total crap, I am able to run this marathon. (AM I able to run it?)

WHY am I running this marathon? Why does anyone run marathons?

I’m grateful it’s sunny out and not raining. It could be raining now, and I’d feel miserable in the rain. At least I’m miserable in the sunshine.

… refocus…

I’m grateful I have such a nice husband who woke up early to drive my friend and me to the start of this race.

I’m grateful my husband, parents, and sisters will be looking for me at mile 20. (Will I get there?)

I’m grateful to have such a nice running partner.

I’m grateful to have a cute new running outfit.

 It turned out that Oprah was right.  By paying attention to the good things in my life, it took the attention off my aches and pains, and I started to feel much better.  Slowly, but surely, I became more hopeful and started to actually enjoy the run.

Now, the run wasn’t a walk in the park after my exercise in being grateful. Yes, I hit some walls along the way and didn’t always feel so swell.  But, I found that focusing on the negative elements of my run only brought in more negative energy.  Similarly, when I focused on the positive, everything around me felt better.

The truth of the matter is, whether we’re running marathons or going through our daily lives, it’s just so much easier to complain about the things that we’re lacking, rather than the things that we have.  The job that’s not quite what we want, the house that isn’t perfect, the things we want to buy but can’t afford… the list could go on and on.

But I think that my principal and Oprah have it going on when they talk about focusing on the positive whenever possible, and using what we have to propel us forward.  After all, what we have… is what we have, so we might as well make the very best of it, even if what we have is a body that aches at mile 3.  Because to this Runnerchica, a bad day at mile 3 beats a good day on the couch any way you shake it.

Laying Down the Groundwork

Every time I run a marathon, I start to royally freak out about a week before the big day. As I prepare for Milwaukee’s Lakefront Marathon next Sunday, I’m officially in the marathon zone of craziness. As I type this, for example, my left knee is hurting for absolutely no reason at all. It is physically fine, yet in my mind, I’m convinced it’ll be injured for Sunday. This Looney Tune thought is nothing new. In the past, I’ve imagined illnesses that include but are not limited to: mono, strep, chicken pox, and my favorite, appendicitis.  I never actually had any of these conditions before a race, but managed to convince myself that I did.  (Note that to date I’ve never had to cancel a race due to sickness.)

Now it is Monday, and I am carefully planning each minute of activity this week, monitoring each morsel that I put in my mouth.  I am also carrying hand sanitizer with me class to class, and considering wearing a face mask when teaching germy elementary students.  You see, these are the factors that I can control; my sneezing third grader will NOT get me sick, gosh darnit!  Other things, like worrying if I did enough miles during my training, do not help me now.   I know I’ve done my work, but the thing is, most runners freak out at this point in the game because marathon training is absolutely counterintuitive.  The training schedule has the longest runs occurring several weeks before marathon day, so that the body can establish a base, and then repair itself for race day. This leaves many a runner wondering how they’re going to run 26.2 when they can barely remember their 20-milers.

Yet, having run a few marathons, I know this isn’t true. Months of long runs have laid the groundwork, and now I know I need to just let go and leave things up to fate.  I do this, realizing that I might have a great race, I might have a terrible one; whatever the case, there is not much more in the realm of training that I can do.  Now, I simply must rest and nourish my body for Sunday, and trust that my months of hard work will serve as a solid foundation.

That said, it seems this concept of laying the groundwork comes into play often in life.  Whether we are training for a marathon, planning a wedding, preparing for an exam, or attending medical school, our lives are full of groundwork-laying events.  For example, my mom has been on my hometown’s library board for 33 years, and has dreamed of the day when a new library would be built. After the board spent literally years working to make this happen, the new library will soon open its doors to the public.  A patron at the grand opening will see a gorgeous new building, but won’t know that the groundwork for this amazing structure is decades old. Success does not happen overnight.

So, really, when you think of it, landmark events like grand openings of libraries, weddings, graduations, and marathons are only part of the equation.  They are the culminating events in the stories of our lives that are built upon hard work, dedication, and perseverance.  And when we lay the groundwork with such things, we know that no matter what happens on race day, we can and should be proud, because so much more went into it than meets the eye.  The many miles we’ve logged are the true indicators of our success; what happened along the journey is what made it possible to get there in the first place.

Whatever “marathon”  you’re training for, remember it’s really not about crossing the finish line, it’s about everything you do to get there.  After all, without some good long runs, how do we expect to get anywhere?

Here’s to long runs, hard work, and well-deserved tapers.

by abbey algiers

imrunnerchica.com

copyright 2011

Pluses and Minuses

“Back to school” is a crazy time for people of all ages. For parents, it’s time to get everyone back in the swing of things, on schedule, and ready for action.  For kids, it is the ultimate reality check when their carefree existence comes to a screeching halt. For teachers, it’s all of the above, plus about six million other things.

