November Running Recap

First off, no pictures in my posts for awhile, until I figure this Picasa Album stuff out.  I just was notified that I used up my whole allotment of free album space and thus have to decide whether to purchase a monthly fee/coverage to have Picasa continue to post my pictures on the blog.  Anyways, I'm waiting to hear back from my techy friend to figure this out.  So moving forward...

November Running: Total Mileage- 80 miles.  Miles I have left to run to finish my goal of 1,000+++ in 2012= 76.  So about 19 miles/week until the end of December.  I feel like this is pretty doable if my "old bod" doesn't fail me.  So here are some of my favorite quotes from "The Runner's Book of Daily Inspiration" by Kevin Nelson  Of course you also get my take or explanation on why the quote or Kevin's take on the quote struck a cord with me.

November 1: "There is something healthy and invigorating about direct action" - Henry Miller, writer

Kevin's take: Time is running out.  Winter is on its way.  Get off your duff, and get going.  What, you wanted subtlety? Subtlety, schmutlety.  Sometimes what a person needs is a good, stiff kick in the rear, and this is it...Don't stew, don't fret, don't pine, don't try to work it into your schedule.  Just get out of bed, and get going.  

I thought this was perfect considering I only had two months left to reach my goal of 1,000 +++ miles in 2012.  Instead of over analyzing the mileage I needed to do to reach my goal I just needed to get out there and get running.

November 2: " Who promised love should be happiness? Nature may have some other end." - Mark Rutherford, poet

Kevin's addition I thought was beautiful.  Here it is.
You can't keep it inside you; you have to let it go.  If you keep it inside, it will tear you up. 
     Sometimes it seems as if loss defines life.  Certainly it's part of it, but it's not all of it.  Joy is a part of it, too, a big part.  
     Though it may not seem like that right now.  you're upset, angry, shocked.  Those are all understandable emotions.  You have a right to feel the way you do.  What happened is unfair it's not right...
     Go for a run.  That will help a little bit, though of course it won't change the situation.  But while you're running you'll be able to think.  Or maybe you won't think about it at all, which might be the best thing that could happen to you right now... Loss is part of life, to be sure.  But joy is part of it, too. And running will help you find it again.  

I haven't truly experienced the above loss as of yet.  Yes, I've lost some dear relatives (grandparents, etc), and lost friendships of friends at the time I didn't think I could bear to lose, but life moves on and the above loss sounds so deep that I hope when I do experience this kind of loss I will be able to reflect back on this post and "Go for a run."

November 7: "I changed my belief from an external focus- beating others-to an internal focus.  My self-worth was based on doing my best.  I would compete only with myself." -Henry Marsh, steeplechaser

Kevin's last line on this day is great: Define success based on what others are doing, and it will always be elusive to obtain.  Define success based on your own goals and aspirations, and you may yet find it."

November 11: "In our ever-more mechanized society, marathoners want to assert their independence and affirm their individuality. Call it humanism, call it health, call it folly. Whatever it is, our ailing world could use a lot more of it. " - Eric Segal, marathoner and novelist

Kevin's response: "Running is an expression of freedom, an assertion of independence and individuality.  For a very long time, long distance runners were branded as crazy eccentrics.  Only in the past two decades have the sport and its participants moved into the social mainstream.  But running's essential nature remains unchanged.  When you run, you separate yourself from the masses; you step away.  This is an American quality.
     People who run are often also passionate about self-improvement- another uniquely American characteristic.  

If running helps me improve my self than it can't be that selfish of an act or time away from my kids, my husband, my housework, etc.  If I am a better "self" maybe then I'll be better to my kids, to my husband, to my work.

November 26: "Hell is a full of talented but Heaven of the energetic." - Saint Jane Francis de Chantal

Kevin wrote "Perhaps you feel sluggish and uninspired today.  run and you will feel better instantly.  
    That's the way it is with this amazing activity.  Whatever your mood, running will put you in a better one.  It creates energy...Let running create energy for you.  And let that energy carry you to great places in your life."  

I totally agree with this.  Running for me is like reading.  I don't think it could do me wrong.  Like reading, running, inspires me, gives me energy, makes me happy, takes me away from real life.  I'm so thankful to have found running.  I may not be getting any faster or going any farther, but I think it has made me better- better in the sense that it forces me to be by myself- no talking, just listening to music, podcasts, audiobooks, but really sometimes I'm not really listening to that stuff I'm listening to my clarity/ my ideas in my head- my breath.

November 27: "Clouds today-great archangel wings across the sky." - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Kevin then used this quote to look at how sometimes as runners we run despite the "clouds" and we make it and beat the clouds before they break open.  I liked this quote above because it was written by Anne Morrow Lindbergh and she wrote "A Gift from the Sea"- one of my favorite books- book is about things she learned/observed during her time at one of my favorite places- Sanibel Island.  So I couldn't not add this one in.  In general I don't get put off by the "clouds" and many times I do just miss them from "breaking open" and if they do "open" sometimes  it makes for an even more fun/exciting run.

Well onward to December.  Happy Holiday Running!