Blast from the Past

When I was a young wart hog. . . .

Lion King was one of my favorite movies and my passion was soccer. Last week, I was able to relive the dream of being Mia Hamm (only very awkwardly and in a wildly eye-foot uncoordinated fashion) with some of my colleagues. We had raised money for United Way and this was the 5th floor versus the 4th floor competition.

Recently, I was told that one of my high school soccer coach's current players was feeling pretty down and that some of the other girls on the team were not happy with her.

You see, he had a rule; if a player left ANY paper or trash on the field, EVERYONE would have to RUN at the end of practice. By run, I mean lung-crushing sprints back and forth on the field or jaded jogging peppered with a whistle getting blown which meant you had to run as hard as you could until that whistle sounded again.

Oh, the agony!!!!

WELL! To encourage his player, he told a story of old, ...

Once upon a time, long, long ago there was a player on his team who not only loved soccer, but loved to run; a mid-fielder who thought she had a clever plot. The hard and fast paper-trash rule had been imposed and players diligently reminded each other NOT TO BREAK THE RULE or the drudgery of dashing across the field would ensue!

...It happened once...then it happened twice, ... then sporadic appearances of paper and trash strategically placed on the field...happened less and less sporadically. "WHO would do this?! Who would purposely place paper on the field!"... said the puzzled players. "Coach!"..."Yes, he is slightly sneaky like this!" they postulated.

Nope, not him, he said. ...

"Who then!"... said his current player. My coach continued.

...Molly Nunn, said my coach.


...............................................................................................................And I'm still running!!

Getting the Racing MOJO Back

It's pretty interesting when you do a Google image search for "mojo" ....WITH um content guards in place. Everything from Austin Powers to energy drinks to golf balls and humming birds to strange cartoon characters and power bars and rock bands with greasy hair to angry monkeys pop up.

Lately, I have polled some of my closest running advisers on how to get the GRRRRR back for racing. I've reached out to those that are borderline Gandalf the Gaunt Runner to those who although the force is with them, they are not quite Jedi yet.

I can't exactly run around screaming "I'VE LOST MY MOJO!! AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!" That doesn't seem appropriate!

I'm not even quite sure how to describe it! And speaking of Austin Powers; Dr. Evil calls it "The life force. The essence. The right stuff. What the French call a certain... I don't know what."


Exactly! "An I don't know what!"
 
There is no rain dance, battle cry, secret hand shake, meditation, medication, mantra, fiery-coal walk, chanting, ranting, or potion that is working!
 
Training hard and dedication to the workouts is there, now I just need my racing mojo back.
 
Any advice on this matter is welcome.

Loss.

Nobody can truly prepare for this kind of thing. It's not like a race where I can train my mind and body and soul to peak on a specific date and at a particular time.

Yet there is a particular quality that is inherent on race day; you just do not know what will happen, you just trust.

On Wednesday morning, I got a text from my mother saying to call her immediately. I was in a meeting and assumed that it was nothing important. The next text arrived, "granny has died." Here's the race day,  - and any kind of preparation I had for this, flew out the window.

I wasn't exactly sure how I felt --- and then spent the next four and a half days feeling non-stop emotions, all transient, all moving too quickly, all smacking me right in the face and heart. I burst into tears driving home from work, I found myself trying to be okay with it knowing she is in a better place, I tried to run from it, I tried to embrace it, I tried to laugh and be happy because I know she would want me to...and finally, at the grave side, I lost it. And I shut down, at loss.

At the funeral, the preacher recapped discussions with the family on Jean Baber, my grandmother. Everyone agreed on the perfect adjective; "feisty." I second that and I resemble that. There was a wild fire that ran in my grandmother that never stopped burning - burning for love, her family, and for commitment. She did not live a perfect life, no one does, but she did unquestionably fight for and run her life, by her personal morals and convictions. And we as a family know how true she stayed to them up until the very end.

At the very end of the day, everything comes down to loving each other, committing, staying true to our morals and beliefs, being true to ourselves as as we discover who we are, making both the easy and tough decisions --- and never looking back.

Life is too short.

Shadowplay

                             

Over the weekend, I was in Charlotte for the Charlotte Museum Mile race. Finishing in 4th with a painful 5:27, I was happy with this effort as I had only done one speed workout in this entire spring season - that workout was last Wednesday night. Eesh.

Getting back into the swing of training and on a consistent schedule is something that I am truly ready for. I am now used to my new schedule having started with a new company earlier this year - and so now it is time to add my favorite spice back into the mix; running-training-racing-writing about it.

In the past few months, I have found a love for capturing my running adventures via photos. Last Friday night the weather was absolutely gorgeous and as I ran on a green way that goes around the Charlotte area, I found a wooden walkway which proved to be fun for some photo play with shadows. Here are some of the pictures - and edited, for fun.

The Art of Success

Today, I watched the Boston Marathon live on the Internet while simultaneously tracking my favorite hometown runners. At mile 24 of the women's race, the reported temperature was 82 degrees whereas the average Boston temperatures for this time of year are somewhere in the 50's. The 2012 Boston Marathon would not just be about speed and strength, but about something that takes digging much deeper.

"Success Is Not Gained By Strength But By Perseverance," one of the commentators said.

