Destination: Life!

Welcome to
Destination: Life!
Discover your passion. Live your purpose. Love your life.

Destination: Life! is my new life coaching and retreat business. The official website is currently under construction. Until its launch date, please enjoy my blog, chronicling my journey to a marathon and the life lessons learned therein. 

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On the surface, the marathon is my destination.
Life is the journey that will take me down that path.
And it may or may not lead to 26.2 miles.

This blog is not about running. It is not for runners. 

I write to anyone (runners included) who has a desire to overcome the obstacles of life that prevent it from being lived to the fullest. May the telling of this tale encourage, inspire, and dare I say, entertain others.
Will you join me on the journey?

(Read more...)

I Did It!

See this?

Yep. That's my medal.

My medal for finishing the Chicago Half Marathon.

Yep. It's mine. I finished. I did it.

I DID IT!!

And wanna know something really cool?

I ran the whole way. 

That may not seem like a big deal - but you must understand that in my training I ALWAYS walked some of the run. Run five minutes, walk one. Five. One. 5:1.  Even on my "easy" runs in Seattle I did some walking. And, I fully intended to walk some in Chicago. 5:1. But I didn't.

I ran the whole way.  Hehe.

(OK, I must allow my precise self to speak for a moment. There was some walking involved. I did walk through the aid stations. But I still think it counts because a) I was FORCED to walk through the aid stations (pretty hard to get water with thousands of other people without slowing down) and b) it's really hard to drink while you are running.)

My friend and neighbor, the great Patti Digh, wrote a little book, "Four Word Self Help." It's full of simple four word guidance for life. I read it this week and was struck by her guide to running a half-marathon: Take People With You.

That is exactly what I did. Each mile was dedicated to a person, and I intentionally thought of them as I ran their mile. I was amazed at how this simple act impacted my run. A half-marathon is a LONG time to be alone. Two hours and twenty-seven minutes, to be exact. Think about how much time that is! It could have seemed endless, save for my intentional focus on who was "with" me in each mile.

Some of these folks I know better than others, but each has impacted me in their own way. I asked each person what they would like me to focus on for their lives. When their mile came, I thought of that person and that thing. I considered how it was our paths had crossed, what their impact has been in my life, and then I spent the bulk of each person's mile considering their request. I tried to imagine where each request came from, wondering about that person's soul and journey - intentional time just for them. It was so rewarding to allow myself to "feel" each person as I ran. I was not alone.

As for the race itself, there were sooo many emotions that went with it:

It was almost unbearably exciting to start. Me, one little runner, among a sea of bodies, shoes, bibs and iPods.

I felt a twinge of fear in the first couple of miles. After crossing the starting line, I was like, "Is this it? Just this? Running, for the next two hours?" Uh oh...  (And I thought of Tim and Brad.)

It felt peaceful in miles three and four as the crowd spread out and we all found our place among each other and settled in. (And I thought of Tia and Jason.)

I felt encouraged at miles five and six, when the course came out of the park and started up Lake Shore Drive. Yvette was with me at mile five as the view became spectacular! Mile six had the most amazing view of downtown Chicago, and I felt very grateful as I took in the beauty and thought about Desiree, my mile six dedicatee.

I felt checked out in mile seven. I remember the dedication (you were there Jill!), but my body was saying, "Uh, Dani? Are you aware you've been running for over an hour? Let's stop this now and get some food!"

I felt challenged and amazed in mile eight. It was my first really hard mile, the first mile where I was aware of how physically hard this feat was for me (which, I must say, I am proud of myself for running the first seven miles relatively pain-free!) It was fun to see my mental training kick in. The thought of stopping did not even cross my mind. I buckled down and worked with the fatigue, grateful to all of those runs in Asheville where I thought I was going to die but kept going anyway.

The amazement in mile eight had to do with that mile's dedication. It was hot, I was sweating and overheated, yet I got chills when I sent out the energy for Paula, my mile eight dedicatee. I ran the last half of this mile with a silly grin on my face - hot, chilled, and in some pain, but with a grin all the same.

