the scenik route

be a star!

2013-03-01T17:24:00.000-05:00

col·or

/ˈkələr/

Noun

The property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light.

be authentic.

show your colors.

no matter what anyone thinks of hue.

inspiration exists,

but it has to find you working.

~pablo picasso

cape may

2013-02-28T11:03:00.000-05:00

there's magic in the sand...

even in the hands of winter.

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair”

― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

you become your thoughts

2013-02-27T21:41:00.000-05:00

An object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion.

~Sir Isaac Newton

perhaps, sir isaac.

in 2012 i ran 848 miles. that's what my daily mile year end report says.

in the last 11 days i have run zero.   no reports, no workouts, on a bender of shutdown.

your body tells you when it's had enough and a wise mind tells you to embrace it.
and breathe. rest. regroup. repair.

then restart.and on the 12th day, i ran.

today i put myself back in motion.

perhaps, sir isaac, rest and motion are both attainable.
depending on your object and your perspective.

think happy. you become your thoughts.
(great words on the commode at my chiropractor's office)


the time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. ~b. russell

happy paws

2013-02-25T16:43:00.003-05:00

"Sometimes we develop grand concepts of what happiness might look like for us, but if we pay attention,

we can see that there are little symbols of happiness in every breath that we take."

— His Holiness Gyalwang Karmapa

maggie bojangles

there is something wonderful about winter hibernation.

and a new puppy.
doing yoga.

spinal twist

sun pose

corpse pose

hibernation pose

love.

and more love.

puppy pose

shoe pose

nosy window pose

wall pose

more nosy

downward dog snow pose

frozen snout pose

chasing tail pose

namaste

see. stop. let it be. let it go.

~the yoga deck

follow maggie on facebook:
www.facebook.com/magnoliabojangles.

breathe happy.

ice (fur)balls! a two day affair....

2013-02-10T18:26:00.001-05:00

dogs with their perpetual

today-is-the-best-day-ever attitude

could teach us a thing or two.

~whole living

waiting for the blizzard of the century

time to frolic and freeze

playing chicken

beast mode

reflecting....

channeling some hannibal lector

bringing in the sun, day two of the snowpocalypse

i'm ready to go....

i am the rooster

who needs ipods when there is sun...

you people are nuts....

go out again???

hold on TO MY TOENAILS!

how many times is she going to blow dry me???

where is my sanity?

hibernation.

play. breathe, rest. then play some more.

smile!

2013-01-10T17:45:00.000-05:00

getting back in the groove has been a challenge. my transitioning skills are lacking. hence the reason i am habitually late for just about everything. my kids have even started telling me to be at places a half hour early so i will be on time. well, close to being on time.
the holidays, a trip to cape may, and the happy new year have thrown me completely into mayhem as far as my schedule goes.
i ran one time last week, it was the first time since right before christmas.
i wanted to get back on the horse this week. on monday i ran three and a half miles and on tuesday i was so uninspired and wanted to just shit-can the whole thing. i told myself i would do two miles because it was so late in the morning. instead, i did five miles. (my transitioning skills worked in my favor.)

today, i met my friend kerry for a four mile run in the winter sun with a breakfast reward.

as we ate and chatted in the diner, an older man looked at my shirt and asked if i ran the marathon. i said, "well, i was supposed to run the marathon..." he smiled. then he asked if it was postponed.
for me, yes.
there is a marathon to be run in 10 months.

thanks to my friend, jessica, for picking up my 2012 nyc marathon shirt and medal. a token for all my training for the marathon that wasn't. but for all the running that was.

a message from newtown, connecticut

2012-12-19T10:30:00.001-05:00

on friday morning my husband called me and said there was a shooting at a school in the town where our friends live.
this morning i wrote messages to them through a fury of tears. i wanted them to know we have been thinking of them constantly through these terribly dark days.
as i ran today, all i could think about were the email conversations i had with chris and kevin, both of whom live in newtown/sandy hook with their families.
with each step, every thought was on their kids, their friends, their neighbors, the kids they coached on soccer teams who have siblings that are now gone, the kids who shared a bus together who have siblings who are now gone, the first responders, the police, the volunteer fire department, and the amazing teachers.

as i ran, this song came on my ipod.
and with each step, overwhelming feeling of sadness and so many tears.

prayers and love and blessings to those who need it more than ever.

for those precious children and heroic adults whose lives were cut short senselessly and whose families have woken up with a broken heart every day since friday.

here is an email from our friend chris who lives in newtown:

First, thanks to all of you for sending well wishes over the last few days. It has been trying but your thoughts have been very helpful.

