Running In Fear..ior



Misspelled title? No, just a little play on words. I have to confess......I come from a long line of fears. Fear of snakes, fear of tight spaces, fear of suffocating, fear of falling down, fear of going bald...you get the picture. And then there is the feeling of being inferior. Is that a fear? I think so. Maybe. Could be. Let's talk about it, shall we. 

I read a post the other day about a lady talking about feeling inferior to other runners. She felt like she didn't measure up, couldn't run as fast as others and that she was just in the way...taking up space on the running path. She told a friend she was running with about her feelings and her friend dispelled any fears this lady had. The friend told her that she admired her for getting out there and running. All runners are new at some point and have had the same thoughts and feelings as she. Hummmm, those words jumped right off the page and landed directly in the center of my lap. I started thinking about that. I could totally relate to what this lady had gone through. It was a self-discovery light bulb moment for me.

Running for me has been something done as a loner. There are other things I do that falls into the same category.....I read, research my family history, sew, scrapbook, blog and I'm at home during the day alone. Don't get me wrong, anyone that knows me knows that I love my alone time. But maybe I'm missing out, maybe it's time to crawl out of that loner shell. I feel sort of silly when people ask me who I run with and my answer is "no one". I've been invited to go run with friends, but I graciously bowed out. I've come to realize why....I feel inferior. I can't run as fast or as far as they do. I feel like I would be holding them back and I certainly don't want to do that. Maybe I should remember my post from January 1st where I wrote that nothing is ever as it seems. So, maybe I've let my fears dominate my thoughts to the point of missing out on some awesome runs with some great people. Maybe I can't run that fast or far, yet. So what? I will in time and will have the benefit of making lifelong friendships.

Yeah, that's it! I'm going to do it! I think it's high time I break the fear cycle. I'm going to try to branch out. Maybe I'll join the local running club or maybe I'll take my friends up on their invitation to join them. Maybe that's just what I need to push me to the next level.  What I do know for sure is that running will take you places you've never been, show you things you've never seen...and with a new prospective, I might add. Other benefits are a greater fitness level and a sense of well being.

What more could you ask for from something that comes as naturally as putting one foot in front of the other. I hope for those of you sitting on the fence, thinking of putting on your running shoes, yet holding back for some unfounded fear, that you take a cue from me and other runners.....lay aside running "in fear..ior". As my husband tells me constantly, "screw it, just do it"! (His words, not mine...haha! Don't want you hating on me for such brashness.) (But don't hate him either. He's good, he's wise and I love him.)

OK, confessions are over. Phew! Boy am I glad. It's not easy baring your soul to the whole world.

Before you go, in case you were wondering.....

1)  I ran outside yesterday for 3.18 miles.
2)  The IT Band roller works wonders.
3)  My knee didn't bother me until about mile 2.5. Stretched a little and was good to go.
4)  However, I had a constant dull ache in the left bum.
5)  Healing takes time.

Laurie

Born To Run

Well....the promise of that title remains to be seen. If you've been reading this blog, then you know I've had a slight knee injury that has kept me from running much over the last couple of weeks. Aggravation!

Said knee.....the one on the left that is.  I have my daddy's feet....don't look too close.

After researching and talking with long-time runner friends, I believe the "aggravation" is iliotibial band syndrome. Basically, there is a thick tendon that runs down the side of your leg and for several reasons can get irritated and inflamed. I believe the source of my pain was due to increasing mileage to quickly and possibly from changing shoes to a more minimalist shoe and not giving myself the proper time to adjust to running in this type shoe.

So....for any new runners out there......read, research, ask fellow runners and above all, do what the experts say. I could have avoided this injury...I knew better. I knew not to increase mileage any more than 10% a week. I knew that I should have only ran a mile or two in the new shoes instead of five. High notions! Lesson learned!

 

The Iliotibial Band

(totally wished my bum looked like that)

What have I been doing to treat ITB Syndrome? I was told to purchase a foam roller made for just this purpose....to treat ITB Syndrome and to follow the instructions. I immediately followed this advice. I've been using it for a week now and I can honestly say that from the first time I used the roller, my knee has felt so much better. Other advice, from an expert and avid bike rider, was to make sure I stretched well. And I do. Yoga will also be in my arsenal of staying fit and flexible, very soon.