I felt tired in miles nine and ten. I had rounded the corner of the out and back portion, and was aware that I was past the halfway point, headed back toward the finish. Oh but there were still miles to go. I was running quite slowly, remembering that "I don't have to go fast. I just have to go." I tried not to let myself think about how much was left. "Do not think about mile thirteen. Just think about THIS mile. Be in the moment. Be with Lori. Be with Karen."

I felt sad and grateful in mile eleven. This mile was dedicated to one of my best friends and former roommate who was killed in 2006. She and her family were crossing a street as pedestrians, and a drunk driver ran a red light and hit all four members of the family. My friend Becca (right) and her two babies, ages 2 & 4, were killed. It was to her husband Frank, who survived, that my thoughts went in mile 11. Additionally, I reflected on how profoundly grateful I am for her presence in my life. She was an incredible human soul, and I am so blessed to have had our paths cross for the time they did.

Mile twelve was the hardest. I had the first thoughts of "I might not make it." I was so tired. It had gotten very warm. And I was so close - SO CLOSE - but yet so far. I thought of Mary and somehow got through the mile. (Thank you, thank you Mary dear!)

In mile thirteen, my energy returned. All of a sudden throngs of spectators lined the sides of the road, cheering on very weary looking runners. I had been running nearly two and a half hours at this point, and the sudden burst of energy that came from their support was exhilarating! There is nothing like running along and hearing a total stranger call your name. In mile thirteen I hear, "C'mon Dani! You can do it! You're almost there!" I look up, and am looking in the eyes of a complete stranger, smiling at me and giving me the thumbs up. Tears came to my eyes...I'm still not sure why. Something about the enthusiasm of a total stranger who seemed, in that brief moment, completely focused on my success. It was a great feeling.

Then, I saw him. Kirk, my love, my support, my husband. I am not sure how I found him in the huge crowd that was there. But I did. And as soon as I saw him, I knew I could do it. Mile thirteen had been dedicated to him, and it was quite a feeling to be thinking of how grateful I am for him, and then to see him. It was just the boost I needed as I neared the end of the race.

Oddly, when I crossed the finish line, I must be honest and say I felt a little let down. I think it's because I put so much into this - months of training, worrying, preparing, researching, eating, strength training, etc., - and as I crossed the line, it was all over. I had done it. I had succeeded, made my goal, done what I thought was not possible. It was finished.

Amazing accomplishment. And a little disappointing.
Ah, but isn't that what life is? Amazing and disappointing all at the same time, moment to moment. 

I didn't run this race alone. This medal I hold was only possible because of the many people I took with me. Not just the thirteen names written on my arm, but also the people who encouraged me along the way. So, I say THANK YOU, to each of you who came with me:

To those of you who have sent me words of support.
To those of you who helped me fill my play list.
To those of you who have let me know my efforts of blogging about this journey are not in vain.
To those of you who encouraged me while I ran so slowly and you ran so fast!
To those of you who allowed me to take the inside lane.
To those of you who laughed at the crazy things I did while training.
To those of you who supported me in my midlife crisis (ha!)
To those of you who let me rant as I worked through the mental game.
To those of you who spent hours IMing with me to teach me about this sport.
To those of you who talked to me each week, encouraging me in the next step.
To those of you who offered advice and wisdom in this journey that I knew so little about.

And, to those of you who have told me how I have inspired you. I cannot tell you how much those particular words have meant to me. I finished this race, in part, because of you.

You are each a part of this journey. You are each a part of this personal victory. I could not have done it alone. Patti is right when she says that the way to run a half-marathon is to Take People With You. And so I am filled with...

Gratitude - deep gratitude - to each of you who has come with me.

Until next time, may you love your life today.

I. Am. Ready.

Today the counter on my blog shows the Chicago Half Marathon is four days away.

The event I have been training for since February is four days away.

I set a goal that I thought was out of my reach. The completion of that goal is four days away.

I thought it impossible and, yes, even insane to consider running 13.1 miles, all at the same time.

The time at which I will do exactly that is four days away.

Anyone who knew me prior to this year knows that I am not an athlete. Exercise was an eight letter dirty word. Running was ridiculous because, let's face it, running hurts. Anyone who knew me before this year knows that I have 3 bulging discs in my lower back that have, at times, rendered me unable to walk, let alone run. There has been a lot of healing in my back over the years, but I never thought I could be a runner.

And yet, here I am, four days away from running the most miles of my life.