To give you an update, today was another emotional day as I brought my daughter back to school. Lots of hugs and tears for Parents and Teachers. It is very difficult looking at the staff knowing that it could have just as easily happened at our school. We could have also seen the same heroics.

Which leads me to this note. While all the craziness was happening at Sandy Hook, the other schools in Newtown were in lockdown. Up to 6,000 students had to be cared for and watched over in the most trying of circumstances.

Many of you have asked what you can do. One thing I say is please hug and thank your children’s teacher, or if you have a teacher in your family recognize them for the love and stewardship they provide. To me they are the real first responders (no offense to the police which I hugged this morning at my daughters school).

This morning, Mrs. Baron, the 4th Grade teacher of Taegan, gave us a letter detailing what happened in her classroom on Friday. I really felt the need to share it. I am writing it verbatim (she gave me permission).

“To My Wonderful Parents of Room 5,

There are no words that can express the deep sadness our community, our country and our world feels at this time. Understanding that we can and most likely will never makes sense of such tragic events, we take tiny steps forward to begin the slow healing process. Your children will be supported well in school.

My first commitment is to each and every one of ‘our’ children’s well-being. I do not take advantage of that fact that you entrust your child in my care every day of the school year. It is not only my duty to educate your child and bring out the best in him/her, but to help shape them into strong, independent, empathetic, critical thinkers who will contribute to society in a positive way when they are older. Please understand that I consider my role in your child’s life an honor and a privilege. Every day you send your children to school, you are sharing one of your most precious gifts in the world with me. I am aware. (‘I see you’)

As a habit, my students are often told that I love them (before every test), sometimes when we walk in the hallways, sometimes during our meetings on the rug. On Friday, I did my best to keep the children (childlike) happy, busy and feeling carefree, distracted from the indescribably, unbelievable, happenings of the world, just a short distance away. Much of the afternoon consisted of brainteasers, puzzles (math), reading, song, and yes, even my dancing. Mrs. Jones even met with them for a half hour.

I made certain each child knew that I loved them before they were either picked up or went on the bus at the end of the day. I told them the true spirit of the holiday season was not getting their favorite present wrapped up in the prettiest paper, but being with family and letting them love you (the child). And the best gift they could give any family member in return was not anything that could be purchased in a store. It wasn’t anything that cost money. It was something they already had, the love they have in their heart for you.

That’s when it happened. The children rushed me with the biggest, the tightest hugs imaginable. Some even said that Friday would be a day they would remember forever, the best day of their school career. Imagine that.

I just wanted you to know that I did my best to make the children happy and safe, even though my heart was aching, crying on the inside.

We are all in this together.”

Truly incredible. And I know all of the teachers we know are doing the same thing. I think we often forget what Teachers do for us and this is a side of the story that hasn’t got as much attention. It is the Mrs. Barons’ of the world that are my superhero’s!!

Please hug your teacher.

Chris

imagine all the people living life in peace

~j. lennon

happy trails to you

2012-12-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

Leave the familiar for a while.

Let your senses and bodies stretch out

Like a welcomed season

Onto the meadow and shores and hills.

Open up to the Roof.

Make a new watermark on your excitement

And love.

~hafiz, persian poet

lots of happy can be found in the simplest of things.

today there was happy in running outside on the trail. a brisk run in the 30 degree chill beneath the amazing blue sky and bare winter trees with my friend kerry.

happy kerry

three miles out to our tree then back again. we had some company on the turn around.

i took this picture as we ran, hoping not to trip over my shadow

it's true, you rarely regret the run when you're done.

kerry and i had more catching up to do after the six miles so we grabbed a quick breakfast.
sometimes a little refueling makes a world of difference. mind. body. soul.

then of course the trick is to sustain that happy.

promise yourself.

on my desk since...always...

thanks and giving

2012-11-21T12:45:00.000-05:00

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.

Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”

~roald dahl

from a few cheerios.

love.

to share with a friend.

as we go through the next days of thanks and giving,

may we remember to fill our hearts and minds with the wonderful surrounding us

and be thankful for all of it, every little bit.

be authentic. be passionate.

be exactly who you are.

share your magic.

breathe all those little breaths of happy.

scenes from sandy

2012-11-18T17:31:00.000-05:00

before the coming of sandy, i finished my longest run to date. i took a picture to remember the day and to show off my cool sleeves. it was a pretty awesome 18 miles. i was ready to taper and then on to the nyc marathon.

then sandy came. as anticipated, we lost power. hurricanes take us back to the prairie life, but thankfully without nelly (well, she is always lurking...we all have a nelly). fires at night to keep warm. and some mobile pics for the blog....

we had necessities.... candles, flashlights, itouches, ipads, and phones. the only thing that lasted were the flashlights and candles.

some reading by the morning fire.

and then, again, no school. just cold. but still blessed.

lost track of days...food surrendered...fridge and freezer clear and uncluttered....

keeping warm and fed at our favorite watering hole....

then on the seventh day there was power.... and one brand new box of waffles..

and then the postponed (quite chilly) halloween....

oh, and throw in election day.

then the snow came.

and came....

the neighborhood squirrel fared well from single-handedly eating all the waffles and bread from our freezer. he needs an intervention and perhaps a good pair of running shoes.

i got these sneakers in september on the dawn of my four week summer bronchitis... i wanted to keep them for after the marathon.
rather, i wore them for the first time after darkness.
it's always brighter after darkness...

suck it, sandy

2012-11-15T11:35:00.000-05:00

In every winter's heart there is a quivering spring

and behind the veil of each night there is a smiling dawn.

~kahlil gibran

winter came early in these parts. she came in the form of a hurricane named sandy. she brought us darkness and cold. but she also brought us humbleness and a kind of calm we haven't appreciated in a quite some time.

the last few weeks have been a whirlwind. a bitch of a hurricane. no power. postponed halloween. a badly timed nor'easter. a complete emptying of the lifeless fridge and freezer. many school-less days. gas rationing. a presidential election. and a very controversial new york city marathon.

by friday of marathon week we had been without power for almost five days. it was a blessing to have only lost our power and have no heat while so many others in our surrounding areas had lost so much more. we listened to the radio (the one with the old fashioned batteries) in the mornings and q 104.3 would keep us updated on the goings on as a result of the storm since those of us on the prairie had no tv. each day they spoke about the status of the marathon and each day i wanted to run less and less.

there was no shortage of devastation, especially on staten island and down the shore in new jersey. fires were burning in new york neighborhoods and people were found dead in their houses and drowning in their basements. the beach communities where many of us vacationed since we were little were blown away and torn apart by the wrath of sandy,

i woke up friday and made my decision to defer until next november. i made my phone call and wrote my facebook status (from jeff's office because we still were without power).

i just can't see running through the streets of nyc this sunday while there are many people still suffering and devastated by this storm. i deferred and am now looking forward to running 26.2 next november.

by friday afternoon my friends at q 104.3 announced that the marathon was finally cancelled. and ING sent out this message to the runners:

The City of New York and New York Road Runners announce that the 2012 ING NYC Marathon has been canceled. While holding the race would not require diverting resources from the recovery effort, it is clear that it has become the source of disagreement and division. We cannot allow a controversy over an athletic event — even one as meaningful as this — to distract attention from all the critically important work that is being done to help New York City recover from the storm. New York Road Runners will have additional information in the days ahead and we thank you for your dedication to the spirit of this race. We encourage runners who have already arrived in New York City to help with volunteer relief efforts.

my friend, terry the amazing writer, ( http://www.terrymarotta.wordpress.com ) sent me this message:

And hey didn't you call it first about the Marathon. YOU knew before they did that it just wouldn't be right !

xx

i've been asked if i was disappointed that the race was cancelled. i can honestly say no. i don't think it was a time for celebrating in the new york city streets. and all the energy could be used elsewhere to help all those in need. could it all have been handled differently, absolutely. but that's a discussion for another day.
as for the training, none of it was wasted.
i am a runner. and i love it. i find peace in running. so those 12, 13, 15, 18 mile long runs were hardly wasted. each mile is all part of my journey, regardless of the finish line, because i am going to keep going anyway. sandy took away my running mojo for too many days but i'm embracing that peace again. behind the veil of all the darkness is that smiling dawn. and damn, is it good.