Now on to the good part......my stats since the injury. Oh wait, you thought I just sat around and nursed a sore knee. What?!? No way....I've come a long way since last June. I can't sit by and lose all that fitness and endurance.  That would be a crying shame and I would be the one crying. Since my last 4-mile run on the Dec. 27th (ran in pain), I've been going to the gym.

Date:        Activity:                                                 
Jan 2   -   3 miles on the elliptical/stair climber          
Jan 4   -   5 miles on the elliptical                             
Jan 5   -   3.12 mile slow run, outdoors                   
Jan 5   -   Swam for 30 min                                     
Jan 6   -   3 miles on the elliptical                            
                  1 mile on the stair climber                       
Jan 8   -   5 miles on the elliptical                            

As of today, my knee feels so much better that I'm considering running a 5K on Jan. 19th. I'll see how the rest of the week goes before committing.

And finally, I'm pleased to announce that I have registered for my first 10K on March 9, 2013. Got to get this knee completely well. I've got some running to do.

Meeting my goals one day at a time, one run at a time. 

Born to run?

Hmmmm, only time will tell.


Until then,
Laurie

Conversations with Sawyer

I'm really not sure yet, but this may become a regular post. That grandson of mine says the funniest things. Why not share them, right? The following are three very short conversations with Sawyer, just about what he knows. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Found this on the internet.......

Just wait, you'll understand......


December 25, 2012

Back story:  We were tracking Santa via NORAD at 8:30 Christmas Eve morning.

Me:   Sawyer and Lidia, NORAD tracked Santa. He's already on his way. Right now, he is in Australia.

Sawyer:   Australia?!?  People live in Australia?  That's a hot place.  It's very hot there.

Ha Ha!!

December 28, 2012

Back story:  Sawyer came to my house the other night with a lighter in his pocket. I flipped out. All I could think of was him catching the Christmas tree on fire.......because Bear Grylls uses dead wood to start fires. Well, it turns out that the lighter was empty. His daddy made sure of that.

Me:  Sawyer? What are you doing with a lighter?

Sawyer:  Well, Bear Grylls keeps one in his survivor backpack. And, anyway this one doesn't work, LaLa. See!

Me:  Okay, good. I'm glad it doesn't work, but lighters can be dangerous. You could accidentally start a fire and get seriously hurt.  I don't want you playing with them. Let's throw this one away. You need to be a little bit older before you can have a lighter.

A couple of days passed by and then at dinner one night, Sawyer looked up at me with those big brown eyes and said:   LaLa, you're not going to like this, but my daddy told me that when I get to be 47 years old that I can have a lighter.

I bursted out laughing...I may have even snorted! LOL!!

　

January 6, 2013:

Me:   How did scrambled eggs get on the floor?

Sawyer:   Granddaddy long legs.

Me:   What?

Sawyer:   Granddaddy long eggs.....I've never eaten any, but I heard they are gross.

Giggle, Giggle, Snort!!

Hallucinations of a 6-year-old.

Laurie

In 2012, I Learned That........

Dawn of a New Year

January 1, 2013

Today is a new day, the beginning of a new year.....and oh what promises lie ahead. Everything is fresh and new. 

Someone asked me, recently, if I had made any New Year's resolutions and I answered, no. Mostly, because I believe that resolutions, if broken, tends to seem like a failure opposed to not meeting a goal you set for yourself. Not meeting a goal doesn't mess with your psyche as much as a failed resolution. Goals, if not met, can be reassessed. You learn from them and you get a do-over.  I set quite a few goals for myself in 2012 and can honestly say that I met most of them. And since this time of year typically causes one to fall into a full blown case of "retrospection", I would like to share a few of the things I learned in 2012.

1.    In addition to taking care of yourself physically, you must take care of yourself mentally and spiritually.

2.   Nothing is ever as it seems. (This can be especially good to know for someone with an overactive imagination....I'm just saying...)

3.    You make time for and even crave the things you are passionate about.

4.    Hiking is more than a walk.....it's an adventure.

5.    Just when you least expect it, your husband of 32 years can still surprise the heck out of you. (Best Valentine's Day eva!)