I have prepared for this moment.

7 months.
88 runs.
394.5 miles.
From 5 miles per week in February to 25 miles last week.

I am ready.

I need to remember this. Big goal. Small steps. But steps taken every day. Oh, there is a fabulous life metaphor there.

I. Am. Ready.

Chicago, here I come.

~~~Thoughts~~~

Is there a something you want to do that seems impossible?

Imagine what it looks like, feels like, smells like, sounds like, tastes like to have achieved that goal. Really feel it in your mind.

What is one small step you can take toward it? 

If you aren't sure, or still think it is impossible, may I suggest you enlist help. A friend, mentor, coach. Find someone who can help you see and believe that nothing is impossible.

Until next time, may you love your life today.

Choosing Life on this First Day of Fall

Greetings, blog readers!
Today is the first day of Fall, my favorite season!
(I am not hung up on such technicalities as the fact that the "official" first day of Fall isn't until Sept 21st. Today is September. In my book, that's Fall!)  ;)

Take a look at this picture:

What do you feel when you look at it? What emotions does it stir? How about this one:

 

Or this one (imagine you, here, hot chocolate or red wine in hand):

 

Or, one of my personal favorites:

 

Fall. Autumn. The end of Summer.

Cool. Crisp. Cozy. Colorful.
Leaves. Fireplaces. Fleece. Pumpkins. Apples.
Soups. Pumpkin Bars. Apple Butter. Cinnamon. Hot Chocolate.
Butternut Squash. Sweet Potatoes. Gingerbread Cookies. Chili.
Apple Cider. Spiced Tea. Oktoberfest brews. The return of red wine.
Corn Mazes. Pumpkin Patches. Apple Orchards.
Thanksgiving. Harvest. Rakes. Dances of leaves in breezes.
Piles of leaves to bound into!

If you haven't noticed, I love fall.
I love the contrast of going from my least favorite season to my favorite.
I love the relief from hot days and hotter nights. (And not hotter in the good way!)
I love how the cool air seems to disintegrate mosquitoes instantly.
I love that it begins a seasonal journey of joy and celebration,
communities coming together around the many and varied holidays this season holds.
I love decorating my house for fall - pumpkins, leaves, candles.
I love stacking the firewood that will get us through the winter.
I love that the season culminates in Thanksgiving, a time of gratitude.
How appropriate that it is in Fall.

Today I woke up with a large to-do list. Yet I spent the morning curled up with a good book, heavy robe, and hot mug of coffee. I just wanted to love life today, to mark the coming of this season. I wanted to snuggle in with the first day of Fall, The Cozy Season.

It is now mid-afternoon on this first day of Fall, and my to-do list is not getting done. My to-do list is filled with life-draining tasks at the moment: Clean out my inbox. Write the new product marketing collateral. Edit the training manual. Update the forms for the client. All "shackles on," life-draining-just-survivin'-responsible-person-in-society to-do list stuff.

It will not be this way forever. I am well on my way down a road to living the life I am meant to live. But, today, the to-do list does not have much life.

So today I rebel. I want life today, this first day of Fall. And isn't that paradoxical? Fall represents the cycle of life leading to death. Yet I find it so very life-giving. I mean make-me-want-to-burst-out-of-my-skin-I'm-so-stirred kind of life-giving. And today I am choosing life-giving activities: Journaling in Starbucks while I indulge in a Pumpkin Chai Latte and Pumpkin Scone. Reading a book about finding your destiny. Building relationships via social media with incredible people. Joining a group of fellow life coaches for group support and mentoring. Bringing a friend a gift. Sending a friend a gift. Taking my dogs for a walk. Consciously choosing peace.

Not every day can be just this. Some days require action on the to-do list, life-giving or not. But not today. Not on the First Day Of Fall.

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~~~Thoughts~~~

What do you enjoy about fall? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Until next time, may you love your life today.

Eighteen Days

 

