It's Here! It's Here!!!

It's REAL!

My Dopey Bib Number is HERE!

Today a friend posted her Dopey Bid Number had arrived! I replied...SAY WHAT! So off I went to look for mine. Sure enough there it was! Run Disney email update! Quick as can be I downloaded my waiver and there at the very bottom was my number: 34951. 

I was so excited I did the DOPEY Dance. 

Then I realized that's not the only thing I have to celebrate! 

I also have my Disney Resort Wrist Band so off I went and dug it out from the pile of stuff I've stashed away for this epic adventure.

But the giddyness didn't end there...NO NO NO!!!

I also realized that in just a few short hours I'd be on my holiday break: Not to return to work til Jan 2, 2014!

Combine them all and you have the makings of a REAL blessing! 

May your day also be filled with great peace, joy, happiness, and laughter! 

Namaste!

Dopey Challenge - The Three Pillars of Success

The Three Pillars of Success

1. Passion
2. Purpose
3. Persistent Action

The key to anything in life, and I mean anything, is your ability to persevere; to not give up especially when the going get's tough. The trouble is most people do. They give up on their dreams and their goals. They just accept others opinions of failure as their own.

So the question now becomes how do we persevere when others quit? Here is what I have found to be my truth from my Dopey training. Follow your Passion AND link it with a Purpose! I also found this to be true; the higher the purpose, the more powerful the resolve to continue. The higher the resolve, the more you will need PERSISTENT ACTION.

Passion is a great driver and an absolute must for embarking on your mission. But you're going to need some help to keep the fire going and that is Purpose. In the case of starting the Dopey Challenge, and not quitting when life threw me one curve ball after the next, my driving force - my purpose  - was to tell my son to follow his dreams, just like his mom. If I failed and I know I gave it my all then so be it. But I haven't so I will keep pushing and driving toward my purpose of living another dream. 

I am just a few short weeks from Dopey and this I can say with great certainty; I went from a highly competitive, obsessive compulsive, overly stressed  personality to an adult with the confidence and courage to pursue what matters the most; living a life filled with love, joy, peace, happiness, and laughter.

For now, I leave you with this thought: Believe in your dreams and your heart's desire will follow. 

More to come as the race draws near. 

Namaste

Power Run: Unleashing my Inner Beast

Today I was supposed to do 6 miles. Instead I opted to do one of my Crazy runs. 

What I discovered was I really miss my Animal Flow workouts.

2.5 Mile Animal Flow Workout:

• 1 Mile Jog
• Animal Flow Repeat 3x: 
• Tiger Crawl - 5 yards
• Duck Walk - 5 yards
• Reverse Duck Walk - 5 yards
• Frog Hop - 5yards
• Jog 1/4 mile
• Animal Flow Repeat 3x:
•  Tiger Crawl with a push up - 5 yards
• Walking Lunges - 5 yards
• Reverse Tiger Crawl - 5 yards
• 1 Mile Jog

I know you're probably thinking why? Well, for one it's a lot of fun and two the benefits are unbelievable.

Benefits:

• Balance
• Speed
• Coordination
• Strength
• Body Composition
• Flexibilit
• Cardiovascular endurance

So next time you want to challenge yourself without any weights try an animal workout. 

Meet Mr Scrape...a drag of a friend!

Mr Scrape is one tough dude!

On Saturday I saw this guy dragging a tire while doing bridge repeats. That's not the first time I've seen it. As a matter of fact, just about every time I run the Key Biscayne Bridge I see one or two people dragging one of these thing up and down the bridge. So when I got home I looked it up.

Tire Dragging Benefits

• It helps build strength and hip power.
• It's especially good on active recovery days as it's concentric motion that helps build blood flow. 
• It's great low impact running. 
• It's great high impact running if you decide to sprint.
• It makes you focus on form.
• It's a total leg and midsection workout. 
• It targets some hard to tone muscles like abs and glutes.
• It strengthens your knees and improves your overall balance.
• It simulates running up hill. (This is especially helpful since we really don't have ANY hills in South Florida.)