26.2 nyc....2013.

lifting the veil, by nail polish artist... jessica

Today, be grateful. Be grateful for your favorite music, for movies that make you feel good, for your phone that connects you with people, for your computer, and for the electricity that lights up your life. Be grateful for air travel that
flies you everywhere. Be grateful for the roads and traffic lights that keep the traffic in order. Be grateful for your pet, for your child, for your loved ones, for your eyes that enable you to read this. Be grateful for your imagination. Be grateful that you can think. Be grateful that you can speak. Be grateful that you can laugh and smile. Be grateful that you can breathe. Be grateful that you are alive! Be grateful that you are You! Be grateful that there are two words that can change your life.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

From The Secret Daily Teachings by Rhonda Byrne

what's in your pocket?

2012-10-17T22:44:00.001-04:00

You have this mother (bleeping) track meet

right in the back pocket of those

damn black running shorts you wear every day.

No doubt.

~ my artist friend, nicole

17 days to go.

with my longest run behind me, i am in the tapering stage of training. i will be running less miles in the next few weeks so i recover, recoup, and re-alize that i am REALLY going to run 26 point 2 miles in new york city.

i came across this picture today on facebook. the beginning of the marathon. breathtaking.

my long run last thursday was 18 miles and i am still trying to process that i went that far. in one day. and i did it with a pretty good pace. i am pretty darn pleased. and i lived to blog about it.

i am a little bummed that i didn't do a 20 mile run, but i will forever blame it on the august plague that sent me back to square one and cut my training time short. my training started up the last week of august and i could barely run 2 miles.

training over the last nine weeks has been amazing and invigorating. my sneakers have logged plenty of miles and i am proud of my progress and growth. my bathtub and epsom salt have been used in overdrive, my man has given more foot massages than he would care to admit, and my friends and family have been busy planning where they will hydrate while they follow me through the city. (i hope they make it to the finish line.)

i got me some compression socks today. love them. and my family loves to make fun of my outfits. i'm here to entertain.

but i will be wearing my black running shorts for that little track meet in new york city.

with the finish line in my back pocket.

this is why we do it

2012-10-12T20:51:00.002-04:00

when you wake up in the morning
just remember how fortunate you are to be alive,
to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love
and of course to run.

yesterday. 18 miles on the trail. longest run i've ever done. in miles and time. epically long.

thankfully i had good company with kerry for the appetizer six miles. it made the next 12 that much easier to chew and digest. at mile 10 i hit the wall. i felt pain in my knee and my legs were dragging. so i walked for about twenty seconds to the next tree (mile marker hell). then i started again, i was deep into the trail and figured i had no choice but to keep going unless i used the "phone a friend" option (i didn't even know what town i was in). by mile 13 i felt really good again (probably numb) and with the 18 written on my heart i just went mile by mile to get to the end. by mile 14 i was getting lost in my music. by mile 15 i knew i had already gone that far once and could do it again. and it was only three more miles to finish. by mile 16 i figured, what the heck is 20 more minutes? and at mile 17 i was in the home stretch and seeing the light. what a beautiful feeling to realize i freaking did it. 18 mother-grabbing miles.

i was aiming to run for three hours as part of the training for the marathon. and because i had lost some time (the entire month of august because of the bronchial plague), my coach (superstar joan... http://www.TriCoachJoan.com) suggested to go a max of three hours so i don't risk injury. i was so close to the 18 miles that i was so hellbent on completing. so, of course i carried on and finished in 3:13:26. i figured those extra minutes wouldn't completely break me, and thankfully they didn't.