As an ESL teacher who works in two buildings, sometimes I feel as if my list of six million things is doubled.  As usual, my first days this year were spent in a state of organized chaos, trying to set up a schedule that works for kids and my fellow ESL staffers. So, in addition to experiencing nearly the same jolting reality check that kids do, the beginning of the year often has me wondering just which end is up.  On day two, I slid into the break room for a quick 10 minute lunch.  One of the school’s aides was there as well.  Good timing, as I knew he was a master of scheduling- he worked in our school as a five-hour aide, then went to his other job as a full- time police officer.  Forgetting about my own schedule for a minute, I asked him about his, since my concerns seemed rather silly in comparison. He told me that while last year he’d work first shift at school, and third shift at the police department, he was going to be at the station second shift this year.   “Which is nice because I can just work straight through then,” he cheerfully noted.

I thought about both scenarios- working ALL NIGHT long, then coming to school to work with middle schoolers, or working with kids all day, and then not going home until midnight. Both scenarios freaked me out. I asked him which (if either!) schedule he preferred. In a totally upbeat tone, he told me, “Well, you know, I’m not sure. They both have their pluses and minuses.”

Wow, here was a guy looking at really long days full of all sorts of challenges, who accepted the good and bad of both. This made me feel like a royal jerk for all of the little inconveniences that I liked to focus on in the “whiner section” of my brain.  It also  brought me back to a half marathon I ran on one of this summer’s hottest days, where someone I ran next to had his own jokester way of plus-ing and minus-ing the run.   “At least it’s not 110 degrees.”   “At least I don’t have heat stroke yet.”   “At least we’re not running with two broken ankles.”   He continued to list more silly extremes that put our current heat-induced distress in perspective.

The thing is, pretty much every run and every situation in our lives- professional, personal, or otherwise- contains both pluses and minuses.  But instead of focusing on the minuses, maybe its better just to look at them as being part of this completely imperfect thing called life, and focus on what my sister calls “the plus column.”  Yes, the minuses will always be there, but if we look more closely at those things in the plus column, then perhaps soon the pluses will outweigh the minuses, and our whole outlook will be a bit more cheery.

For example, as I write this, just two days into the new school year… I could tell myself I’m two days closer to the last day of school. Right?  Mile two of a marathon can be “24 left, oh no!” or “two down!”  It’s all in how you look at it.

So, keep moving forward friends, and remember this little ditty that can be applied to your runs, or just about anything…

The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude.  ~Dennis S. Brown

imrunnerchica.com

Copyright 2011

by Abbey Algiers

It Is What it Is

A few weeks ago, I was talking to a friend at a cocktail party about the economy, jobs, and other uplifting topics. In the course of our discussion, my friend mentioned another friend who had had a great job, but got laid off.  After a long search, the friend ended up taking a job she normally wouldn’t have. The job required a long commute, and lots of long days in the company’s rural headquarters. No surprise, my  friend was described as “less than enthused” about the logistics surrounding the job, but thrilled nonetheless to be employed again. As my friend reached for another cocktail she said, “Basically, she doesn’t love her job, but, you know… it is what it is.”

It is what it is.  I thought about that the next day, as I stumbled out of bed at 5:00 on a Friday in order to avoid the heat wave we were having.  As much as I did not want to be out so early (especially on the heals of a cocktail party), I wanted to get a run in that day. 5:00 a.m. was my only option;  I could either accept it for what it was (the only time of day I could breathe outside) or I could complain to myself about it in my head for the next 6 miles. As the sunrise shone over the water, I decided maybe 5:00 a.m. indeed wasn’t so bad. Early yes, but with beautiful benefits.

The next balmy day again had me out early, this time on a 16 miler mapped out by my running partner.  Even at 6:00 a.m., it was hot. And muggy.  At mile 12, we both were cashed, but unfortunately far from home.  We had already complained about the heat index for three plus miles, so this was old news. I had already told my friend (several times) that sweat had gone inside my ear, resulting in temporary deafness. Both of us were drenched, tired, and crabby. However, we both seemed to have made a silent pact not to say anything further about our dire straights… it’s as if we had given in to our situation and taken it for what it was. Hell on earth.

A few hours later, showered and in the comfort of air conditioning, I was watching a movie that showed a little girl taking a piano lessons.  Memories came back to me, as I recalled the hours and hours I spent in Mrs. Siebert’s living room.  I remember how I begged my parents to please, please let me quit. Couldn’t they see I had absolutely no talent? Yet, for at least two years, in perhaps a character building attempt on their part, they told me I had to keep playing.  In this case, I have to think that It is what it is didn’t need to endure for that long. A year’s worth of torture would have been enough time to build my character nicely and give me adverse reactions to maroon pencils (my teacher used the same one each week) and the sound of  ”Three Blind Mice.”