Equipment

• An old tire: If you don't already have one, you can easily find one at your nearest tire store. Just ask if you could have an old tire for your workouts. You'll be amazed how quickly they will assist. That's how I got my 18 inch tires. Or, keep it simply and go to your local junk yard.
• 3" eye bolt with washer and nut: this is optional as you can simply wrap your rope around the tire. 
• Nylon Cord or Rope: the rope needs to be tough enough to drag the tire. I used a tow strap.
• Carabiner or Snap Link: I used two large Carabiners - one connected to the eye bolt, and the other to the waist hook I created from the tow strap. 

 Put It All Together

• Drill a hole in the tire. 
• Insert the eye bolt. Place the washer and nut on the inside of the tire. Snug down tight.
• Take the rope or tow strap and connect the ends using a Carabiner or Snap Link. 

 Drag Types

•  Forward: targets calves, quads, glute
• Reverse: targets hamstrings, glute
• Lateral: targets IT bands and Adductors

Today's Workout - 1 Mile

• 1 x 100 yards forward drag
• 2 x 300 yards forward drag
• 2 x 300 yards reverse drag
• 1 x 300 yard forward drag
• 1 x 300 yard reverse drag
• 1 x 100 yards forward drag

What an amazing workout! The tire weights about 55 lbs, and when you add the friction between the tire and the concrete, it feels like it's twice as heavy.

What Now
Now that I'm at the end of my Dopey training, the time has come for me to bring back my crazy workouts. I believe Mr Scrape and I will become GREAT friends.

Dopey Test Run #3 - DONE!

Dopey for Dopey!

2, 4 , 6, 8...who do I appreciate?!  My FEET...My FEET..HURRAY!

I've never had greater appreciation for my feet as I do today.

Dopey Test Run #3 in the bag:

• Wednesday - 6 miles
• Thursday - 8 miles
• Friday - 12 miles
• Saturday - 21 miles

Grand Total = 47!
(Dopey Challenge is 48.6) 

Great Big Thank You to Some Amazing Kids!
This week's great AHA came from today's run. As I started my trek I realized the roads were filled with Scouts. Not just a few kids here and there but thousands of them. I mean kids of all ages, their Leaders, their Parents, their support crew and Cops to help guide the traffic at key intersections. 

As I ran past these kids, I realized there were some who were actually really young. I stopped and asked one of the leaders what are the ages of the kids doing this event. The man replied:  "6 - 18. They are all from various clubs like Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturers, Explorers, and Girl Scouts." Then I asked how far they were walking. The man replied: "13.1 miles."  I couldn't believe my ears - 6 and 7 year olds walking 13.1 miles - why that's a half marathon!

When I reached my 17th mile I saw another troop leader and I asked "What do these kids get for completing today's walk?" She replied: "This is the 39th anniversary of the Old Cutler Historical Trail Hike. When they finish they will get the Old Cutler Trail Patch. But this is really just their first big hike. They have another hike that is even bigger." "What's that?" I asked and all the while thinking to myself...what 13.1 miles isn't enough of a challenge for these youngsters? She said: "33 mile hike from Pompano Beach to South Beach. They have a sleep over mid way AND they have to carry their own gear - tent, food, drink, clothes, sleeping bags - whatever they feel they will need for the hike." I asked: "Even the 6  and 7 year olds?" She proudly said: "Yes!"

I was in awe! Unbelievable! Here I am feeling like I cannot go another mile and these kids were "DOING THE DISTANCE!" And you know what...most of them were happy. They were out there with their families and friend singing, walking, laughing - living large!

I looked at the lady and said: "Thank you for motivating me to keep on going!" It has been such a pleasure to run along side you guys. I have to run 20 miles today and at times I just wanted to give up. But each time I came across a bunch of your folks, I just felt so inspired to keep on going. It is truly a please to have you out today sharing your passion for excellence! Thank you!"

Moral of the story...NEVER GIVE UP!

When I signed up for the  Dopey Challenge I wanted to take myself to another level. At times, I felt like it wasn't possible; between family, work, injuries, and life it was difficult to complete the miles. But today I learned it doesn't matter!  You can run, walk, or crawl...as long as you smile while never giving up!

All you have to do is BELIEVE! And the Light within you will guide your every step.

Namaste!

Dopey Challenge - Living Another Dream!