6.    Kayaking is one of my many passions. Kayaking is more than a boat ride....it's an all-out, alligator fretting, thunder and lightening, monster waving adventure!

7.    Although seeking great adventures can result in being in the middle of the Murrell's Inlet creeks during a thunder and lightening storm, you are so glad you had the experience and wouldn't trade it for the world.

8.    Nuts (use your own imagination) are sensitive by nature. See item #2.

9.    I love running!

10.  Nothing is more powerful than running your first 5K race. The feeling of accomplishment you get from that will blow your mind.

11.  Dramamine works! Depending on how many you take....they may work too good, causing you to fall asleep in places you never intended.

12.  Writing a blog (baring one's soul to the entire World Wide Web) is very soul cleansing.

13.  72-73 degrees Fahrenheit with a light breeze is my perfect weather.

14.  Laughing to the point of snorting over the funny things your grandchildren say is the best medicine ever.

15.  You must listen to the experts. If not, this thing you've been trying to avoid the most will happen. (Slight injury....major bummer.)

16.  There are people out there who genuinely want to be your friend. You HAVE to let your guard down and accept it.

17.  Everyone needs alone time.

18.  Green juice is healthy, healing, energizing and tastes AWESOME!

19.  People are sent into your life, when needed most.

20.  Last, but not in the least.....as a matter of fact, probably the most important.....There is no problem that can't be solved through prayer! My favorite verse of all times....."When a believing person prays, great things happen". James 5:16

I'm going to wrap it up by giving you a few of my goals for 2013. These goals may be added to during the year or reassessed and tweaked, but for now they are:

• Begin a swimming regimen
• Learn to speak Spanish, fluently and maybe French
• Continue to lose weight
• Run a few 10Ks
• Run a half marathon
• Begin working on my scrapbooks again
• Continue to research my family history
• Finish my first quilt completely by hand (I have actually made several quilts with a sewing machine....just haven't finished the one I'm making by hand, yet.)

Did you set any goals for yourself in 2013? Come on, tell me a few. Accountability is everything!

Oh wait, in case you were wondering...........

How I spent this first day of the new year:  Watching Cliff and friends compete in a mini triathlon

Miles run today:  Maybe 1/2 (still nursing my knee, but had to get somewhere fast)

First meal of 2013:  Eggs Benedict

Number of friends sharing in this first meal of 2013:  4 plus the hubs = 5

Talk soon,

Laurie



Christmas Revisted...a liar and a thief

Running stats.....in case you were wondering.  

Total miles today: 4.2

Total miles run hurting: 3.2 (Something going on with my left knee and hip. Need to figure it out....don't want to be sidelined.)

Total miles walked: 1 (trying to recover from the pain)

Ran with: Whitney (Priceless)

Run route: The track at my old Alma Mater...Andrews High School

 

This is my daddy. This makes the 5th year that he has spent Christmas in Heaven. And this Christmas, he may have turned over in his grave. Because...................

It's official. I'm a liar and a thief. All I can say about that is that drastic times requires drastic measures.

It all began three weeks ago, when we found out that my daughter, Whitney, was able to come home for Christmas, after all. She wanted to surprise her grandmothers, so she asked us not to tell them she was coming. I had to shush Cliff a couple of times. He almost let the cat out of the bag, but not me.....I lied like the best of them. When Mama and Mrs. Wanda asked if Whitney was coming home, I told them no because her husband had to work and she didn't want to leave him alone. They said things like..."I am going to miss Whitney this year, I sure wish she and Jason could come home for Christmas." I tried to console them as best as I could...while lying through my teeth. I really started to feel bad for them; they were genuinely sad that they were not going to see Whitney and Jason this year.