So it seems there are certain instances where accepting things in their current condition make sense – less than ideal jobs in a bad economy, rough spots during runs that you physically chose to partake in, and conditions that we really have no control over.  However, it also appears that we tend to say It is what it is an awful lot in our everyday lives – out loud, or perhaps subconsciously. The problem with this comes when we continue to do things that go against our nature because it’s easier  to keep up the status quo than rock the boat.

Maybe the solution to this dilemma comes with two simple words added to the phrase… It is what it is, for now.  Nothing’s forever, after all.  So, while we toil away at those jobs we hate during the day, we need to remember that even in a bad economy, there are indeed other options out there, and it’s okay to pursue them during our off hours.  The same goes for other things we accept as “it”- from bad relationships to bad cars. We don’t have to hang on forever just because of current conditions.  With hard work and motivation, we can turn It is what it is into It is what I want it to be.

So, keep forging forward on your journeys, friends, and if the going gets rough remember that bad runs, just like bad piano lessons, do eventually come to an end.  We can thank our lucky stars for that.

by abbey algiers

imrunnerchica

copyright 2011

Focus on your Assets

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.

- Zig Ziglar

At a recent staff meeting, my principal began by asking the teachers how the school year was going.  As can be expected, there were mixed reviews, and a cyclone of complaints steadily gained momentum.  From staff shortages to computer problems to general middle school issues, the natives were definitely getting restless.  My principal acknowledged these “deficits” but had one request for us… he asked us to focus on our assets instead of the things we were lacking.  He told us he was aware that there were tons of additional items we needed, but unfortunately, we couldn’t have them all. So, could we band together and accentuate the positive, doing the best with the resources we had?

Now, I’ll have to admit that I’m a little brain dead during after school meetings, and sometimes messages don’t hit home. In fact, many times I zone out completely. However, that day, I stopped and listened to his honest and sincere logic.

Focus on your assets.  That made a lot of sense, and actually reminded me of my most recent marathon, where I had some stretches where my assets were not at the forefront of my mind.  For some reason, I was feeling tired, sore, and wiped out at mile three. This is way too early to feel bad, so I started to freak out.

My inner dialog went something like this- My hip hurts. Why the hell does my left hip hurt? And why am I hungry? I shouldn’t be hungry now. Come to think of it, I’m kind of thirsty too… what is going on?

Then I ran a mile or two more, and just when my hip pain disappeared, my left knee began hurting.  Next it was my right ankle, then my left knee again.  I was convinced I would fall apart, right there on the course, before I even got to mile ten.  I knew I had to do something drastic in the “mind over matter” department.

 At first, I tried to tell myself that I felt great.  You are looking good. Your body feels great. You don’t have to use the bathroom. You’re not going to die.

Yet, all of these fine proclamations did little more than completely tick myself off.  It’s a pretty sad state of affairs when everything in the world is making you miserable including yourself.  So, I asked myself, “What would Oprah do now if she were in my Brooks Adrenalines?”  Surely she’d have a fabulous body-mind-spirit cure to get through.  I remembered her talking once about gratitude and  how it could help us through rough times.  Something about how it’s better to focus on what’s good instead of bad.  I wasn’t quite sure exactly what she said, so I decided to just focus on what I was grateful for.  It took me a minute to get the hang of it.

I’m grateful that even though I feel like total crap, I am able to run this marathon. (AM I able to run it?)

WHY am I running this marathon? Why does anyone run marathons?

I’m grateful it’s sunny out and not raining. It could be raining now, and I’d feel miserable in the rain. At least I’m miserable in the sunshine.

… refocus…

I’m grateful I have such a nice husband who woke up early to drive my friend and me to the start of this race.

I’m grateful my husband, parents, and sisters will be looking for me at mile 20. (Will I get there?)

I’m grateful to have such a nice running partner.

I’m grateful to have a cute new running outfit.

 It turned out that Oprah was right.  By paying attention to the good things in my life, it took the attention off my aches and pains, and I started to feel much better.  Slowly, but surely, I became more hopeful and started to actually enjoy the run.

Now, the run wasn’t a walk in the park after my exercise in being grateful. Yes, I hit some walls along the way and didn’t always feel so swell.  But, I found that focusing on the negative elements of my run only brought in more negative energy.  Similarly, when I focused on the positive, everything around me felt better.

The truth of the matter is, whether we’re running marathons or going through our daily lives, it’s just so much easier to complain about the things that we’re lacking, rather than the things that we have.  The job that’s not quite what we want, the house that isn’t perfect, the things we want to buy but can’t afford… the list could go on and on.

But I think that my principal and Oprah have it going on when they talk about focusing on the positive whenever possible, and using what we have to propel us forward.  After all, what we have… is what we have, so we might as well make the very best of it, even if what we have is a body that aches at mile 3.  Because to this Runnerchica, a bad day at mile 3 beats a good day on the couch any way you shake it.