Unplugged goes Live in Run South Florida!

Back in August a friend asked to meet with me to discuss an opportunity to help with a project she was involved with. She asked if she could bring a friend to talk with me as well. I had no idea what she wanted but she was a friend in need and I was ready to help.

Off I went and a one hour meeting turned into a three hour discussion about my love for running. 

We talked about everything related to running; the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly! I told them what drove me to do the distance. Why I had a love - hate relationship with the sport. What worked for me and what didn't. Basically, how I've learned so much about myself.

At some point during our meeting, I thought to myself, what a blessing to be able to share my passion. Then, it happened, the reason for the meeting. 

My friend knew my passion for running and told me she and her business partner were starting a running magazine specific to South Florida. Their goal was to create a community just for South Floridians; a place to call their own; to come together as a community; to meet, discuss, share and grow from one another. Then they invited me to join their journey by writing an article for their first issue. I was flabbergasted! I couldn't believe my ears! What an honor to be a part of this spectacular event!  I jumped at the opportunity! 

Now I mus tell you the truth. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to jinx myself. After all, this is a business, and I know how the marketing world works. For whatever reason, my article could have been pulled. So I just kept it to myself. 

Then on Dec 1st, late in the evening, I checked the magazine website to see if it had gone live. And when it loaded onto my iPad I screamed! YEA!!!!!

My entire family stopped what they were doing and asked what was going on? I told them..."I'M PUBLISHED! I'M PUBLISHED!" I was so excited!  

My parents, who were in town celebrating Thanksgiving weekend, asked to read the article. So I gave my iPad and they began to read. When my mom finished, she handed it back to me and said..."WOW! This is good. I always thought you should be a writer." I looked at my mom and proudly said..."I am!"

I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did writing it! 

I thank you Run South Florida for allowing me to be a part of your journey. 

I thank you readers for allowing me to be a part of your life; after all, you're taking the time to read this post. 

God Bless you all!

Plugged In or Unplugged? an article by me.

http://www.runsouthflorida.com.php53-9.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/?p=785

Hitting the Mental Wall During Training...OH S%&@ Moment

I'm nine weeks away from Dopey. Two weeks ago I had my first runner's injury. Since then I've slowed down to take care of it. Doing all the right things; icing, massaging, easy runs, walking, practicing yoga, stretching, and resting.  But there's one thing that just doesn't seem to be right. 

Now, if you've ever trained really hard, or have engaged in a lifestyle of strenuous physical activity then you have experienced it many, many times. It can happen during steep bridge repeats. It can happen when you are running relentlessly. It can happen even in the simplest of walks. It's always there! Lurking it's ugly head, ready to feed off your pain and suffering, every thought of failure, every shouldn't, wouldn't, and couldn't. It comes at your lowest ebb, seeking the perfect moment to capture your soul. And when it happens, you know it's going to be a nightmare.

You know what I'm talking about. It's the moment, during training, when you are suddenly feeling overwhelmed and think...OH S%&@ - what the F#@& did I get myself into moment.

But how? 

Maybe it's the injury. Maybe it's fatigue. Maybe it's boredom in my routine.  To tell you the truth, it really doesn't matter. The bottom line is I cannot approach my mental training just like I do my physical training.

I know there are several books out there on mental preparedness. I've read a few and they've helped me learn a great deal about running with mindfulness; integrating my running with the mind of meditation. It has helped me improve my athletic intuition about when and how much to strive or surrender. Ultimately, it has helped me learn how to follow my breathe and listen to the voice within.

However, as my Dopey training progresses, I've also come to understand I have a mental landscape filled with fears, doubts, fatigue and pain. And if I'm not careful, chaos will reign supreme and derail my progress. 

The Reality of Training

There is a fantasy and there is a reality. The fantasy is that I am invisible and nothing can stop me. The reality is that's not true. The reality is that training comes with a cost. And the cost is effort. The cost is commitment. The cost is discomfort.

Looking back upon Goofy I realize it also had it's OH S%&@ Moments. The amazing thing is that upon the completion of the Challenge, my mind never really did hit "The Wall." Mile 18 was no more or less painful than Mile 28 or Mile 36. Yes, the physical effort of the Challenge was tremendous, but it was the mental effort that carried me across the finish line.