Today I got an email from the Chicago Marathon Organizers informing me that my half-marathon is in 18 days. EIGHTEEN DAYS. (Excuse me for a moment. I must hyperventilate. Talk amongst yourselves.)

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OK. I'm back.

So, as I was saying, the half-marathon I have been training for for six months is now in 18 days. Until today, the day has always seemed REALLY REALLY far away. I mean, I started running six months ago. 24 weeks ago. 180 days ago. 4320 hours ago. 259,200 minutes ago. A long time ago. It's easy to say you will do something insane...in the future. Well, folks, my future is getting closer and closer. In 18 days. EIGHTEEN DAYS! (Oh wait. I already had that rant. Sorry.)

I don't feel ready. This week's runs were harder than I would have liked for a race that is so soon. Overall, I don't have many training runs left until the big day. It seems to me they all need to be good from this point forward. Maybe that's just inexperience talking.

My training week started with my body's refusal to let me run the track workout. I only run three times a week. This workout is a third of my week's training. On the surface, I was upset by this. However, if I were to tell you the truth (as I have a nasty habit of doing), I'd tell you that I was THRILLED to have a reason to skip that track workout. (Those things are hard, man!)

I did run twice last week - a seven-miler and a 10K. And they were hard miles, discouraging miles, painful miles. I don't think I was fully healed, and I really struggled. I began questioning my desire to run a marathon in May 2010 (again, a time that is really far away.) If seven miles is so consistently hard, what would 26.2 be?? As I ran up a big hill on one of my runs, I dismissed that thought, finding wisdom in the idea that making a decision of such magnitude should not be done while sick, hot, soaking wet from humidity, aching, thirsty, or when experiencing the burning pain of a shin splint on your right leg that won't seem to heal. No, decisions like whether or not to run a marathon should be made while eating Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies, lying on a coach, rested and showered.

So today I sit, pondering eighteen days. Yes, last week was hard. Yes, overall I have had a hard time in my training. And yet, I know I have come so far. Maybe today needs to be a day for remembering:

* Six months ago, I couldn't run more than 20 minutes. Today, I have run 105 minutes in one outing. Twice.

* Six months ago, I weighed 8 pounds more. Today, I weigh 8 pounds less.

* Six months ago, my thighs were one blob. Today, I have AWESOME quads you can SEE!

* Six months ago, I couldn't run up Hillside (a street often on my route). Today, I can run up it easily.

* Six months ago, I did not know about Sunset Drive. Today, I have discovered one of the most beautiful parts of Asheville.

* Six months ago, I had no running clothes. Today, I have gear that makes me feel good when I run.

* Six months ago, I blundered with nutrition. Today, I have learned how to eat for health and energy.

* Six months ago, I struggled with depression. Today, I am much more joyous and grateful.

* Six months ago, I knew no runners. Today, I have a slew of friends I meet up with at the track.

* Six months ago, I felt lost. Today, I feel confident and excited.

* Six months ago, I had no blog. Today, I have met some very cool people through this format.

* Six months ago, I had no blisters. Today, I have three.

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Best of all, running and blogging has encouraged me to pay attention to the lessons of life. I have grown in not only my physical ability, but I am stronger mentally. I feel better about myself, and have a keen awareness of the role choice plays in my life (choose to run or not - choose to stop on this hill or not).

Life is full of choices. Yes, the past few years of my life have been really, really hard. And now, I choose to take charge and create the life I want. Running and otherwise.

Today, I am choosing gratitude for where I've been and what I've learned. In running and in life. And I choose to be REALLY REALLY EXCITED about the Chicago half-marathon in 18 days. EIGHTEEN DAYS! I can't wait! 

~~~Thoughts~~~

Think of one thing in your life right now that makes you feel negative/anxious/overwhelmed etc.

What choices are you making in how you deal with it?

Can you make different choices that will shift your perspective?

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Until next time, may you love your life today.

Just Look At Your Shoes

As I previously reported, running in Seattle was great. More than great. Fantastic! Euphoric! Loaded with sea level oxygen! But now I'm back home, running in Asheville. And it's a whole 'nother story. This was a hard week...mostly.

I won't continue to gripe and moan about the heat, humidity, hills and mountain air. (Well, I might, actually. But if I do, I want to state for the record that I think Asheville is one of the best cities in the world! Not too big, not too small, full of eclectic people, arts, restaurants, and of course, the Blue Ridge Mountains. I love it here. I mean, look at this photo! Isn't it gorgeous!)

It was a bit of a rough ride getting home. (You know the story: flight delayed, promises of departure in 20 minutes, 2 hours, 4 hours, oh wait, flight's canceled! No seats till next month, no other airline can possibly accommodate you, you're staying the night with a $15 food voucher in a restaurant where the cheapest thing on the menu is $23, and MAYBE you'll get home tomorrow. All the while kicking yourself for flying for "free" when if you had only been on Delta and had your Platinum status...) We finally got home at nearly midnight on a Monday night.

Tuesday night's track workout should have been very doable for me. But it was so HARD! I wussed out and did less than 50% of the workout. I must note here that I never have been able to do the full workout, even on my best day. These people are SERIOUS and FAST! But I had worked my way up to doing about 70%. Not this Tuesday. I was so tired. I chalked it up to a bad workout and let it go.

Then Thursday's tempo run came. Six miles that should have been no big deal. I ignored the sore throat that kept me up the night before. I refuse to get sick. Law of Attraction? I will not get sick!

It was one of my worst runs ever. I did finish it (yea me!), but my mental game was off the entire time. I swore at Asheville's inevitable hills, I walked much more than usual, I had a hard time breathing, and I was so TIRED! I blamed it all on Seattle and its sea-levelness, a joy that seemed to mock me now. I was not acclimatized.

By the time I got home from the run, I was sick. It was 85 degrees outside, and I was freezing. I shivered for a good part of an hour. My throat was on fire. I came to the realization I had just run six miles while ill. (And I apparently don't have that Law of Attraction thing figured out.)

I spent Friday and Saturday knocked down a bit by illness. Sunday came, and I was to do a long run (9.3 miles). My husband, friends, and even my dogs tried to convince me not to run on Sunday. They tried to rationalize with such silliness as "take care of yourself." Ha! But I MUST run. I couldn't imagine the feeling of that day without doing the long run. For a woman who has NOT been into fitness and exercise her whole life, save the past six months, I wondered who the heck I was and where Dani had gone. In the past, a morning on the couch vs. a two-hour workout? Uh, no brainer! Couch baby!!!

But not now. I WANTED to do that long run.

It was quite a shift for me.

I was congested but not feverish, had a headache but there are drugs for that. I got up, got dressed, went through my eating routine, got in the car, and prepared to run. My husband and I went together (I think he wanted to make sure I'd be ok, sweet man), and when I got out of the car, I felt awful. "Nine miles" I said to myself. "You really think you can run nine point three miles, the LONGEST you've ever run, feeling like this?!" I had a moment of self doubt. Was I being an idiot? I had had a fever the night before. Would this make me sicker? Was I putting my half marathon in jeopardy? Is it really worth it? Doesn't the couch and a movie sound sooooo much better....??

Then I looked down at my shoes.

I can't explain it. But something about seeing my shoes reset my brain. I thought of my own advice, "Just put your shoes on." There they were. On. Ready. Even if my brain was caving a little, my shoes were there to carry me. It was a little odd. But I went with the feeling. I just looked at my shoes, and got a sense of peace and knew that I would be ok. 

And wouldn't you know it, I went on to run one of the most positive, challenging, fun and mentally easy runs I've had in Asheville.

