I have a lot more reasons to run, than to quit.

I have a confession to make...well I guess it's not too much of a confession considering that I would tell you, even if you didn't ask.  It has been very difficult for me to convince myself to run every since I finished my goal of the half marathon.  Admittedly my original goal once I got comfortable with running was the Columbia Crossing over the bridge in Astoria.  I know I have expressed this before, and do you know, I haven't even signed up for that race?  Oh I might have signed up before the half, but it didn't allow registration until July 1st!  And let me tell you that on July 1st the last thing on my mind was a 10K, not with 13.1 miles being three days away.  I was strongly considering doing the Color Run with some friends from church, but after spending the evening before my race in DT Portland, I decided I didn't want anything more to do with that part of the city for a while...the rest of my life would be just fine with me, but knowing that most races in this area come from there, I will be hard pressed to stay away.

  I left for California to visit my friend Teresa two days after the race.  I knew I needed a rest period, but I didn't want to take too long.  The first night we were there we went to eat at the Old Spaghetti Factory in San Jose.  This place is truly a tradition for my family, and a favorite of mine.  Kurt and I had been there in years past BC (before children), and I wanted to take my girls there.

Well with dinner like this, and previously informing you all of my weight loss success, I knew it wasn't going to be long before I needed to pound the pavement.

  I really hadn't much of an idea where I was going to run, so I decided on a two mile run to start off.  I ran around the neighbor hood.  There were a lot of turns to get my miles in.  I was worried I was going to get lost...I know with a GPS that is next to impossible, but I didn't want to worry about staring at a map to get back home, so I found myself weaving in and out of courts to get more miles with being less far away.  I really don't like to stray too far from my starting point (something I have learned about myself.)  That day I ran those two miles, My brother inlaw took the girls to his uncles house for a BBQ so Teresa and I could spend the afternoon together.  Teresa wanted to go on a hike.  She said it wasn't a hard hike, that is why I got the two miles in before hand.  But in the back of my mind I kept hearing "don't underestimate her" You see Teresa is one of those people who is not afraid to go head to head with a grueling work out if it provides enjoyment to her.  Trust me, over the years I have been led on an excursion or two.  

 This was at one of the plateaus overlooking the Santa Teresa Golf Course

 It was about 80 degrees

This is just a view of the beautiful golden hillside

So I did not infact underestimate, and I was correct not to do so.  This hike was beautiful, but also not for the lazy.  My feet hurt afterword.  I have walked in my running shoes on one other occasion and I really do think that my running shoes are NOT meant for walking, either that, or I just don't walk as well as I run.

  The next run was a couple days later.  It was a 4 miler on a totally different route.  I LOVE the fact that there are so many sidewalks to chose from!  Where I live it's all country roads and I have to practically throw myself in a ditch to give a car room to pass me without having to go into the oncoming lane of traffic.  With that being said, there are also stop lights.  That make you stop.  This run did not have too many of those because part of it was residential.  That day we took the kids to the pool, and that felt very refreshing.  

  The last and final run of that vacation was Thursday 5 miles, my second to last day there :(  I knew I had to do it because I was not going to be able to run for the next 3 days.  I ran up a busy road, and hit a nice incline over an overpass.  I was making very good time on my runs in California despite the heat because it was all flat.  The last run I did at 6:30 in the morning, the garbage truck woke me at 5:58 and I tried to go back to sleep, but my conscience got the best of me.  I hit a lot of lights, my GPS pause button got a good work out. 

   I noticed there were more bicyclers in that area than runners.  I never did see a 13.1 sticker...I did see ONE 26.2 though.  I couldn't believe it.  Around here in the PACNW I see those stickers every time I turn around!  The more I tried to schedule a run, it was easier to figure out why.  If you want to run in the summer there, you need to either take it to the treadmill, or plan your runs super early in the morning, or late in the evening, I usually run early in the morning anyway, but it is so different here.  

  Before I went to bed last night I got my running apparel prepared.  I knew I couldn't have one excuse to plague me.  I woke up with my love at 4:45 this morning, kissed him good bye and sat on my couch drank coffee and had time with my Jesus reading all about Him.  By the time 6:00 am rolled around I started getting dressed.  This is of course after getting the animals taken care of too.  I grabbed my lucky socks out of the dryer, donned my favorite running pants, and new shirt I got at the Columbia employee store (had to throw that in there :))  filled up my hydration pack, strapped on my phone/music/GPS...why am I saying all this?  because if it seems boring and slow, that is how it felt.  Not the boring part, but the slow part because you know what it was don't you?  Procrastination!  I know I had to do all these things, but I was being deliberately slow... why???  I do like/love running, I really really do!  Once I got on the road I was doing good, once I cleared a half mile I was feeling great!  The run was fabulous, and while I was on it, I was thinking.  I have been wanting to be a long distance runner as long as I can remember.  I keep having flashes of times in my life where I have started out walking, but then always challenged myself to try running a little.  EVERY TIME!  Why did I not keep it up and strive for the distance?  Because it hurt, and I never knew that if I would have kept going, the pain would have eventually lessened, and during certain parts of the run, gone away.  I never knew that the reward at the end was far worth the pain.  I think back to my sister in-law who has been a runner/athlete every since I knew her, and I was 100 kinds of impressed with how she could push herself like that.  There have been a lot of writings of why people run.  So many of them ring true for me.  I have a lot of reasons...a lot more reasons to run than to quit.