Running mates

Though I like to run by myself, I'm never alone. I always find myself surrounded by this big group of running mates.

At the back of the pack there's Whiney, who's always whining and complaining, saying she wants to go home, that she's too tired, that it's too hot or too cold.
Whiney always gets a lot of flack from Drill Sergeant.'You keep going girl!' he shouts at Whiney, 'Or it's a hundred push ups for you!'
Then Whiney shoots me this look, and looks like she wants to cry.

And then there's Ego, who doesn't shout, but who's nevertheless very much present. Egging me on, telling me to go faster. She's always checking how fast I'm going, and trying to get me to go just a little bit faster. Ego always makes me a little nervous, and her presence really takes the fun out of running.

And in the midst of all this, there's me. Just trying to run along. And I say to them all: 'I'm not running for prizes or glory. I'm in it for peace of mind. I'm running to find me, to enjoy the changing of the seasons, to feel my body moving with every step I take. I'm not fast enough to outrun you guys, so I can't help you tagging along.

But would you please keep quiet and enjoy the run?!'

Chi Running and Chi Parenting

I'm always trying to live my life in a more mindful way, so when I stumbled mindlessly upon this book about Chi Running I got all excited.

'ChiRunning combines the inner focus and flow of T'ai Chi with the power and energy of running to create a revolutionary running form and philosophy. The ChiRunning program increases mental clarity and focus, enhances the joy of running, and turns running into a safe and effective lifelong program for health, fitness, and well-being.'

Sounds great, doesn't it?! So I bought the book and registered for the workshop. The workshop won't start till november but the book is on my nightstand and every night I read a chapter.

It certainly helps me to run in a more mindful manner, and it got me off my iPod addiction in one swell swoop. I'm too busy listening to my body to listen to any music! Already I''m hearing my shoulders telling me they tend to tense when I'm running.

I like the idea of running from the core of my being.
And I hope to start Chi Parenting in the same way I'm learning to run.

Day three of the kids' vacation,

and this is how I feel.

Mile forty

This week, on the path that is my life, I reached mile forty. I took a moment to ponder this milestone, because I may be about halfway there, wherever, or whatever, 'there' is.

And I thought back to my journey so far, going from zero miles to forty. It's been a lovely journey, generous and filled with love. At mile forty, I find myself surrounded by a loving husband and five children, friends and family.

I couldn't ask for any more.

So it is with a grateful heart and joy that I continue my life journey.
Sometimes I'm running, sometimes I'm merrily skipping, and sometimes I'm only trying to keep myself from falling.

Because that's the way life's journey goes.

Ommmmmm

Yoga is good for the soul and body.
Both as a runner and a mom.
And to be frank: I need all the help I can get!















Wordless Wednesday

Running out of excuses

I used to love a nice downpour of rain, because surely that prevented me to go out running?! But then I bought this waterproof jacket and I had to run, come rain or shine.

Oh well, at least I still had my monthly period to get me out of running. It was like a monthly 'Get out of jail for free' card. But then I discovered that on day three I cóuld run. Easily.

I kept trying though. 'I'm too tired,' 'It's too cold,' 'It's too hot,'I don't feel like it.' If there's an excuse out there, I tried it.

But to all these excuses I had this foolproof answer: 'What's half an hour of running if you know you're gonna feel great afterwards! Surely you can spend half an hour to feel good?'

Then I knew for sure: 'I've run out of excuses not to run.'

And I'm so glad I did.

Running makes the unthinkable thinkable

As a runner I have pushed through boundaries that were unthinkable. When I first started running my beginner's schedule told me to walk twenty minutes, and then my body told me I had to lie down for about thirty.
After about four months of steadily improving I could run for half an hour without feeling like I would drop dead, and for several years I was quite content with that.

Then I decided to really go crazy and run to the little village that is Zelhem, which is a six kilometer run. I took a ride from my husband, and I ran home, where I collapsed on the sofa and whispered like a dying woman: 'Water, I need water...'

At mommygroup I proudly announced: 'I ran home from Zelhem!' The other moms seemed satisfyingly impressed, but then one of them asked: 'And did you run there too?'
I laughed half heartedly: 'Of course not! That would be way too far!'

Since then four years have passed, and not only do I run from Zelhem and back, I call it 'an easy run'! I can even run to the village that is called Westendorp which is a sixteen kilometer trek.

Running has made me do things I didn't think were possible.
It has taught me to dare think the unthinkable and keep an open mind.

Winter is the cruellest season....

.... for the wannabe charming runner.

As a runner I wear clothes I wouldn't be caught dead in as a mom. Nor alive, for that matter.

What's with those skintight leggings showing off how much you're packin' on your thighs? And should people nót see your saddle bags, the cheery stripes will point them in the thigh direction.

I'm not an unreasonable person. You don't hear me complaining about the ugliness that is a running shoe do you? I'm quite happy to sacrifice charm for support. But I don't see why running clothes should be so, well, uncharming.

Summer is a much friendlier season, calling out for little running skirts and tops. It's Winter that's cruel in it's running apparel.

I know: 'It's not about what's on the outside, it's about what's on the inside'.
But why should the outside be wórse than the inside?!

Brain Candy, also known as Candy for the Brain

Today was the first day of my new running regimen: running without music and only myself for company. To prepare for my run I'd stuffed my brain with info about meditation, mindfulness and the joy of walking.

I ran out the door with some trepidation; sixteen kilometers seemed like a lot with only me to keep me company. But as it turns out, my mind has a lot to say, it's a regular chatterbox. Keeping up a constant stream of chatter like an overly excited child.

At first I listened patiently, but it was hard to keep track, because it was all over the place. Talking about groceries I had to get, about how the kids were doing, what I would like my funeral to be like, how far I had to go before I could stop, on and on and on it went.

After a while I got tired of it, and decided to try and shut it up by concentrating on my breathing by counting to ten. That sounds easy enough but it was quite hard, because my breath, like my mind, was all over the place. Sometimes I got a regular rythm but more often I couldn't quite catch it and I had to start all over again.

Luckily there was more where that came from, so I decided to try a mantra. I'd thought long and hard about a good mantra, and decided to go with the Nike slogan: 'You can do it!' There I ran, mumbling 'Youcandoit, youcandoit, youcandoit'. I quite liked this method, but after a while my mind started rambling off again.

I looked into my goodie back of mind candy, and there was mindfulness! So I listened to the rustling of the leaves, I was aware of my feet touching the ground, of my arms pumping away. I was really into the moment, and I said to myself: 'Look at me go!'

That was a mistake because my thoughts took that as a sign to start rambling again, but since I was almost home I decided to let them.

And when I got home, I must say, I really did feel like I had come home.

I said to myself: 'It was nice meeting you again, but you sure talk a lot!'