All because of the shoes.

~~~Thoughts~~~

What are your "shoes?" Do you have an object that creates a positive, motivating feeling when you see it? If not, what would that be?

Until next time, may you love your life today.

Re-Energizing the Running Passion

See this beautiful picture of a lake smack dab in the middle of a city?
This is Green Lake in Seattle.

Last week my husband and I took a trip to the Emerald City, the place we met, the place we suffered, the place my life changed forever. It was so good to go back, to reconnect with old friends, to take a 3-day getaway to Orcas Island, and to live life as if we had no responsibilities whatsoever.

But here's the best part. I fell in love with running all over again.

I haven't exactly fallen out of love with it. In fact, I have taken significant mental strides to deal with the hills that define my town, the heat that is summer, and the humidity that is living in the South. I have managed to run through the screams of my Inner Tori, to overcome muscle fatigue and to trick myself into dissociation. I have figured out how to eat the day before a run, how to hydrate properly, and dear lord get some sleep the night before. Running is still a challenge in Asheville, every day I run, but I have fought through it and somehow, six months later, I am still running.

Then came Seattle. See this lovely path and lake? It is Green Lake, up close. The lake has two paths around it: the inner loop at 2.8 miles, and the outer loop at 3.2 miles. But its best feature is that it is flat. Flat Flat FLAT!

Google defines "flat" as "having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another."

No part is higher or lower than the other. It just goes on and on. There's no up. NO UP! Conversely, a hill is "a well-defined natural elevation smaller than a mountain." Smaller than a mountain. A MOUNTAIN! Yes smaller, but the mere fact that a hill is compared in any way shape or form to a mountain should give some insight as to why I hate hills so much.

Or, to be more positive, it should give some insight as to why I was so excited to run around Green Lake. FLAT Green Lake.

Oh, but that's not all.

Speaking of mountains, I should mention that Asheville sits at 2300 feet above sea level. And, besides the lake being flat, guess what else is true about Seattle? It is at sea level. AT SEA LEVEL. Now, I realize living at 2300 feet is not like living in Nepal or on the top of Mt. Everest. Heck, it's not even like living in the 5280 feet of my home city of Denver. However, for the new-runner-who-tends-to-err-on-the-side-of-wussiness-and-every-little-thing-makes-a-big-difference, running at sea level was amazing.

You see, at sea level, you can breathe! I could breathe! I ran around and around on a flat path at sea level, filled to the brim with oxygen. My muscles loved me!

Oh, but wait! There's more!

Summer in the south. Ohh, how I dislike summer in the south. During my recent runs in Asheville, the temperature has always started with an eight. 83. 85. And the hellacious 89 degrees. Hot. Hot. Hot. And let's not forget the humidity. 80% on a good day, but usually in the 90% range.

(Side note: I learned why humidity is so awful. For me, being hot is the most miserable part of running (actually, it may be the most miserable part of life.) When running, the body cools you off by sweating. Your body does this with the assumption that the air will absorb your sweat and cool you down. It's a contract air and body entered into when creation ensued. However, if the air is already full of water (i.e., humid), it cannot absorb the water your body produced in its sweaty form. It breaches the contract, and doesn't give one rat's ass. (Come to think of it, why would anyone give a rat's ass about anything? What is so special about the haunches of a rodent? But oh, I digress. Again.) Humid air refuses to absorb any of the water on the body, and so not only does the runner remain a sweaty mess, no cooling takes place! And you stay hot hot hot. And that, dear readers, is your humidity lesson for the day.)

Where was I. Oh yes. Bitching about the heat. Suffice it to say, running in Asheville in the summer is hot and humid. Yes, yes, it could be worse, but remember who your author is (new-runner-who-tends-to-err-on-the-side-of-wussiness). Seattle, on the other hand, was amazing! Temperature? Started with a six! Humidity? Darn close to zero percent and ready to absorb the teeniest bit of moisture (uh, that doesn't sound right) sweat that may appear. Seattle is a contract keeper, I tell ya!

So here's what we've got.

My recent running world in Asheville: Hilly. 2300 feet. Hot. Humid.
My vacation running in Seattle: Flat. Sea level. Cool. Dry.

Ahhh....  :)

Seattle gave me a whole new experience of running. If I've had a hard time calling runs easy before, I didn't this past week in Seattle. I ran 30 miles in four runs over the course of seven days. It was incredible. After each run, I felt like I could go further. I was never pleading with the universe in an oh-dear-lord-let-me-black-out-anything-to-ease-this-pain kind of bargaining. I actually enjoyed the runs. I really enjoyed the six-mile run around this lake (see pic) on Orcas Island! The path was in the woods. And yes, flat.

It is interesting to me to feel re-energized about an activity I am still enjoying. I started running six months (and 326 miles!) ago, and am still enjoying it. (Well, I enjoy the feelings after the runs.) I am not yet in a place of burning out. I still feel good about my goals, am pleased with my progress, am enjoying the challenges (even if I bitch about them from time to time), and am generally enjoying being a runner. That is not the space in which we typically need to be re-energized. I already have energy!

And yet...

And yet I was re-energized. Greatly re-energized. I am more excited about running that half marathon in September than ever! It certainly helps that the race is at sea level. And to think I was going to run my first half marathon in Asheville. Changing my mind about that and booking tickets to Chicago was a stroke of genius! Brilliant, I tell you!  

All of this silliness (and I am feeling silly today) to say, I have found incredible value in having the opportunity to re-energize something before it burns out. I have coached people struggling in their careers who are so burned out that finding the energy to re-engage takes some serious heavy lifting. I have counseled people in passionless relationships where it seems easier to move on than to attempt to find a spark. It is so much easier to keep a passion going by re-energizing it before is dead. Once that flame has died, re-kindling it is much harder than just adding more fuel to an already burning fire.

What if we consciously paid attention to the areas of our lives that might be at risk for burn-out, and addressed them proactively? What if we took a look at our relationships? Nutritional choices? Projects at work? Exercise routines?  Hobbies?

I wonder what could happen if we did that. What could happen?

