Saying YES to Life. Saying YES to Detours.

Yes.
An affirmative answer or decision.
Yes.
Such a simple three letter word.  But such a powerful one.  Saying yes means we are embracing something.  We are accepting it.  We are in agreement.  Yes.  The word just comes sometimes without even thinking about it.  Like when I'm listening to a message or reading a section in a book that resonates with me on a deep level...Yes.  Or it came today when I was reading my friend Petra's blog (as it often does with her blog).  Yes, yes, yes...those words came to me as I read about her travels and resolutions.  I nodded in understanding when I read about her intentions for life.  Yes.  The word came and I didn't even realize that the title of her post was "Yes".  

Since the new year, I've definitely been in Yes Mode.  Saying YES to living.  Saying YES to life as it comes my way even when it scares me.  Even when I'm led to take a detour of sorts.  After all, it is the detours in life (literal and figurative) that take us in ways we never would have gone before.

How many of us have been driving along on our normal routes, eyes glazed over because we've done it so many times....not noticing much around us...just doing what we do day in an day out, only to be stopped in our tracks by the orange construction signs and roadblocks.  Detour.  At first we are frustrated.  Thoughts of being late or inconvenienced cross our mind.  But in the end we get to our destination.  And you know, so many times, during my detour, I've noticed things I'd never seen before if I'm relaxed enough to go with the flow and look around instead of grumble and have a scowl on my face.  I've been forced to drive through neighborhoods or down streets that are completely new to me.  Many times it proves to be just a drive but sometimes it opens my eyes to something else that ends up changing my perspective or gives me a new idea about something else.  Sometimes those detours end up giving me ideas for other things that I might not have thought of.  I might notice a small business that I hadn't known about before, or a section of neighborhood with beautiful homes, a path that I had no idea I could have been running on...so much.  In the end, I'm usually glad for the detour in some way.  It woke me up.  Got me out of my daily grind and forced me to do something new even if it meant that I was only driving down a street I'd never been on before.

Detours and saying YES is all about where I'm at today.  Monday, January 14th.  I'm saying yes to life as it comes.  Finally, the things I've been telling myself over the last few years are sinking in when it comes to really owning up to the goals I set.  Going easier on myself, not taking myself too seriously, enjoying running just for running, taking chances and dreaming big, getting rid of guilt, training smart...these things (that Petra also mentions in her blog..another reason I LOVE)...I'm getting the hang of these things more than I ever have before.  And not running the past few days really hasn't been all that bad.

I've said from the beginning of this training cycle that my main goal was to run happy and enjoy the process.  Do I have goals?  Yes.  But is it the actual marathon race time that determines the success of this training?  No, absolutely not.  This training for me is about having something in my life to keep me driven and working towards being my best self.  It is about finding peace and clarity through running during a time where we are in the process of "Daring Greatly" with our adventure move to North Carolina for a bit.  So, from the get go, my goal has been to be SMART and listen to my body.  And I'm happy to say that I'm doing that.  Even when it means that being smart means taking that DETOUR.

Last week, my hamstring started shouting at me that it just wasn't ready to run.  So since then, my days have involved lots of rolling, stretching, icing, epsom salt baths, KTape, swimming, pool running, cycling, and positive thinking.  It has been such a freedom this time around to just accept this detour and enjoy the process that it leads to. To not take this training thing and myself too seriously. In the past, things would have been so different.  I would have seen this setback in such a different light.  Glad for the perspective shift and the peace that has come with the new year.

I'm glad for posts like Petra's that make me want to say YES to Life AS IT COMES...not necessarily as I WANT it to come. Even though a lot of it just as I want.  And I'm happy.

 I'm saying YES to the detours in life.  Because when we really stop to think about it, the detours ARE life.  The Detours are where some of the greatest living and lessons come from.  

This was a goal for myself written in my journal from many months ago.

What's something you are saying "YES" to in your life right now?  Or a detour you can say "YES" to instead of seeing as an inconvenience?  

Amanda

The Price We Pay...

The Price We Runners Pay To Run Injury Free:

Ice Baths ---The WORST torture possible when it comes to running (in my opinion)

Foam Rollers

Sticks

Weird looking compression sleeves on various parts of our bodies

Drinking disgusting looking shakes and smoothies

Standing on our head gargling peanut butter

Lots of $$$ on running shoes every month or two

Funny looking colorful tape on various parts of our bodies (we are surely setting fashion trends)

Massages...the NON-Fluffy kind

Stretching with ropes and other odd objects

Sitting on Ice packs

Physical Therapy

and for some of us,

Graston Therapy (as I mentioned in my last post) that gives you oh so sexy black and blue stripes on your legs and other various body parts.  Thank Goodness it isn't bikini season, right?   And, hey people, it is JUST a leg with shorts here so don't go getting too "Oh my, did you see the sleazy picture Amanda posted?!" Ha!