nyc, always a good journey, found this sign on tuesday eve

i drank my thermos of ovaltine and milk on the way home and once i got into my driveway, i wasn't sure how i would get myself out of the car since my legs had now revolted. i dragged myself into the house, had some brunch, and plunged into the epsom salt bath of forgiveness. wonders. i can't say enough.

ice on the knees during the epically long yankee game. i found my win today, they lost. we fall down but get back up again. there's hope for all of us.

still going

2012-10-09T16:03:00.000-04:00

on instagram the other day i came upon a quote i posted to facebook.
i noticed my daughter re-posted it.
she hadn't told me she added the quote or her wonderful words.

a colonic and some mud

2012-10-06T16:12:00.000-04:00

don't be fooled by the calendar.

there are only as many days in the year as you make use of.

~charles richards

i was going to blog on monday, but i didn't. i don't even remember monday, aside for picking up a bottle of pills.
i was going to blog on tuesday but i was too busy taking care of business before inducing the pills.
i was going to blog on wednesday but i was too busy getting violated at my colonoscopy.
i was going to blog yesterday but i was busy catching up on everything i didn't do on tuesday and wednesday, and i had to do my long run. a long run that turned into a short 3.33 painstaking miles on the treadmill at the gym.
today i have a small window of opportunity.
so here goes... and if you aren't interested in graphic material, skip the middle.
i had my first colonoscopy this week. and it's true, the prep is worse than the actual procedure. i ran tuesday morning prior to prepping and didn't get to breakfast until late in the morn. then by mid afternoon it was time to start the colon evacuation.
so after taking the first 20 pills, the latrine was in high gear.
later on the second round began, i somehow got the last 12 horse pills down and only gagged on two. the colonic was extremely successful and thankfully there was balmex in the drawer from the last baby born in our house.
i don't remember the procedure, compliments of narcotic napland. the anesthesiologist made good on his promise that i would be asleep in a matter of seconds.... i woke up under a warmed blanket and a coffee cake at my side. i asked if i could stay the rest of the day, but she responded to my request by making me sit up.
all is well within my colon. i'm glad i went and got it over with, even though i did want to postpone it until after the marathon. i'm glad i didn't wait.

the beginning

today i went on my long run on the zen trail. my friend kerry ran the first five miles with me, along with her friend roxy. then i continued on to do the final ten. running with a friend makes the miles pass quickly, it's much different when you're deep inside your own head doing laps of the same scene. over and over. and over. most of the trail was closed today because they were paving it, as reported by the young man guarding the bridge to sanity. so i had to make some adjustments. needless to say, the bridge guarder saw me five more times. he got bitched at by a tiny lady on a bike because she couldn't continue on her planned route.

the scene at the end

i wound up going around a lake in a different part of the park four times (big ben, parliament) because i couldn't remember how to get back to where i started. but it helped me log some mileage. and i also got mixed up with a flock of crazy geese. there were some pretty major areas of mud where i hoped i wouldn't find myself slipping and sliding into a mess.

i went 15 miles. my longest run to date. a good week of firsts. but my sneakers have seen better days.

whatever it takes

2012-09-28T21:01:00.000-04:00

you have to have made the commitment within yourself to do

whatever it takes

to get the job done and to try to inspire other people to do it,

because obviously the first rule is you can't do it by yourself.

~james cameron

yesterday i met up with my long-run running buddies, jen and kerry, on the zen trail. when we run together we talk shop, we talk girl stuff, boy stuff, we talk kids, we talk turkey and sometimes unicorns, we laugh, complain, rejoice, curse, but i'm the only one who spits. sometimes i just have to. but i'm a girl and i'll stereotype myself by saying i'm a girl who can't spit like a boy. running long distances has turned me into a spitter (only when i'm running!). i'm getting better. one day i thought i was mastering the art and i spit...landing dead on my sneaker. my brand-new, first-day-worn sneaker. gross.

back on the trail, all the chatting carries us through the many miles. sometimes we even start to "hallucinate"... jen said this as i pointed out a lion in an old, huge, stately stump. and it seemed to morph into a bunny as we got closer. maybe there really is a unicorn amongst the trees and streams.

my running mates put in their wonderful 10 miles and i continued on to cram for the marathon and finished at a little more than 13 miles. it was a quiet day on the trail so no one saw the unicorn carrying me that last mile. then i dragged myself to the car.

love this wall, so i snapped it. i saw it through the window on a hike in the garden at montgomery place, ny.

much thanks to aunt jan for these incredibly delicious pumpkin muffins and chocolate chip muffins that she sent home for us from rockland bakery. they have enabled me to appropriately carb-load four weeks in advance of the big track meet through all the boroughs of new york city.

