Let it Rain

Today was my 35 minutes jog. I have a workout schedule now thanks to my wonderful husband. Mondays I run quarter mile "sprints." Believe me...I use the term "sprint" loosely. My fastest so far is 1:47, and I used to run them under 1:10. Anyway, Tuesdays I just do a long 35 minutes jog. Wednesday I time my 3 miles. I'm still trying to get that down to 27 minutes. Thursday I run half mile "sprints," 4:04 being my best time. Then Friday (if my ankles make it that far) I time my mile.
This morning I woke up around 6:30. I knew it was supposed to rain, so I stayed in bed for about 5 minutes just listening. If it was coming down hard enough I was going to sleep a little longer and then head to the gym when they opened. I didn't hear anything so I got up, went through my normal morning routine, grabbed my water, put on my shoes, and was out the door...only to be met with rain. It was a fresh rain. I could tell it had rained earlier, but that this was a new one. It was a light drizzle, I was already up, so I headed for the track anyway. By the time I got there the rain was coming down a little bit harder, but still not hard enough to turn around. I did my warm-up lap, stretched, and began the jog. By my third lap it was coming down hard enough that I kept having to wipe it away from my eyes. By my fifth lap it was pouring down. I was wiping my eyes and forehead every 15 seconds, and I could barely see. Rather than continue for the whole 35 minutes I decided I would finish up two miles and head home, but by the end of the second mile, it let up, and I vowed to finish. One slow lap at a time, now weighed down with an extra 7 pounds of wet clothing, I approached my 35 minutes goal. The rain came down hard again around lap 10, but I had gone to far to quit then! By my last lap I looked down and noticed that I was raining too. I was so completely soaked that with each stride water was sloshing off of me, but I was smiling like a lunatic.
I wondered, "What must the people passing by the track on their way to work or school be thinking of me?" It may have been my rain soaked imagination, but I really thought they were slowing down to do a double take at the crazy person running in the pouring rain. I figured they were thinking one of two things.
1. WOW! She's an absolute nut!
2. WOW! She's extremely disciplined!
While I am a bit crazy, and it did occur to me that if I didn't suck it up and run it would make it that much harder for me to do it the next day, I'm not an absolute nut, nor am I really that disciplined. What it's about is doing just one thing for myself. Every run I take is a small victory after the years of ankle drama I have been through, and these days, I rarely make the time to take care of myself.
So, yes, as my stopwatch hit 35:00, and I realized I'd had dryer pool workouts, I was smiling...praising God for another great run.
It's funny, because I spent much of my college career dreading our 6:00 am pre-season and post-season workouts, and I knew if I got up and it was raining it was going to be that much worse. But as I ran today, I thanked God for the coaches I've had that have taught me how to push myself through anything. I mean, come on! Back then I had a reason to survive those workouts. I was playing a game that I loved and wanted to excel at more than anything. Now, if I can force myself to run through a rain like that only for the minor victory of getting it done (and knowing I have the kids to take care of the rest of the day), then maybe I am super disciplined. It seems I've underestimated myself, friends. But I digress...
As soon as I got home, the rain stopped, the sun came out, and it was beautiful the rest of the day. It occurred to me that in life we are often thrown a little rain, or in some cases a monsoon, and God wants to bless us through it. He wants us to have faith, stick it out, and receive our reward!
For me, what was once a dreaded torment, is now a simple mother's reward. Trust me, it surprised me too.

Mission Statement

I haven't written creatively in over five years, so in honor of my very first blog, I'd like to open with a poem.
I've recently come to a very depressing realization about my life. As a mom I am constantly planning and trying to keep something resembling a schedule. Every second I am thinking about the next second, every hour I am planning the next hour, and every day I seem to always be thinking about the next day. Rarely do I step back from my multitasking mommy persona and just enjoy the moment that I am currently living. I challenge myself as well as all you readers out there, mommy, or not (we all have everyday routines), to find the cure for the common day.

Set aside time to be goofy.
Pick a time; pick a date.
Spin in circles
until you can't walk straight.
Laugh until you cry,
pretend to fly,
stretch you hands into the sky,
and pretend you're really tall.
Build the tallest tower ever
just to watch it fall.
Instead of just typing it
actually roll on the floor...
laughing.
Make the everyday choices
not to be a bore.
Speak in funny voices,
tell stories;
not lies,
color outside the lines.
Make forts,
inside or out.
SHOUT
for joy.
Buy a toy.
Play dress up,
or dress down.
put on that gown
you said you'd never wear again.
Dance like no one's watching.
Let go and sing;
sing along
to a song
you don't know.
Whatever you do,
do something outrageous.
spread the uncommon,
because common's contagious.

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It's certainly not my best work. It's scribble really, but it speaks to me, and I hope it speaks to you. When was the last time your spun in circles until you fell down?