Running Anniversary -- My "I am a Runner" Birthday!

It's not that I was born to run -- I am pretty sure that is not the case; however what I do know is that running makes my life better. I live for it and I live really well with it -- I am good runner, not great, likely I will not win races but I WILL finish them and I will love nearly every step :0 One year ago today I ran, enjoyed and crossed the finish line of my very first half marathon. Climbing the massive hill, I had no idea was part of the course, I was certain my heart would explode; crossing the finish line I knew my heart would overflow with the joy of completing something I have work so hard to train for. I was hooked! The feel of race day, the group of runners gathered together, the wind in my hair, the competition, the thought that my husband and son would be waiting for me at the finish line big smiles, clapping and yelling "GO MAMA GO!" The feeling is like no other, I will say I race for the training, the goal, but I love race day -- I feel alive and vibrant, I feel inspired and inspiring, even when the race is tough I know I am there because there is something to gain, something to learn, something to take home.... Today was the best day ever, I ran 13.11 miles as a celebration of how far I have come in one single year -- from half crazy to ULTRA crazy. This journey is very much my own -- however I know that my journey touches many lives because it makes me sparkle and sharing my sparkle is what I do. Today and everyday I am grateful for the run, for my legs, my lungs, my heart, I am thankful for my determination and the fact that I live under the belief that we can do anything that we put our minds to. My heart is overflowing!

Running with Math

Several months ago my running partner and I were out for a nice 12 mile run, we were quietly making our way up a hill and she turned to me and said "Are you counting?" We both laughed.. YUP, I was. I love to count things on the run and everywhere else. I love to play with numbers even and odd -- my very favorite number is eight but whose counting (: I add up miles, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. I count the number of times I would need to run the length of my small town to reach 16 miles. I count breaths, birds on the run, I count minutes and hours on the run, sometimes I count the moments, especially if I am hungry and have no food. I count the number of miles I plan to run in one year of races. On the long run I count the steps to the next snack, I count several trees ahead when I tell myself it is okay to walk for a few minutes. While there is marvelous meaning in the numbers that I love to count it is the process that I enjoy, the intention I set with the numbers and my relationship with them. Filling time and space with movement and forward motion. For me doing math on the run is as fun as the run....

Live with Intention

I have been teaching yoga for five years, practicing since 1992, seriously for shorter periods of time in my life, spanning into longer periods spanning into years, landing on today. I have discussed "intention" both as a practioner and as a teacher. Today I discovered this idea "What if we set an intention for all the different things we do in our lives -- disciplining our children, cooking a meal, our work projects, our workouts, readings, writings, long runs and short runs, races, interactions with friends and loved ones. Setting and sharing an intention reveals who we are, it also allows us to regroup and reassess if things go astray, intention infuses life with meaning. I open each of my Yoga classes inviting my students to set an intention for the practice -- my go to phrase is "Take this moment to set an intention for your practice, bringing meaning to the movement, the breath and the space in-between." As I set out for my run today I pause and breathe in the moment reaffirming the fact that this is where I want to be, what I want to be doing, this is part of me, this is a gift, as natural feeling as my favorite running shoes and in that moment I set my intention to set intentions in my life, to follow through, to keep it real, to enjoy, to inspire and to be inspired.