~~~Thoughts~~~

What areas of your life are you loving right now? Where are you very engaged?

Do you see anything that could cause you to burn out in that area?

What can you do now, while you are still engaged, to fuel the fire?

Until next time, may you love your life today.

A less jet-lagged coffee lover!

 

Girl Talk Thursday - How Do You Unwine?

The title of this post was supposed to be "How Do You Unwind?" But I liked the type-o.  ;)

How I Unwine:

1. A good glass of red wine.
2. Dark chocolate with the good glass of red wine.
3. A good glass of white wine if it's June, July or August.
4. Dark chocolate even without the good glass of red wine.
5. Bubble bath with said wine.
6. Relaxing in a cozy wine bar with hubby.
7. Lighting a real-wood fire in our fireplace, sipping wine.
8. Watching a movie, cuddled on the couch, with wine.
9. Going on a run. No wine.
10. Did I mention wine?  :)

Until next time, may you love your life today.

PS: Don't worry Mom. It's a theme. For fun. I'm not a wine-o-holic. :)

Bele Chere 5K and a PR

Yesterday I ran in my 2nd 5K race of the year, the Bele Chere 5K. (If you are wondering, Bele Chere is "an annual music and arts street festival held in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. The festival has been held annually on the last weekend in July since the late 1970s. It is the largest free festival in the Southeastern United States, attracting over 350,000 people." -Wikipedia)

My last 5K was the Shamrock Run on March 14, 2009. My time was 33:35, or a 10:49 minute mile. Given that I had only started running four weeks prior, I was thrilled to break an 11-minute mile!

Yesterday morning was beautiful! Humid, but a cool 61 degrees at race time. Dunkin' Donuts was on hand providing pre-race calories. I skipped the sugar and fat-laden donut, but, having read that caffeine can boost endurance, I enjoyed a cup of fully caffeinated coffee and half a banana before the race. (I usually drink decaf. It was so good to have the drug back....)

1300-ish people came out for this race, and the energy was tantalizing! I found some of my running buddies, the fast ones, and chatted for a bit before heading to the back of the pack (Racer etiquette. Slower runners don't start in front.)

The gun sounded. The race began. It was nearly 25 seconds before my group near the back crossed the starting line. But, this wouldn't be a problem with getting my time, I told myself. After all, I have a "chip" on my shoe that will record when I cross the start and when I cross the finish, giving an accurate time. No worries.

I felt elated as I began. My hope was to run this race in under 30 minutes, three and a half full minutes faster than I had run in March. It felt like a lofty goal; after all, in my training runs, I had yet to break a 10 minute mile for any distance, and running 3.1 miles in 30 minutes would mean a 9:41 minute mile. Probably wouldn't do that, but I hoped to do better than my previous 33:35.

I really enjoyed the first half of this run. There were so many people! The streets felt narrow and people were close. It was hard to pass (yes, I was passing people!), so I just sat back at times, biding my time until a gap opened. In retrospect, this forced slower pace at the beginning may have been what helped me in the end.

The second half was just hard. It took everything in me not to walk. I had heard that this course is one of the more difficult 5K's. That made sense to me as I struggled up and up and up the long, slow hill of mile two.

I tried to apply what I have learned about running: Sit back, relax on the up hill. Lean slightly forward on the downhill. Let gravity be your energy on the down. It is where you can make up time. Don't stride long, increase your foot turnover. And dear Lord breathe! (I had to remind myself of that one a lot.)