Christmas Eve, Whitney was scheduled to leave Denver at 5:10 pm. I had already been glued to the Weather Channel to follow the news of the snow in the Midwest and the rain and tornado warnings in the east. I was concerned about the weather causing delays or even cancelling flights altogether. And, as luck would have it....her flight out of Denver was delayed. Now, she had a connecting flight in Chicago that was scheduled to leave at 8:55 pm. But because Denver's flight was delayed by 50 minutes meant that she was going to have only 5 minutes to change planes. It was down to the wire. She arrived in Chicago at 8:50 pm. For some reason, the flight leaving for Charleston was being delayed by another 5 minutes....so she had a slither of hope to make the connection. She said she came off the plane with about 15 more people RUNNING. An airport employee asked Whitney if she was running to catch the flight to Charleston and she said, "Yes". The employee told her that they were holding the plane for them. Thank heavens for Christmas miracles. She made the flight with no time to spare.

Christmas Eve dinner is always spent with my side of the family. And then my children always spend Christmas Eve night with us and even Santa Claus visits my grandchildren on Christmas Eve at my house. So....I was busy all day Monday cleaning, making the beds with fresh linens, baking and cooking the dishes I was taking to mama's that night and wrapping last minute gifts that FedEx had delivered that day. I did not stop to take note of the toilet paper inventory. And, as luck would have it.......I ran completely out. I didn't have time to go to the grocery store to buy more....I had too much to do. Aha, found a box of Puff's Tissue that would work until I could get to the store.  OMG! These tissues have Vicks Rub in them. Well....we'll just have to grin and bear it. Drastic measures!!

So, off to dinner at mama's with all my family. We visited and caught up with each other, ate and opened gifts. Cliff and I had to excuse ourselves a little early, but couldn't say why. I lied again, making up some kind of story. All the while, Cliff was tracking flight times on Southwest Airlines from his phone. So off to the airport we go. I was so excited that I nearly forgot about the toilet paper emergency. We stopped at two stores on the way to the airport and both were closed. OK, so what now? I sure hoped the Puff's Tissue, albeit a little infused with Vicks, would last through the night. We got to the airport with less than 10 minutes to spare before Whitney's arrival. So, I made a quick potty break, which reminded me once again of the lack of toilet paper back at my house. I never saw it coming, but right there, at 11:50 pm on Christmas Eve, in the Charleston International Airport bathroom, I made the decision that would forever label me as a toilet paper thief. I roped off  three or four feet of airport toilet paper and stuck in my pocketbook. I was desperate and it was so easy. I walked to the gate to meet Whitney and no one was the wiser.

Christmas morning....that toilet paper came in mighty handy. Emily never knew the difference. Holla!!  My grandchildren were surprised by Whitney. We told them she hitched a ride with Santa. Whitney also surprised her grandmother's. They both were so shocked. I don't think I've ever seen Mrs. Wanda jump up out of a chair as fast as she did, when she saw Whitney walk into the room. And the next day, when we visited my mama, she looked like she was going to faint..like she had seen a ghost or something. It sure was a successful Christmas this year. We pulled off three great surprises and a major toilet paper emergency was averted. I spent awhile trying to regain my status as a "truth teller" and begging forgiveness for taking such drastic measures as stealing toilet paper from the airport bathroom.

I'm wondering if I need therapy.

Time will tell.

How was your Christmas this year? Did anything exciting happen at your house? Tell me about it in the comments below.

Hallelujah! I have been reformed,

Laurie

Sunday Night Conversation with Sawyer

This is Sawyer. He's my grandson. He's six. And, he's hilarious!

Lidia and Sawyer are spending the night with Cliff and me, tonight. Cliff had them playing in the woods again….building shelters, building fires, cooking, etc. Boy did they need a bath, when they were done! So, after dinner I drew Sawyer’s bathwater and he proceeded to tell me that he could bathe and wash his hair by himself. Alright then. I went into the next room to be near.

He’s six.

How clean can he possible get by himself?

The bath conversation went like this:

Sawyer:  LaLa!!

Me: What’s wrong?

Sawyer:  I got soap in my eye.

I go help…..later….

Sawyer:  LaLa, I’m daydreaming.

Me: About what?

Sawyer:  LaLa, how long can you daydream?

Me: All day, I guess.

Sawyer:  I can’t help myself from daydreaming. (Remember, he’s six)

After a good 20 minutes…...

Me:  Sawyer, are you finished? Did you wash your hair?  

Sawyer: No, I was daydreaming and didn’t have time.

 LOL!!!!