36 days.

26.2 miles.

whatever it takes.

that line at the end

2012-09-25T19:10:00.000-04:00

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

the view from the ferry, nyc

there's also some measure of anxiety in it.
and uncertainty about doing it.

there is a lot of fear when you are immersed in it.
there is a lot of passion when you are working toward it.
there is a lot of hard work getting to it.

and when you lose your footing and try to keep going on, there are certain people who keep you alive in it.
my wonderful man, my patient and supportive family and friends, my amazing running mates and incredible coach, joan.

there are also those things that find their way into your world.
i just finished reading brooklyn to mars, issue two (www.brooklyntomars.com) which came by way of letter carrier.

the beauty of old fashioned mail

i was reminded how to "take it to the river."
the doubt.
the uncertainty.
the horseshit.

illuminating the magic. and the will.
the strength and the desire. to get me to it.
that line at the end. nyc 26.2.
in 39 days.
godspeed.

from the internet, credit to this guy and his great sign.

finding happy

2012-09-21T21:39:00.001-04:00

life is uncertain. eat dessert first.

~Ernestine Ulmer

my sportband

after the nike sportband debacle yesterday, i am still waiting for the nike people to adjust my run. kerry and i ran 10 miles and my nike sportband told me we went 7.70. the mile markers on the trail and kerry's garmin backed up our distance. so, i called customer support yesterday afternoon and they patiently led me through the process of troubleshooting my aging device. after giving my nike sensor " cpr" two times, and trying to reboot my sportband, we had to get drastic and restore the whole thing to factory settings.

coconut water

expecting a full recovery, i had to re-calibrate the whole kit and kaboodle for my stride. this morning i went to the track and met up with my friend, nicole. i ran my mile as i passed my daughter's classmates during their gym period on the field which is adjacent to the track. needless to say she was horrified that i said hello to them with my hang loose hand as i ran. however, they did cheer me on.

so one mile logged at the track and after calibration i logged four miles. pretty good day after the ten yesterday. so glad it's friday. rest day tomorrow. i came home and had me some of my new after-running drink, but only if its chocolate.

then some breakfast, or brunch, at this point.

a little while later, i met up with nicole with the intention to get something to eat. we couldn't decide, so she suggested dairy queen, and we brought along my horrified child (too bad, so sad). and she took a nice picture of us... with happy, re-calibrated smiles.

me and nicole

pretty good stuff

2012-09-20T17:22:00.001-04:00

A place to go - that's what my mother always instilled in me.

You need a place to go.

And you're worthless unless you have a place to go.

~larry david

it's all good. a good weekend of resting and hiking and weather that was beyond good.

frick & frack on the trail

came back from the woods on tuesday in another one of those storms of the century and went to the gym. booted up the treadmill, and because we were all of a sudden in kansas, dorothy, the gym went dark. but it was all good, about ten minutes later i was on my hamster way. five good miles.

on this glorious morning, i met my friend, kerry, at the park and we ran ten good miles. what wasn't good was my nike sportband decided to go awry (hello factory reset) and some crazy bike riding dude (sans the little dog and basket) who almost ran kerry over because he wasn't paying attention. it was a great run, nonetheless.

it was a little chilly so i ran with these cool sleeves i picked up at the nyc half in march.

good to roll down as needed

i am still trying to figure out how to drink while running (water, that is). i was gifted this awesome bottle that is easy to use but i still made a mess of myself.

and of course, as your grandma told you, epsom salt is the the way to go to soothe sore muscles, among other things. and the good thing is all you need is 15 minutes. and the epsom salt council even has their own facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/epsomsalt epsom salt really is pretty, pretty good.

and finally, i am reading (mostly by way of osmosis) this book i got a while back. at this point, any little tidbit is helpful on my journey.

keeps the counter warm and full of good chi

it's all good. pretty, pretty, pretty.....pretty good.

and to make it even better...... i have a place to go.

the finish line is waiting. 44 days. NYC.

run over by the wagon

2012-09-13T20:32:00.000-04:00

tomorrow is a new day.

you shall begin it well and serenely and

with too high a spirit to be

cumbered with your old nonsense.