I finally came around the last corner, 600 meters from the finish, mostly downhill. I took a deep breath and ran as fast as I could without tripping, expending little energy as gravity was on my side. The course flattened, and more energy was required. Uh oh. There was no more energy. I was so tired, and totally out of breath.

I heard my name.

Instant energy.

My fast friends had come back to cheer us slowpokes on. Ahhh, the psychological impact of community. I was still out of breath. But I lifted my head up, put a smile on my face, and gave it as much of a final effort as I could, and crossed that finish line.

When I looked at my watch, I couldn't believe it. 28:47. I ran that race in 28 minutes and 47 seconds. I made my goal of breaking 30 minutes! By A LOT (in race terms). That's a 9:17 minute mile, faster than I've ever run.

The rest of the morning was amazing. I don't know if it was endorphins, sheer joy, or the caffeine from earlier, but I was on cloud nine, happy as a clam, fit as a fiddle (oh stop with the stupid metaphors! (Similes, technically, but I digress...)) I felt great. Happy. Excited. Proud. Accomplished. Relieved. Anything positive and I felt it. I drank in the morning and tried to relish the feeling by living in the moment. It was amazing. (The only thing missing was getting to share it with my husband, who was out of town for the weekend.)

Then I saw the "official" results:

Bib: 985 Name: DANI WEBB Run: 29:12 Pace: 9:24

29:12? But I ran it in 28:47. HUH? I later learned that the super techno-chip on my shoe started recording my time as soon as the gun went off. There was no "chip reader" at the start. Very unfair to those of us who start at the back. Net result was 25 seconds being added to my official time. But was I going to let that damper my spirits? Oh heck no! I was way too proud of myself. :)

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Me, feeling (even if not looking) amazing. This was taken about 5 minutes after I finished, having broken my PR by nearly five minutes. It was a good day.

BlogHer@Home09

Welcome to My Blog!

Big thanks to @PrincessJenn and @MyBottlesUp for hosting BlogHer@Home09. I look forward to getting to know some of you a little better!

Peace out.

And, until next time, may you love your life today!

Dani

Girl Talk Thursday - Weird Quirks

I'll get to my weird quirks for this week's topic. But first, a story.

A funny thing happened this week. I won the giveaway for Girl Talk Thursday last week. (See winning post here. Oh. But wait. Winning was not based on my brilliant witticism and amazing skill with the written word. No. It was random. I won by a random drawing.) I digress.

I was thrilled to win! I never win stuff! But here it was, a friendly email telling me I had won something I hadn't even realized I had entered to win. I was so excited. "Tell me," I queried, "What have I won?!"

A gift certificate to an on-line sex store.

HUH??

Now, it's a "classy" on-line sex store, with lotions and candles and oils, but, an on-line sex store nonetheless. When I found this out, I laughed and laughed and laughed. I mean, how does one inadvertently enter a contest with that as the prize?  Not that there is anything wrong with that prize. I mean, people do have sex. Why not a store? It's just a little unexpected, and, uh, personal. Life is funny. You must laugh.

Girl Talk Thursday and its creator, MommyMelee, have nothing to do with on-line sex stores. She's a fun mommy-blogger who has sponsors who provide her giveaways. She makes me laugh. She's helped me dip my toe into the world of how-the-hell-does-this-blogging-community-thing work? (Though she doesn't know it.) I mean, she's a blogger with SPONSORS? Who has that? OK, lots of people. Just not me. :)

That's my funny story, the thing that had me laughing the most this week. Thanks, MommyMelee, and Drew over at Eden Fantasies. ;)

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Now, onto Girl Talk Thursday's topic: Weird Quirks.

1. I never finish a cup of coffee. I leave a little bit.

2. I start every run (that I originate from my house) at the same telephone pole. Can't deviate.

3. I know the lyrics to most songs I've ever heard (if I like them). 

4. I MUST be one of the first people on an airplane.

5. I love doing our monthly budget. Love it.

6. I listen to the same playlist over and over and over. Drives my husband crazy.

7. I use the Facebook status update feature like it's Twitter.

8. I have been known to wake up in the middle of night crying, laughing or screaming hysterically.

9.  I rarely pee. This has been a source of marital strife because...

10. ...I don't like to wait for others to pee.

Until next Thursday....

(And may you love your life today!!)