As I watched the women's winner, Sharon Cherop, being pursued by Jemima Jelagat Sumgong all the way down to finishing within seconds of each other, I found myself completely entranced. Cherop crossed the finishing tape and after a few seconds her legs gave out and she fell to the ground - complete and total exertion.

Wesley Korir won the men's race and during the last 500 meters, I could not help but wonder how the electricity and excitement must have felt rushing through his veins.The commentators called it "a life-changing race." His life would change with this victory and $150,000 in prize money. What struck me was a comment made that many times the Kenyan runners do not use the entire amount of prize money for themselves, but to help others back home or provide opportunities for education, better housing, medical needs, et al.

I recognize that this may not always the case, but what a concept...

Congrats to all those who competed today in the 2012 Boston Marathon.

Putting the Phun in Photos, and Running!

AND....We're Back! Last time, we traversed St. Patrick's Day. The next holiday that grocery stores now sell candy 17 months, 3 weeks, 6 days, and 2 hours in advance of was EASTER! I've always loved sweets; this is why as a child when the pink 'candy' shell came off and all that was there was a stinky, white gelatinous substance, ...

... enough said.

 

As runners, we know the importance of fueling and getting the right type of nutrition; otherwise, we feel like the bovine above. Recognizing that we each have different nutrition preferences, here is a taste of mine. I love to run and I love to eat!

With Spring having sprung, the temperatures are getting warmer, and so we must properly hydrate all day. For those of us that prefer to run in the evenings, it is about hydrating during the work day whereas those that prefer to run in the early mornings, must focus on re-hydrating and replacing nutrients lost on the run. Either way, the point is simple....Hydrate!

I love Sweet Tea. I love that this is ONLY 99 cents.

In the mornings, I drink coffee.

In meetings, I like to drink Green Tea.

It's probably14:30; I need nap.

Not an option.

I grab this.

I'm AWAKE! Bring it ON!

I LOVE Chocolate Milk. I like to drink this in the evenings after runs.

It has protein. It is also delicious.

I don't eat snails, but impressively this molluscan has been here for over a month.

He may be dead.

Breakfast is truly important. Generally, I have yogurt with cereal. A granola bar. Or on this day, a sausage biscuit. I was excited.

However many miles that are being run during the week, it is important to get the right amount of carbohydrates. I enjoy bagels with peanut butter and jelly.

I make baked spaghetti for the week. It's delicious.

SPRING! Still trying to figure out WHERE to look on this iPhone camera.

Is this it?

For Easter, I went to Atlanta.

It rocked.

Chilled in a field at Kennesaw Mountain. I love Spring.  

Gorgeous views are abounding.

Getting ready to run. Loving the weather!

Some of the most beautiful views.

Cheers to running and Spring!

WHOA! Time flies!

In the days following my February 7 post, a great deal has happened. Instead of a written journey, I am going to take you through a photo journey.

...which..... will begin on the day I got my FIRST (i.e. not a hand-me-down or hacked) phone. And iPhone 4s and I fell in love.

I was extremely excited. This is the very first picture I took.

Next, I had been offered a job with Aon Hewitt. Aon sponsors Manchester United. I was to start at the end of February. I took the job.

One of my friends built an indoor track and I competed in a Master's Meet...

The track is spectacular. And green abounds, my favorite color.

New job on the horizon. Was sad to leave my former coworkers.

Needed caffeine.

Valentine's Day, this was written on the inside of my chocolate.

I ate the chocolate and photoed the wrapper.

I love my iPhone.

Album Cover if I ever start an 80's band. Started my job with Aon and explained to my coworkers that there is an 80's band for every letter of the alphabet; this lead to AWESOME car ride and dinner conversation.

From my uncle.

He rocks.

Still loving my iPhone.

Back up. The week before starting my new job, I took my first trip to Asheville.

I was exhuberant.

Got to Asheville. Went on running adventure. Got lost near a Walmart.

Realized it had been an hour and a half, needed to head back to hotel.

Survived. It had snowed at home, 963-ish feet above sea level.

It snowed at 3500ft in the towns above me.

Did not snow in Asheville!

Watched the sun go down from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Time to start the new job. Need energy.

Surprised dad. Had a gun rack hand made for him; made from the wood of a Jack Daniels whiskey barrell.

Very cool.

Watched X-Men First Class. Not as good as the others; liked this quote.

First week at work; 14:30, four-hour conference call. Everyone...sleepy.

Corner of my eye, see this THING fly by, scream. Laugh.

Wakes everyone up. We all go to window and take pictures.

I love my iPhone.

My view.

I love it!!!

GENIUS! First company business trip to Chicagoland.

Business Training. Nutrition is imperative.

That's Aon's headquarters. The one with the lights at the top.

Chicago, home of DEEP DISH PIZZA!

First business trip was good.

First road bike adventure in over two years...got up to 30.5 mph.

Sticking to running.

Love my new job!

Found that getting to the office super early = awesome sunrises!

AMAZING IDEA!

Sweet potatoes, chicken battered in crushed brown-sugar crusted pecans, butter...OH MY!

Breakfast of Champions. LOVE TruMoo!

Ok, so I did run some. Sunrise at Equinoxilizer 4-Mile Race in Durham.

That afternoon, ran and won the Old Town Draught House Beer Run! Happy St. Patty's Day!

I did attempt to run a third race that weekend, the Tobacco Trail Half Marathon...

I dropped out. Legs were not so happy with me. Lesson, noted.

And the celebration.