Painful?  Yes.  Does it work?  I think so.  For me it does.  My bruises hurt but as far as my body as a whole, I feel much better AFTER the adjustment and Graston on various places...hip, IT band, and back. I've also had it on my pelvis, hamstring, and feet.

My 13 hilly miles on Sunday after my harder 7 and Graston on Saturday was much easier than I would have expected before my visit to the doc. I do plan on continuing this if needed.  But for long term solutions to the IT band and hip issues I need to get my form straightened out.  My feet turn out a bit when I run.  Or a lot. I'm really trying to be more conscious of keeping them landing facing forward and not out like a duck.  We'll see how that goes.  Old habits are hard to break but my Chi Running book is convincing me that it IS possible.  So bring on the second of four 20 milers this Sunday. Oh, and by then I'll have some new Brooks PureFlows2 to join me.  New shoes are a MUCH more enjoyable price to pay for a healthy running body.

I'd say all these fun little  runner things we do to keep ourselves RUNNING are worth it.  We might seem a little strange to the outside world of people who don't run, but hey, at least we have other runners who "get" us.  I do think Graston might be a little extreme even for a lot of us runners out there though. Whatever it takes. It's a price this runner is willing to pay.  

What's the weirdest (to the outside world) or most painful "price" you've paid in the name of running?  Honestly, I'll take Graston over an ice bath any day!  I'm done with the ice baths for...well...hopefully forever!

Amanda

Hodgepodge

This blog is becoming such a familiar place of comfort to come "home" to after a long day.  Funny how once I entered blog world and started thinking "blog", I see all kinds of things that inspire me to write.  Today I kept a list of things I wanted to put in my blog for today so be prepared for a hodgepodge of material here. 

First Self Kinesiology Tape Experience

Today was my first time buying Kinesio Tape and trying to tape my own hamstring.  I'm used to my awesome chiropractor doing it for me but now that I don't have to go to therapy as often, it is time for me to tape myself.  To help me get a visual, I used pictures that his assistant took of him taping me.  The pictures helped a little but let's just say my tape job isn't worthy of a picture to share with you.  When he tapes me, it usually lasts a week.  I can swim with it, shower, go on with my life without even noticing it.  Not the case with my tape job.  Maybe tape job # 2 will be better.  This stuff wasn't cheap so I need to learn quick so I don't waste it! 

How awkward!  Dr. Forcum makes it look sooo easy!

Okay, fine, here is shot of my first tape job.  Looks similar to what it should look like but definitely doesn't feel right.  Tomorrow I'll try again. 

Race Date Set and Confirmation Complete

I'm officially registered for the Hippie Chick Half Marathon on Mother's Day 2011!  Such a huge step for me in my return to running.  It will truly be a celebration of running, motherhood, and life.  A couple of my girlfriends are doing it too! 

Working Out With Kids Around 

Today was one of those great days that I was able to fit in a Jillian Michael's Workout and my kids were perfectly content to let me do it.  In fact, my 3 year old joined me and my 16 month old happily played at my feet while my 5 year old drew a picture of it all.  Check out her awesome picture.  I look so happy because I am! 

 The Follower Thing

 I have to say that this word "follower" just doesn't sit right with me.  It just seems like there could be a better word in the blog world for a person that reads your blogs regularly.  Any ideas?  Follower just reminds me too much of junior high school.  Despite my distaste for the word itself, having followers really is exciting!  I went to bed last night with 9 followers and woke up this morning with 14.  I feel really silly at how encouraged and excited I am at this follower thing.  But when it comes to blogging, it really is exciting to know that people are "on board" to read your blog and welcome you to the blogging community.  So, that is my small celebration in the blogging world for today!  I just need to remember that my kids hear everything I talk about and they pick up the lingo and use it too.  The other day, my husband and I were talking about someone (nothing to do with blogging) and my 5 yr old daughter shouts out from her room to interrupt our conversation that she overheard and says "Hey Mom, you really should be her follower because she's cool"!  Okay, that's just embarrassing.  Please don't say that in public honey. 

Running After Kids

I didn't get my mile run in today like I had planned.  By the time I did homework with my daughter, went to a school fundraiser dinner, got all the kids home and ready for bed, I was not only exhausted, but it was pouring rain outside. Driving to the gym at 8 p.m (in the rain) just to get on a treadmill for 11 minutes of rehab running sounded about as fun as ______________(you fill in the blank).  Does running after my 16 month old son in the restaurant and trying to make him sit politely at the table to eat his dinner as he threw french fries across the room count? Or does it count that I let the girls cover my table with glitter glue and sequins? 

I Love Dr. Suess
I think I'll end this blog with a quote by Dr. Suess that made me smile today.  My mom used it as her facebook status and as soon as I read it, I knew it would be one for my favorite quote collection. Here it is:
"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find
someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them
and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."  -- Dr. Suess 

Happy Monday,
Amanda