...Air That I Breathe

Days to Chevron Houston Marathon: 21

Training Schedule 20 miles, My plan for today 4 or 5 miles
4.47 miles  52:28    11:44 pace
8:20 AM 38 degrees


I had no pain in my right heel yesterday.  Zip.  Zero.  Nil.

My head was another story.  I'd been battling a headache (what was it, a migraine?) for days.  It seems like everyone I've come across has had some kind of sniffly/sinus/headachy something.  I didn't really feel sick.  No fevers and no more sneezing or congestion than usual for me living in what sometimes feels like the pollen and mold capital of North America.

I've had a raging case of insomnia - probably the worst I've ever experienced in my life.  I fall asleep in my chair around 8:00 each night (wow, ghost of my dad much?) and fall into bed exhausted by 8:30.  Then I wake up around 1:00 or 2:00 and can't get back to sleep until 3:30 or 4:00.  My alarm slams me into the start of each day at 6:00 and I drag myself to the shower to lather, rinse, and repeat.  This has been going on for about 2 weeks.  About as long as I've backed way off my running. 

Cause and Effect.  Yeah.  That didn't take a licensed medical professional to figure out.  But I did.

I had to start moving again.

I bought a weighted hula hoop.  Not childs' play, that one.  I broke a fingernail with it.  Yes, I did.  Go ahead and laugh.  I did.  I'm also gauging the amount of core workout I'm getting by the amount of soreness I'm feeling.  I'm guessing it's a lot.  I listen to 60's surfer music while I use it.  Only seems right.

So, back to today's run.  My headache was gone.  Yay!  My heel didn't hurt.  Yay!  It was cold and the sun was shining so bright I needed my shades.  With the first few steps, I felt stiffness at my heel but not pain.  I took it slow and easy.  I ran around the little FakeLake out here in Stepford. 

I didn't take music with me.  All I needed was:

The cool air moving in and out of my lungs.  It swept last week's stress from my body.  Yes - I think that way and it works for me.

Happy thoughts.  (Wow, this woman really IS reaching!)  Wait, I mean it.  I felt so bombarded with negativity last week that I let the positive sit unappreciated.  I have many, many things for which to be grateful at this time.  This morning I let them cycle freely through my mind, lingering in a hazy daydream, and I allowed myself to spend that time being appreciative for my family, for my friends, for the lessons I learned this week, for my health, for silly bursts of laughter, for an upcoming vacation, for risks.

Big birds sitting on stumps in the water.  They didn't move.  They just sat there.  I wondered if they were thinking, or sleeping, or what (?).  Anyway, they were beautiful and for a moment I wished I had my camera but I'm kind of glad I didn't.  I think if I had stopped they might have flown away and that's not what was supposed to happen today.  For any of us.




©Michelle Scofield, Dec. 22, 2012 All Rights Reserved