~ralph waldo emerson

yesterday was a beautiful september day. it was a rest day from running but a full throttle day for eating. the picture was my breakfast, a good start.

for lunch i had smashburger, add haystack onions on top. but there was lettuce and tomato somewhere in there too. i ate my burger of smash like i just got out of prison.

we had to go for back to school night and of course had four minutes to eat dinner, so i inhaled four dante's (best deli in our area) raviolis and went on my merry way. but it was only four pasta pockets o' cheese.

of course, after this mindless food consumption, i came home and was hungry.

screw the happy, healthy choices. i made a quick ham and american sandwich. but.....i did use the 100 calorie whole wheat sandwich round (lathered in mayo...mmmmmmmmmmmm). and what better to wash it down than with some red wine.   balanced.

then, for good measure i had three chips ahoy and a glass of milk. at that point, i figured why not. it was damn good.   and it was only three.

so 85,000 un-organic, gnarly calories for the day, but i found this binging almost ridiculously humorous. therefore i write of it. so when you fall off the good eating wagon and get run over, you too can get up and start a new day with a high spirit.

and maybe even have the opportunity to begin it well and run eight miles with some friends on a terrific trail on a beautiful new september day.

me, jen, & kerry

here is some info about those little blueberries......

Blueberries improve memory and learning, and delay age-related cognitive decline as is seen with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, not to mention, they're delicious.

Blueberries are a super food for your brain. They're high in vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants called flavonoids (also called polyphenols). In your brain, flavonoids interact with proteins and enzymes in ways that keep your brain younger. Scientists don't know exactly how all of those elements interact together, but blueberry flavonoids do seem to keep you smarter. People who eat a high-flavonoid diet stay sharper than folks with low-flavonoid diets.
Sources: Realage.com, doctortipster.com

and of course, the banana...

september 11, 2012

2012-09-11T07:01:00.001-04:00

"No matter how much time passes, no matter what takes place in the interim, there are some things we can never assign to oblivion, memories we can never rub away. They remain with us forever, like a touchstone."

— Haruki Murakami

a hero, he will always be....

december 2011, jessica

i dug out my yearbook..1990

we miss you, chris...

a swift kick

2012-09-10T21:28:00.001-04:00

the reason most people give up is because they tend to look at how far they still have to go,

instead of how far they have come.

~unknown

some days you just need a swift kick in the ass. this morning i was at the computer sending emails, etc and mainly procrastinating about running. i had just sent my lifelong friend, jen (whom i have nicknamed jen the runner) an email telling her how discouraged i've become about running and falling so far behind in my marathon training since losing the whole month of august to bad-ass bronchitis. then bad-ass jen swiftly responded to me....

Well get off the f'ing computer and go get a few miles! You're running
NYC - I know you had the plague, and a tough summer -- it's gonna not
be easy but when you cross the finish line of the NYC MARATHON you're
gonna feel like King of the World! So go. Go now. And remember to have fun.

fresh kicks

with that, i laced up my new kicks and went on my merry way. today's weather was perfect and the sky was amazing. i went slower but i felt good. better than i have since the on-set of the plague.

so thanks, jen.

jen the runner is also jen the producer. she is producing a documentary called
from fat to finish line...

The inspiring story of 12 strangers who've lost an average of 100 pounds and who'll now embark on the grueling 200 mile Ragnar Relay Race.

http://www.fromfattofinishline.com/

jen the producer is also jen the blogger...