Until the next convo,

Laurie

Introducing Miss Bones and Our visit to the dentist......

Warning.....for those who read between the lines: This post, while some truth does lie here, is merely a what if scenario.

Most of you know her, but for those who don't....I would like to introduce you to Miss Bones. She has lived with me now for 4 years. She was my constant companion in X-ray school.  For a while, she just bore it all. Had no shame....just walked around the house naked as a jay bird. But then she started reading the fashion magazines and decided she liked what she saw. In no time at all, she was sporting the latest in fashion trends. Miss Bones loves to dress for the holidays and Christmas is no exception. So without further ado, I present.....Miss Bones a.k.a., at this time of year, as Mrs. Santa Claus.

Miss Bones dressed for Christmas toting her new Thirty One Bag

Miss Bones prior to her dental work

Miss Bones recently had some dental work done. For the longest time she had a silver tooth. Neither one of us thought too much of it. But, when she heard I had to visit the dentist, she asked if she could come along.

Well, we both thought we were getting the royal treatment when we heard the words...Crown, Porcelain, and Diamond burrs. I mean, really? A Crown?!? Ok, let's do it then. So we made appointments, had our temporaries made and then rescheduled to have the permanent crown placed; which is where this post picks up......

Just a little background information....I had a bad experience at the dentist's office as a child. I had to have some fillings and of course, when there are fillings, there are shots. My dentist, at the time, was an elderly white-haired man with hands as big as they come. And I know he tried to get both of them in my mouth a time or two. But that's not the traumatizing part. The traumatizing part were the shots! Oh my sweet mercy, those things hurt!! I carried that experience with me into adulthood.

Fast forward to some 30 plus years later. I'm still geechy from the dental experience I had as a child. But the more I visit my new and improved dentist, the better I feel (actually, he's been my dentist for many, many moons now). Anyway, my appointment was yesterday to have the permanent crown placed. Now, I have already had the temporary made and yes, I had to get shots in order for my dentist to do the work without having to peel me off the ceiling. And you know what? I didn't feel a thing that day or this!! He was so gentle...the only thing I felt was him holding my lip out of the way. Ok, he did squeeze my lip a little, but I handled it. Now for most people, a couple of shots of Novocaine or Lidocaine would work fairly quickly, but no.....not me. I had to sit a few minutes longer so the Novocaine could really kick in. Mind you, this is by no means my dentist's fault, it's just how I'm wired. Did I mention that my dentist is uber gentle? So, for the appointment yesterday, I needed  a couple of shots of Novocaine so that the Dr. could remove any material left over from the temporary. Again, I felt nothing. Now, I had the luxury of sitting and waiting to get numb. They asked if I wanted a magazine, but I declined on the grounds of I'm half blind without my glasses, which I did not have. Miss Bones was as content as can be out in the waiting area reading Vogue and Oprah magazines.

Anyway, here I am sitting in the operatory, waiting, waiting and just waiting. Well...........a girl's mind begins to wander. I started to wonder.........what if my dentist drops the crown in my mouth just as he's about to place it on and OMG, I swallow it? Ewww, cold chills....shutter! Get that thought out of my mind. Because then, what would have to happen next??? I'm just guessing here.......but can you retrieve a swallowed crown? To save somebody some money? Oh my gosh....Laurie....change the subject.  Next, I wonder...what if my dentist accidentally poked me in the lip with the Novocaine? Ewww, cold chills....shutter! I'm sure that would hurt. Oh wait! What if you could use Novocaine or Lidocaine as a cosmetic filler for the lips? You could call it Pucker-lip-ocaine. Get it?  Lord, I'm gonna be rich when I tell my dentist this idea. We can market and sell this stuff. Women would pay good money for it. Uh oh, I hear voices. Voices! They're getting closer! Oh, it's just my dentist and his sweet assistant. Heart attack scare averted!  They want to work on my tooth now. Sorry, I have to go.

In the end, God love her, Miss Bones got a shiny new porcelain crown...no more silver tooth for her. And I got my shiny new porcelain crown......shined up real purdy with my dentist's diamond burr. Ah....the joys of keeping up your appearances.

Miss Bones with her shiny new porcelain crown

Laurie