The past week was extremely difficult and emotional for most of us. As athletes, as parents and children, as people of faith, and as humans, it's hard to imagine and to understand a purposeful and hateful motivation to harm others. It goes against the very core of us and of the fundamental way in which most of us, hopefully all of us, live our lives.
Tuesday morning on my way to work, I couldn't help but hear a verse in a song I'd heard a thousand times, in a completely different way -- We're one/But we're not the same/We get to carry each other/Carry each other. U2 released "One" as a benefit single, with the proceeds going to AIDS research and it inspired this week's photo project.
Leah Renae and I, like presumably thousands of others, ran a tribute mile in silence. It was our way to honor those injured in Boston, their families, and the communities that spent the rest of the week frightened and confused.
The painful images
that erupted (or in a few unfortunate cases, leaked) out of Boston will
stay with many of us for some time, but there were also images of bravery,
compassion, solidarity, and love that poured out of every city in this
nation and beyond. We were reminded that while we are all, indeed different, we are also in this together.
Communities of friends and strangers gathered for their own tribute runs, and we wanted to showcase those images. This is our small contribution with the purpose to remind ourselves and each other that if all we take away from this week are the tragic images, then these hurtful monsters have won.
Let us remember, this week and always, to carry each other.
Photos were submitted by you, our friends, and by fellow runners on Instagram. Please click the image to launch the mosaic. We hope you enjoy the collection.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
If you get lost...
Have you ever felt like life gets away from you? Like somewhere along the way you got distracted and when you finally look up, you don't recognize anything? Well it happens to me every once in a while. When I was a kid my parents always said that if I got lost just to stay put and that would make me easier to find. So that's what I'm doing in my own adult way.
Life got hectic and busy and began to control me so I'm slowing down, stopping the craziness, sticking to what I enjoy and what makes me happy.
1. I'm overhauling my house. With all the craziness in the last year or so the upkeep has taken a back seat. But this is my home so I'm getting down and dirty fixing fences, painting walls, pulling weeds, planting flowers and fixing cracks. Im not spending crazy amounts of money but plenty if hard work and sweat equity will go into these projects. It's so rewarding to me to see this house become my home.
2. I'm also taking a break from my regular workout routine. Instead of pedal to the medal, intense, CrossFit workouts 6 days a week, I've been simply running. Me and my dog, wrestling with my own thoughts. It saves me 40 minutes of drive time everyday too! I feel a different sense of accomplishment because I choose get up to run and work out on my own. Ill go back to CrossFit one of these days. Most likely after I either lose momentum and need a little extra workout accountability or I become excellent at running and decide to add weight training back in. (Whichever comes first)
3. I've learned that while 90% paleo 100% of the time is ok. My recent 90% paleo 10% of the time is not ok! Ha ha DUH! 3 days into paleo and honestly I already feel better. The food tastes better because its fresh, natural and full of real flavors. I feel more satisfied, I stay full longer and I just feel healthier.
4. I've also been spending more time in the Word. While this has always been part of my daily grind, I've decided to take a deep breath, sit back and relax and enjoy it. I want to meditate on Him and His Word and allow Him to work in my life and be my peace of mind.
I guess sometimes when life seems out of control, you have to decide if your gonna allow all that "stuff" to define you and continue to drive you crazy. It's not always easy to turn the tide, slow down and focus on the things you enjoy. But it's worth it!
What one thing you can do to slow down and enjoy life?
Life got hectic and busy and began to control me so I'm slowing down, stopping the craziness, sticking to what I enjoy and what makes me happy.
1. I'm overhauling my house. With all the craziness in the last year or so the upkeep has taken a back seat. But this is my home so I'm getting down and dirty fixing fences, painting walls, pulling weeds, planting flowers and fixing cracks. Im not spending crazy amounts of money but plenty if hard work and sweat equity will go into these projects. It's so rewarding to me to see this house become my home.
2. I'm also taking a break from my regular workout routine. Instead of pedal to the medal, intense, CrossFit workouts 6 days a week, I've been simply running. Me and my dog, wrestling with my own thoughts. It saves me 40 minutes of drive time everyday too! I feel a different sense of accomplishment because I choose get up to run and work out on my own. Ill go back to CrossFit one of these days. Most likely after I either lose momentum and need a little extra workout accountability or I become excellent at running and decide to add weight training back in. (Whichever comes first)
3. I've learned that while 90% paleo 100% of the time is ok. My recent 90% paleo 10% of the time is not ok! Ha ha DUH! 3 days into paleo and honestly I already feel better. The food tastes better because its fresh, natural and full of real flavors. I feel more satisfied, I stay full longer and I just feel healthier.
4. I've also been spending more time in the Word. While this has always been part of my daily grind, I've decided to take a deep breath, sit back and relax and enjoy it. I want to meditate on Him and His Word and allow Him to work in my life and be my peace of mind.
I guess sometimes when life seems out of control, you have to decide if your gonna allow all that "stuff" to define you and continue to drive you crazy. It's not always easy to turn the tide, slow down and focus on the things you enjoy. But it's worth it!
What one thing you can do to slow down and enjoy life?
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Fresh starts
While I've been consistently crossfiting for a year and a half now, my running ability has not improved very much... I hate running and I've never met another human who enjoys running with me. Basically because my running pace is equal to 90% of the populations walking pace.
But I want to change that for 2 reasons. #1 I've heard running can be therapeutic. I certainly hope that feeling starts soon bc right now it's 10 mins of pain!!! #2 I'm not great when it comes to the endurance part of any WOD. Give me a really heavy barbell and tell me to lift it a few times and I'm happy, give me a light barbell and tell me to lift it 21-15-9 times and i sputter out before coach yells to GO!
I know this is just a mental barrier. But I've gotta start somewhere and my hope is that working up to running 2 or 3 miles with a vest on will teach me stamina, endurance and pacing.
My goal is to be able to run 3 miles without a vest by may 15th. I'd like to be able to run 1 mile with a vest by then too.
Here's a pic of the shoes I'm running in. Can't wait till they make friends with my shins and calves. OUCH! Oh and my running buddy.
Monday, April 15, 2013
A baby step is still a step...
So here I am ripping off the bandage and taking the first baby step back to writing. I'm coming back.
I want to find the joy in life and movement and exercising and living and share it with whoever cares to listen. While also sometimes confronting personal demons and failures that hold me down.
Weather it be 1 photo, a paragraph, a video, or a full on confession... Ready or not here I come!
What baby step can you take today?
Monday, April 8, 2013
Change Haters
There are two kinds of people I think. The people that hate change, and everyone else.
I can see how and why it could make a person uncomfortable. We get used to our routines, find comfort in them even. And to lose the familiarity of the people and places we see everyday, of knowing what's coming next, is unsettling.
This is not the case for me. I don't mind change. You might say that I crave it. I've been called a quitter and a runner at more than one crossroad in my life. I've learned to see my choices, not as running away from something, but rather running toward something else. Toward something new from which I will surely procure a priceless little nugget of knowledge about myself or the world around me.
All kinds of things need change in order to survive; car tires, molting reptiles, judges on American Idol. It's almost always worth the effort to adapt. Don't box yourself into a comfortable and predictable life. Don't be a change hater.
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