Certainly my training had something to do with it. 

Goofy Lesson's Learned

Now it's time for me to apply the lesson's learned during my Goofy training. 

• Accept that a portion of my training will run into the OH S%&@ Mental Landscape moment. It's a landscape littered with my own failures and successes, pains and gains. It can be scarey but it's a journey that is uniquely mine. Embrace it with an open heart.
• Understand, there is always a calm after a storm. Powerful emotions like Anger, Fear, Fury will pass. Learn to cycle through these difficult emotions and I will achieve balance and growth in my personal life. 
• Never question my goal. The completion of Dopey is more than a goal. It's a summit. It's has the power to capture and hold my imagination - To Live Another Dream!
• Stop judging myself. It's inevitable. I'm going to have good and bad training days. Instead of expanding my mental energy on why I'm in pain, I'm going to repeat this mantra: "Never Let Go of Your Dream"
• Plan flexibly. Dopey is a long athletic event. It requires chaos. I can't foresee the future. Let it go! Be in the Now to get past "The Wall."

Finally, what do I do if I hit "The Wall" again? 

Nothing! Just Keep Running! 

Because ultimately, dreams don't work unless you do!

Living My Dream!

Mindfulness at Halloween Half Marathon Miami Beach

Bucket List Race

For years I've wanted to run this race just for the medal!  But, for one reason or another, this particular race eluded me. Yesterday, I checked it off my bucket list and got a surprise to boot.

Overall, it kind of reminded me of Goofy. It's a fun race, filled with creativity and excitement; especially at the start and finish line with all the wonderful costumes. Interesting thing is I didn't take as many pictures as I normally do at a fun race. I guess I was having too much fun helping my friend Nada take her pictures; pointing out my favorite costumes, gathering folks for group pictures, or just catching up with old friends. 

Before I knew it, the race started and off I went to run on my old training grounds. 

Beach Run

For the first 3 miles, my mind wondered on the past and the future. I thought about the last two weeks recovering from strained leg muscles that forced me to stop running and start practicing yoga twice a day, massaging, soaking, icing my soar tendons. I thought about how I was feeling pleasure for having escaped my life's reality, for being with my friends, and for breathing the fresh ocean air. I was also feeling a bit anxious for the hard work I am expecting to put in later in the run, for the to-do list that awaits me after the race and the next.

But by the time I got to mile 4, my mind changed from unstable state to awareness. You see, by this distance, the race switched from asphalt and cement to sand. And there is nothing like a little beach run to put things into perspective.

Mindfulness at the Beach: Life is Breathe. Breathe is Life

The breath is like the waves of the ocean that helps circulate the water so that it does not become stagnant. Therefore when we pay attention to the breath, we are brought into being present.

Generally, when I think about the past or future, my mental state becomes congested. I know past events are gone, and the future is yet to happen.It is in the present that I can be in my life. The present is the joystick, controlling the moment, and thus the direction my life takes. 

Being with my breath is the most effective way of being in the present. It completely connects me with reality - and mindful running. 

Oh My Aching Feet

The Magic Golf Ball

There comes a time when everyone must slow down and listen to their body! My time is now.

Last week, after my #2 Dopey Test Run, my feet hurt like the dickens; especially my right. When I looked up potential causes, I realized I was suffering from over worked and tight muscles. In other words, the beginning symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Plantar fasciitis is a very common kind of tendinitis — especially in runners — but instead of a tendon it’s the plantar fascia of the foot that’s inflamed and/or degenerating.

The plantar fascia is a rope-like band of tissue with almost no elastic properties that stretches along the bottom of the foot. If the arch is over-stressed the fascia will not stretch, instead it will pull away from the attachment site at the heel bone. 

The classic symptoms of this injury are more pain with the first steps in the morning and when you first stand after sitting for an extended period of time, or at the beginning of a run. During the initial stages the pain subsides after warming up but in the chronic cases the pain can progress beyond the initial steps of a run to a constant ache or sharp pain. 

One of the more common causes of plantar fasciitis is tight calf muscles. If there is not enough motion in the ankle joint due to a lack of flexibility then there will be extra strain on the fascia which may lead to this injury.

Foot type and how the foot functions can also play a significant role in this injury. The two extreme foot types—flat feet and high arched feet. I am a high arched individual.

Do-It-Yourself Remedies For Plantar Fasciitis
In addition to stopping or reducing running, I completed this daily regime until the pain subsided.

• Ice: For the first 48 hours post-injury, ice for 20 minutes at a time every 3-4 hours. 

• Frozen Ziploc bag: it allowed me to re-use the bag.  
• Roll a frozen water bottle under the arch: be sure to stretch first then roll out the arch for 10 minutes; you don’t want to stretch the tendon when it’s ice cold.  
• Freeze a golf ball and massage the fascia: roll the frozen golf ball under the foot, starting from the front and working your way back. Put good pressure on each spot—the medial, center and lateral positions—for 15 seconds before moving to the next area. Then, roll the ball back and forth over the entire foot.

• Compression: Use compression when elevating. I wrapped my feet the first couple of days to help with support. 

• Elevate: Elevated my legs at night by placing pillows under my legs. 

• Deep Tissue Massage:  Because we runners often have tight spots and interconnected issues when volume and intensity are high, deep tissue massage is often the modality of choice during hard training segments.

 What's Next?

1. Today is my massage and I know I'll be out of commission for three days. So I'll continue to rest. 
2. I switched back to my THIN socks! I was wearing mid-weight socks and it was proving to be too tight on my poor feet. After all, they do like to breath!
3. I got refitted for new shoes and went up 1/2 a size. 
4. Increase my stretching, incorporating yoga into the plan.

Conclusion

If I continue this training plan, I'll be injured.  So, on Oct 26th, I'll run/walk the Halloween Half, then revamp my plan for reduced Long Miles. After all, the goal is to "Go the Distance the Disney Way!"

Dopey Test Run #2 - DONE!

Love Recovery time!

Well, I did it! Dope Test Run #2 is in the bag.

• Wednesday - 5K
• Thursday - 10K
• Friday - 10 miles
• Saturday - 20 miles

What did I learn? 

Dopey is HARD!!!!

For the most part, I've got the 5K and 10K down, however, don't let that fool you. You've got to put in the distance to make the goal.

Friday's Run Revisited

Let me begin with Friday's run. As I had to run late in the day, it went from a fun 10 mile run to a HOT 10 mile run. I bonked at mile 6.5 and had to push myself to mile 9. Once I recovered, Mile 10 was a breeze. The lesson there is that STRESS + Long Runs = Disastrous Run. I will have to work a bit more on mindful breathing.

Saturday's Run

RIP my first Dopey 20 miler!

Let's just say I'm happy it's over. Coming right off my disastrous 10 mile run, today's run didn't fare much better. This time I woke up 1.5 hours later than planned. Oh boy...another heat run! But it is what it is and off I went.

Along comes a Chatty Runner

Feeling the holiday spirit with a chatty runner

Nothing really special to report for the first 4 miles. Than all of a sudden, this guy ran up next to me and began to talk. Turns out he too woke up late and was dreading the heat. I asked how many miles he had to do and he replied five. When he asked me,  I replied 20.

The Man yelps: "WHY?"
Me: "I'm doing Dopey."
The man:  "Got'a be Dopey to do that many miles so early in the season."
Me: "Well, not really. You see, I've got a very busy schedule the rest of the year. Figure if I get the miles in now, I can continue to maintain the legs with some reduced mileage come the holidays. At least that's what I'm hoping for."
The man: "Good Luck!" 

When the man reached his turn around he said, "I've enjoyed running with you so much I'm going to continue on till my next turn around. That way I get in 8 miles today."

Me: "Nice to be able to run with someone, at least for a little while."

Running into some old friends!

Key Biscayne

Once the man left, it wasn't long before I meet up with some old friends.

"Gabe and Annie, it was great chatting with you at mile 8."

Turns out both of them will be in Orlando in January. Gabe is doing Dopey and Annie is doing the Full. We immediately began to make plans to get together for some crazy recovery activities.

Long and Lonely Road

By now, I'm all alone. Most of the runners have left and the heat isn't too bad; until mile 11. BANG! I bonked again. Got'a love these walls! So I continue to push through with run/walks, eating, drinking, singing to myself "I am the Champion!" This incantation helped till mile 18 when I thought my legs were going to die. So I stopped to gather myself. And wouldn't you know,

My Saving Grace

A refreshing blessing

Someone left these two soap bottles in the Mathewson bathrooms. I was so excited to see them. I immediately washed my hands, face, and arms. And the smell of the peaches and creme heightened my senses.  As soon as I stepped out of the bathroom, I felt glorious!

Beauty is found when you open your heart

I realized, for the past two day, I've been running with negative emotions. And that's not good because all it does is create more pain. 

As soon as my focus shifted to pleasure, the world opened up it's great beauty. 

This is what I saw...

Orchids growing wild up high on a tree

Peacocks everywhere!

Breath taking greenery

Beautiful cared lawns

A spectacular Banyan tree

Mother Nature at her best

My favorite park

Moral of the Story: Long Run Fatigue

You can do the distance!

Don't get to emotionally involved with the pain or get upset when you feel it. Detach yourself and simply use it as information. Ask yourself, where is it and why is it happening. If it's not related to an injury then focus on the pleasure's around you. And before you know it, you will have reached your goal! 

Just Believe!

Dreams do come true

Well she did it! My soul sister Danielle Maham swam her race! AND some! It was the most spectacular thing I've ever seen. I am elated to let you know she finished the entire course on her own! No fins, no snorkel, no relay team. Just her shear determination to just do it.

What did this get her? 

My Hero!

For we regular folks, 3rd place Individual Female Overall at the 1st Annual Swim For Alligator Lighthouse.

For her, I cannot even begin to imagine what she experienced spiritually, physically, or psychologically.  

What I can tell you, however, is that she is "powerful beyond belief!" And that, my friends, is something in and off itself.

Alligator Lighthouse

For me, Alligator Lighthouse will always be near and dear to my heart. Forever it will symbolize the beacon of hope and inspiration that is within each and everyone one of us. 

On this the first day of fall I have a greater sense of appreciation for life.  What a privilege to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, and to love! 

For  God's love shines in each one of us. 

All we have to do is JUST BELIEVE!

Team Maham in the House!

Fear has no place in our hearts

The Volvo is ready!

As many of you know, my sister Danielle Maham will attempt her first 8 mile swim this coming Saturday. Needless to say, Team Maham is both excited and scared. (Want to read my first blog about this adventure, click here)

Why? Because it's just CRAZY! Really, let's be serious. Who in their right mind would even think of such a stupid ass thing! 

Well, my sister Danielle is just that crazy! And, I didn't even flinch to jump at the opportunity to support her craziness! No I didn't! 

What did I do?

• I bought a kayak for two. 
• I bought a car rack. 
• I broke Lesley's mirror trying to unload the stupid kayak. 
• I bought a roof rack for my car so as not to destroy Lesley's car again. 
• I bought a hitch and had it installed on my car.
• I bought a Kayak Loader so I could load the beast onto my car alone. 
• I bought PFD's for two adults so I could throw one to D when she gets eaten alive by too those jellyfishes. 
• I bought numerous straps to tie down the kayak onto the roof. (Took about four sets to finally find the "right" one!)

But that's not the point. The point is we are just two days away from this crazy ass event and I can't stop dreaming about it! 

What if:

•  The rain doesn't stop. (It's been raining since last Saturday. Come on Mother Nature, play nice!)
• The waves are too big? Really...I've never kayaked big waves before. I kayaked two weeks ago and the waves were a foot and my little tank wobbled all over the place.SCARY!
• There are sharks circling the field. Soups on!
• The jellyfishes just won't go away. (Danielle gave the course a try two weeks ago and got eaten alive by those little bastards.)
• I can't kayak 8 miles. 
• I can't kayak open waters.
• I can't save my sister in her time of need. 

But that's not the point either! 

To quote Marianne Williams: 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

The point is...there is no room for fear in our hearts because God's light shines deep within each and every one of us. 

Team Maham is in the house! 

Watch out "What if's" cause we are doing to give you some serious ass whipping!

Dopey Readiness Update

Find your balance

This week marks the Build phase of my Dopey Training. Figured since I've been a bit slack during the Base Phase I thought I'd test myself and see where I am in my fitness. 

I am happy to say I have successfully completed my first 4 back-to-back runs! WOOHOO!!!

Day One: 5K (3.1 miles)
Done! I love short runs as these are my body weight training sessions. I like to call them my 5K Crazy Runs. They consist of a 1 mile warm up, followed by a 1 mile body weight calisthenics every quarter mile, finish with a 1 mile cool down. I get to kill two birds with one stone (HIIT + Cardio)

Day Two: 10K (6.2 miles)
Done! Nice and easy negative split. I surprised myself as I didn't intend on doing it as a speed run. But the mood struck me and I answered.

Day Three: 12.8K (8 miles)
Done...but it was ugly. Guess the first two days took it's toll on me. But I got it done. 

Day Four: 22.5K (14 miles)
Done...now this one was interesting.  I intended on running 16 miles but I detoured from the Road Run to Trail Run and Bridge Repeats. So in my mind, with effort, I completed the 16 miles. It was exhausting and my legs were grateful when I was done.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my progress. With 4 back-to-back runs, I was able to complete 31.3 miles and still have a smile on my face. My run nutrition and hydration are spot on. My daily eating habits are getting better. I'm getting the right amount of rest. But most importantly, I'm finding my balance.

At this stage, I'm feeling confident I am on the right track. I have some strength, endurance, and flexibility work to complete but with time on my side, I know I can achieve my goal. After all there are still 129 days to go.

Leave the Music at Home or Not

Today, a friend posted a "neat little read" about the Health Benefits of Music. In essence, the article states that music has the power to change our mood and can even help us concentrate.

"If we find ourselves UN-Motivated to workout, all we need to do is pop our mp3 players into our ears and get moving"

Listening to music can help motivate you.

Her goal was to provide us with some tips and tricks to help motivate us to stay active and get our workouts done.


On Friday, another friend sent an email informing us about this weekend's bike ride with some very specific rules to follow:

The first line read...

"Bring your water bottles, food, cash, ID and a heart rate monitor. Leave mp3/music players at home."

It's the Law!

  
He even posting the Florida Law

Headsets (see Section 316.304, F.S.)

A bicyclist may not wear a headset, headphone, or other listening device other than a hearing aid when riding. Wearing a headset blocks out important audio clues needed to detect the presence of other traffic. 

See more at: http://floridabicycle.org/bicycle-traffic-law/#

Synchronicity or mere coincidences? 

 According to Carl Jung, such events are not mere coincidences, but synchronicity or meaningful coincidences. ‘Synchronicity,' said Jung, ‘is the coming together of inner and outer events in a way that cannot be explained by cause and effect and that is meaningful to the observer.'

For the past two years, I've been guided by an unseen force. Synchronous events that have kept me on my path toward self awareness; my path toward happiness. The challenge is that I often get lost or turned around on my path by conflicting messages. I end up seeking many things believing they will bring me to that emotional state I desire. I may get the "things' but the not "feeling" that I want.  However, when I take time to evaluate the directions and priorities of these messages I get a better understanding of my thoughts and beliefs that affect my happiness.
  
So what does this all mean? 

If I were to see two messages about music as mere coincidences then they wouldn't mean much to me. 

But if I were to slow down and reflect upon their message, their meaning would become clear. And maybe that is why they appeared in my life. They are so amazing, and seem so unbelievable, they grabbed my attention. 

Allow me to go back to Carl Jung for a moment. He went on to say that synchronicity is more likely to occur when one is in a state of heightened emotional and mental awareness. Personally, I enjoy being in a state of awareness with my surroundings. It may be overstimulating but I've learned to steer clear of obvious stressors. Being aware lets me see a whole new world and interpret the world in a way that enriches my understanding of it and myself. Synchronicity not only teaches me, but provides me some level of certainty that my feelings and ideas are true, or at least pointing me in the direction I need to go. 

As for the meaning of my seemingly random run-in with music messages, I think it did have meaning for me. I was struck by my friends message of the health benefits to music. Certainly working out to music has its benefits. I will openly admit - I used to workout with music. It can help push your body harder, faster or get you to that 'finish line'. 

But it also has it's drawbacks. Like my cycling friend posted in his email, working out with blaring music can create dangerous situations, making you less attuned to your environment. As a matter of fact, for safety reasons, most races request you leave your headphones behind, and some ban them entirely. 

There was a message in there for me just beneath the surface. These opposing stories alerted me to my own sense of motivation, arousing my need to hear the music within.

Happiness is created through Self Awareness. 

Self Awareness is the path to Self Mastery. 

Self Mastery is the way to Happiness. 

A Message in the Fields

Amazing run this morning. I set out to complete a seven mile road run and found myself detouring into the fields. Mother Nature was calling my name and I listened. 

Rejoice...your soul is alive!

As I entered the fields I found myself surrounded by clear skies, red winged blackbirds, dragon flies, hawks, morning doves, bees, butterflies, and other wild creatures all singing their own songs. I was in heaven! 

The dirt roads were still soaked from the rain storm two nights before. Now you know how much I love me some gooey dirt so I jumped in with both feet! Water plus dirt plus sand plus gravel plus rocks makes for a good old fashion mud run!  

 By the time I reached the end of the first field, I had to make a choice; cross the canal to get to the other fields or head back. I stopped and looked at the tall grass staring me in the face. My fear-mind tried to take control...What if there were snakes hiding somewhere in that mess? I immediately understood what was happening and told myself to STOP! Live in the NOW and enjoy the run. So off I went into the tall grass. I could feel the coolness of the wet blades running into my shoes; cleansing my feet each step of the way. 

As I reached the next field I thought to myself, what a glorious day for a run! I am so blessed to live so close to the fields. Thank you God for showing me the way. I continued my run.

After a few more miles I heard a whisper - What do you see?

I looked around and saw some tall sugar cane stalks and a tilled field.

The whisper came again - What do you see?

This time I stopped, looked again then closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and heard the whisper come a third time...What do you see?

I took another deep breath then the words came; "Till your fields so my dreams may grow."

Find your center...keep your rhythm

For the rest of the run I thought about the message and before I knew it I found myself saying these words over and over again. 

Till your fields so My dreams may grow.
Nourish My seeds deep into your soul.
Embody this belief with all your might.
And you will harvest the fruits of My Light.

The message from this morning's run was loud and clear. But what surprised me was the second message I received while writing this blog.

During this morning's run I was also being asked...

Do you know you own song? 
Do you know your own rhythm? 
Do you know what is allowing you to be your healthiest, happiest, and most radiant self?

So once again, I slowed down, closed my eyes and began to look deep within...

Sunrise to sunset follows the rhythm of the earth around the sun. Spring turning into Summer followed by Fall then Winter is the rhythm of the passage of time. The beat of the red wing blackbirds wing follows a natural rhythm of flight. The honey bees life cycle follows the rhythm of it's social structure. Rain falling on the earth follows the rhythm of the water cycle.The hawk's strong observational skills follows the rhythm of the hunt. They are all accomplished by following a rhythm. Break the rhythm and the natural flow is disrupted.

Like the fields that have turned summer harvest into fall tilling, I too find myself in a period of change. 

So what is my rhythm?

During today's run I stopped to listen to the message. What I found was I felt three interlaced rhythms all at once: my heartbeat, my breath, and the cadence of the run as I moved through the field. Each one was distinct, but layered on top of the other. It was one of those experiences that as soon as you realized you are having it, it's gone. But the effects of that brief moment are forever engrained deep within my soul - standing strong like the sugar cane stalk. 

Today's lesson was mindful.

We all have our own inner rhythm and I keep being reminded that whenever I listen to it my life flows easy.   All I need is right inside me. It always has been. All the wisdom, clarity I am searching for is in my heart's center. 

Essentially, the stillness I find when I run comes from listening to the Divine Light inside of me. All I have to do is listen and believe!

To quote one of my all time favorite authors Marianne Williams in "Return to Love" 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? 

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Ultimately, the message is clear, we are all magnificent and beautiful human beings and it's time to live from this place. 

Listen to your inner voice and honor your soul. You have the wisdom inside of you. 

Remember. Listen. And Love.