Today, I run because it is a miracle that I started at all. A gift from the universe. I have found confidence, strength, perseverance, pride and other adjectives that I struggle to find words for. I was an overweight victim who felt like everything was impossible and out of reach. Now I’m in-shape and content. Running saved my life.

here is more of jen's inspiring blog...
http://www.seejenroerun.blogspot.com/

jen the producer is also jen the ass kicker. and some days, you just need a good ass kicker.

jen the runner, nic the painter, and me, circa 2011

brighter than the sun

2012-09-07T17:43:00.000-04:00

labor day sky

I am a firm believer in small steps. One day at a time we get a tiny bit better at what we practice. It may be undetectable to bystanders. But it’s a known truth that repetition creates warriors.
~markus almond

i ran five miles this morning. the last 4.9 were the toughest. they pretty much sucked. and i sucked a lot of wind.

since the august bronchial plague, it hasn't been all that easy to get back to where i was. in terms of miles. and endurance. and strength. then, throw in labor day and time abroad, add in a few more missed days, and what you come up with is some major nyc marathon anxiety.

not to mention some ribs that were thrown out of place during the labor day wiffle ball tournament. if a horse, i would have been glue by now. (i have to google that....horse to glue).

on the pitcher's mound

i shall continue to take small steps. one day at a time. practice may turn me into an warrior.

26.2 miles is really only 4.36 miles. 6 times. it can be done.

8 weeks from sunday. new york cittay.

and i hope some of the sun's brightness and spunk finds it's way into my sneaks and into my running soul.

check out the blog Brooklyn to Mars... the wonderful quote at the top popped up in my email this morning.....
http://brooklyntomars.com/

mix in a few good miles

2012-08-29T21:17:00.002-04:00

"don't pay no mind to the demons

they fill you with fear

the trouble may drag you down

if you get lost, you can always be found."

~ greg holden & drew pearson

woke up to very sore legs yesterday after my two mile return-to-the-road run on monday. a good sore. a welcome sore.

my board

thankfully i can still breathe deeply so i took it to the streets again hoping to get my body and mind back in the marathon game. the sun was shining with all its might, and i was pretty darn hot by the time i got to the end of the block. a good hot. a welcome hot.

i wanted to go at least three miles and thought better of doing five miles for fear of certain body implosion after just getting back to running after a month of not good, un-welcomed bronchitis.

two miles in.... i wanted to walk. i wanted to be finished. i wanted to call a cab.

fumbling with my shuffle, i came across a get-me-to-go-on running song and kept running. i figured, screw it, i am half way there...

i found me a little strength.

i shut down the demons.

i found myself finishing with four miles under my sneaks...

a good four. a more than welcome four.

11 weeks to 26.2....

chief redface, post-run

here's the song....

just breathe

2012-08-28T14:13:00.000-04:00

when you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
~marcus aurelius

a little summertime math....

4 weeks bronchitis

5 full days on the couch
2 rounds of meds

countless hours of little house on the prairie re-runs (nellie olsen is still a bitch)

1 chest xray, what a cool picture that was...

1 (literally) round inhaler

hundreds of dollars for my friendly neighborhood pharmacy

billions of dollars paid to my doctor

31 days of shunning my sneakers

31 days unable to take a deep breath

31 days no training
11 weeks until the nyc marathon

add it all up and realize that without your health you have nothing.

and on the 32nd day, lacing up and taking a deep breath and feeling it all the way down to my toes as i ran the longest and hardest two miles EVER...

....well, that's just precious.

the scenik route

be a star!

col·or

cape may

“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair”

you become your thoughts

happy paws

ice (fur)balls! a two day affair....

smile!

a message from newtown, connecticut

happy trails to you

thanks and giving

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.

Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.”

~roald dahl

scenes from sandy

suck it, sandy

what's in your pocket?

this is why we do it

still going

a colonic and some mud

whatever it takes

that line at the end

finding happy

pretty good stuff

run over by the wagon

september 11, 2012

a swift kick

brighter than the sun

I am a firm believer in small steps. One day at a time we get a tiny bit better at what we practice. It may be undetectable to bystanders. But it’s a known truth that repetition creates warriors.~markus almond

mix in a few good miles

just breathe

I am a firm believer in small steps. One day at a time we get a tiny bit better at what we practice. It may be undetectable to bystanders. But it’s a known truth that repetition creates warriors.
~markus almond