The promise of peace and calmth

I'm a sucker for oneliners and verbal encouragement to motivate me to do things. Just throw me a good line and I'll bite! That's what got past my big wall of resistance against running: the line that running would give me peace of mind.

I've been running for seven years now, something which still mystifies me. Who would have thunk it! Me, a runner! But it's that promise of peace and calmth that keeps me running back for more

Anyway, you can never have enough peace of mind, so when I read about Body Balance and their catchy slogan 'Be the calmth in the storm' I decided to give it a try. Body Balance is a threesome of Pilates, Yoga and Tai Chi, and this morning I contorted my body in ways it had never been contorted before and the last fifteen minutes were filled with tranquil music and meditation.

So I think I'll add it to my runs. I've often read about the importance of keeping your muscles strong, so what the heck. I always skipped past those boring parts, but once again they got me with the promise of calmth.

Now if only they could promise me peace of mind and calmth concerning motherhood!

Free

I'm dead broke. I have 26 cents in my bank account and about 30 cents in my savings account. Things are not looking good, yet I feel quite optimistic. 'Cause I just came back from a good run.

And one of the greatest things about the sport of running is that it doesn't cost anything! Whatever happens, no matter how bad my finances are, I can always go for my run. The opportunity is just out there, waiting for me. As I run out the door, Mother Nature gives me a welcoming smile and shows me all her good stuff. She holds me in her tender embrace and shows me what's really important.

And as I run along I just shrug at the thought of my tight finances and think: 'Who cares as long as the important stuff is free!'

Like love and running.

Run for you sanity!

On this fifth day of the kids' school vacation I woke up feeling decidedly anxious. Anxious for no reason at all, unless you count the fact that I was facing another day alone with five rambunctious kids.

While we were having breakfast Ot dropped a knife. Then Piet dropped his knife. Then Jan dropped his knife. And then Teuntje spilled her milk, and I felt like screaming. So when Maartje got into a fight with Piet about who had first dibs on the butter, I decided it was time for drastic measures: I had to go out for a run.

Luckily the kids are finally old enough to be left alone for half an hour, so I hurriedly put on my running clothes and ran out the door like a bat out of hell, or a mom after five days of school vacation.

While I ran I threw away my frustrations about the falling knives, my annoyance over the spilled milk, and my despair of ever having a moment to myself.

As I ran and ran, I felt my anxiousness disappear and make room for a feeling of calmth.

And when I got home and the kids hadn't cleared up the breakfast dishes I didn't even bat an eye.

Thank God for running to keep me on an even keel.

Food for thought and a run

My son Jan (12) who's in his final year of elementary school, has had the bad luck of being in a kind of toxic group. There's a lot of nastiness going around and some terrible girls even accused him of threatening them with a knife. It turned out, of course, they'd made the whole thing up, but these terrible accusations really shook me up. And every time I see those wicked girls I feel like kicking them.

Things got even worse when these same girls accused the teacher of sexual advances. Now this teacher is the kindest man you can imagine, he's even a grandfather, and he was crushed by everything.

Anyway, what has all this got to do with running you may ask? Well the answer is obvious: it provides me with lots of fuel! Fuel to run and fuel for thoughts while I run. I often run with music, but lately I didn't need to. I had plenty to keep my mind occupied and help me find my equilibrium again!

The long cut

Going in a straight line from A to B gets you to B in the fastest and most efficient way. So why would you want to swing by C, M, take a detour along X, pass Z, have a cup of coffee at L and then finally get to B?

Yet that's just what runners do! Because it's all about the journey, the experience. Sure you could go from A to B in a straight line, but where's the fun in that?!

So today I ran to the city centre which is about 2 kilometers, only I took a long cut and ran 10 kilometers to get there. And since I always get lost there's never a dull moment, 'cause I'll be all worried and scared, thinking I may never get home again. Luckily a friendly gentleman on a bike gave me directions and helped me find my way again. Which is another gift of running: you get to meet all kind of nice people.

And as the miles went by I couldn't help but think: 'This is a good day!' Because how can a day be bad when you're out there, and your body feels alive and tingling and the birds are singing?

My journey today

Because where's the fun in this: