Father's Day

I've learned a few things from my Dad over the years like the a love of reading, the finer points of football, and how to grill an awesome burger. One of the things I am happy to have learned from him is a love of running.

When I was a kid, I remember my Dad going for a run down the country dirt road near our home every day after work. He'd run regardless of the weather or how tired he was. My brother and I would sit in our sandbox and wait for the first sight of him as he ran up the hill near the back of our house. 

As we got older, Bubba and I were finally allowed to go running with him. Dad sometimes changed stuff up on us and would take us for a run at the local high school track which was something I was NEVER able to get into. Running endless circles around the same track wasn't fun to me and, to this day, it's something I avoid at all costs. 

He always made sure that Bubba and I paced ourselves. He never pushed me to run faster than I was comfortable doing (my brother always managed to lap me). He knew that running slow was frustrating for me and explained that I should enjoy each run and feel at ease. That's something that I still believe when it comes to running - do it, enjoy it and have fun. 

Nowadays, he doesn't do much running. He can usually be seen walking his dog, Jake, around the neighborhood. But in my mind, he's still that athletic, muscular guy that ran 4 miles every day. 

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Love,

Valeka 

Time to Play

I'm back.

After a long time away, I'm back. The past few months have been gray. Lots of things that have happened have made me question my life, my place in this world, and who I am. I won't get into details but believe me when I say that these have been some of the saddest, loneliest days I've had in my life.

Some of the gray was brought about by the anniversary of my birth.

When I was younger, I felt like my birth anniversaries were worth celebrating. The older I got, the more that feeling of joy morphed into one of dread. I've been told that one is only as old as they feel. If that's the case, the last six months have aged me 30 years.

Aging is hard. Anyone that says otherwise is not being honest with themselves. I don't mean the biological process of aging is hard - eating well and exercising can slow down the aging our bodies go through. No, instead, I'm talking about how difficult the psychological process can be. Being in that place where one is no longer, in the words of my father, a "spring chicken" but yet not quite old enough to drive around in a motorized scooter at a retirement resort isn't easy.

Again - stuck in that icky, gray space between.

In some ways, I haven't grown up completely. I still say silly things, think eating Nerds candy is awesome, color in my Hello Kitty coloring book, count on my fingers, and giggle when I splash in puddles - things a young'un would do.

There is part of me that gets annoyed with the twenty-somethings that can't (or won't) behave themselves and think the world revolves around them. I admit, the annoyance stems from a place of jealousy because they have a lot of life ahead of them and so much potential. When I look at them and then at myself, I see hourglasses standing side by side. The sands have shifted much more on my side than theirs.

Now that I am coming out of the life-sucking fog, I realize the importance of playtime and engaging in frivolity...sometimes...when appropriate since, after-all, I am kinda sorta an adult. I've watched those twenty year olds and how they live for the moment. They chronicle their lives on Tumblr and Instagram as though they are the hottest, most important people on the planet. And ya know what? They are. We ALL are. Each of us has value and relevance in this world no matter what our age is. It's up to us to remember that every day that we wake up.

So, when I turned the age I did on April 22nd, I made a promise to myself. I vowed to give my inner child more opportunities to play and enjoy LIFE. True, my form of play no longer involves dancing at nightclubs until 3 A.M. (not that it ever really did) but I can play on my terms, in my own way.

Playtime for me means blisters on my feet, sunburn on my nose and shoulders from grinding out miles during a run on a hot Texas afternoon, getting dirt on my face, and being covered in sweat. Making time to play is a priority for me again. It may not be the wild and wooly antics of a youngster but if it brings a smile to my face and happiness to my world, then it's the right kind of playtime for me. The only gray that remains in my world is on my favorite running shirt and shoes.

The world is my playground again.

Have YOU played today?

Happy Trails!

Valeka

Lessons vs. Mistakes

It is much easier at all times to prevent an evil than to rectify mistakes.- George Washington

All men may err; but he that keepeth not his folly, but repenteth, doeth well; but stubbornness cometh to great trouble. - Sophocles

This week, I was far more consistent with my work outs.  I managed to get in a zumba class, a 4 mile walk at Town Lake and multiple 30 minute trail walks.  It helped my energy level and my ability to handle some stressful situations that popped up during the week.  I'm moving more which is a step in the right direction BUT, I am still falling very short in the healthy eating department.  I keep repeating the same mistakes when it comes to what I eat.  I am aware that I am eating poorly and that ultimately the decisions I make will impact me later in life but I do it anyway.  I don't understand why we continually hurt ourselves with bad choices when we KNOW that it isn't the wisest thing for us.  If given the choice between a cupcake and a bowl of berries, I will pick the least healthy option just about every time.  I have always believed that mistakes are lessons in disguise and without them, there can be no progression in life.  So what does it mean when we willingly give in to the same set of circumstances and repeat the same mistake over and over again?  Does it mean that we are content with our current state of being?  Or does it mean that we are regressing because we are not doing anything to improve our life?  Something to consider and applicable to so many aspects of one's life.

Today's agenda includes a trip to the grocery store to buy some healthy eating options.  I'm hoping that will keep me from eating garbage because my selections at home will be healthier.  My plan is to go back to my mostly raw diet (although I detest the word "diet" and prefer to think of it as a "lifestyle").  I need to retrain my brain to seek out those foods instead of the fatty/salty/sugary things I have been eating.  One of the things that helped me tremendously in my previous weight-loss ventures was giving myself a day to eat whatever I wanted without guilt.  It allowed me the opportunity to have the things I really love and not feel that I was undoing all of the good I did for my body during the week.  It kept me from making some big mistakes.  I am trying to treat each of my meals as a lesson in making better choices for myself.  My hope is that by improving those decisions, I will also find it easier to make better choices in other parts of my life as well (i.e., the job situation).  I have to start with showing myself some tough love.  I know what I need to do to succeed and I need to keep myself from deviating from that mindset.  The last thing I want is to be one of those people that keeps running around in circles making the same screw ups but can't seem to figure out why things aren't changing.  My thought for myself (and for you) this week will be "learn the lesson, move on and do not repeat".  We can do it.

Happy Trails,

Valeka  

The Path

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.  - Buddha

The difficulties you meet will resolve themselves as you advance. Proceed, and light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness on your path. - John Rohn 

This week has been a rather introspective one for me.  My thoughts floated to others and the difficulties they are facing and I also thought about my life and the path I am traveling.  I did as I promised to BFF's dad and went for several trail wogs this week with my trusty sidekick, Big Baby.  We have a lovely greenbelt trail behind our home.  It's serene and peaceful even though it's in the city.  

As I walked along the trail, I thought about the path I am on in life.  Being healthy and taking care of myself should be something that is simple but I tend to over-complicate it.  I know I'm not alone in that.  Why do we make things harder for ourselves than they need to be?  Big Baby and I took our time enjoying the mid-day warmth as we wogged along.  We took in all the little sights and sounds as we made our way along the trail.  Even though things are terribly dry, we did manage to find unexpected beauty on our path.

Big Baby and I came to a crossroads on our trail.  I asked her which road she wanted to take and rather than walk in a particular direction, she sat, looked up at me and waited for me to decide which trail to take.  She was waiting for me to take charge and pick a path, any path, for us to continue our journey on.  Staying in one place is never an option when venturing down any trail.  So which path to choose? 

I picked the more challenging trail which was loaded with rocks and dirt.  

The trail eventually went from rocky and rough to green and beautiful.  

I thought about how it was the perfect analogy for life - you pick the path you feel is best for you at the time and begin your journey.  Some paths are easier than others, have different obstacles and change terrain as you venture along.  A few paths even have unexpected twists and turns.  But if you stay on it long enough and overcome the rough patches, you eventually find your reward at the end for persevering.  At the end of this particular path was home for me and Big Baby (where she was rewarded with frozen blueberries).  My life path still has a lot left to be discovered and a lot of fallen trees to climb over but I can do it.  There is much unexpected beauty ahead of me.

Happy Trails!

Valeka  

Joy

Joy delights in Joy - William Shakespeare

One of my favorite childhood memories is one of running in my grandparents yard and feeling the soft grass beneath my feet.  It was fun to play a game of chase with cousins and other neighborhood kids on warm Sunday afternoons.  The world was filled with laughter and fun.  Running was effortless and joyous.  Somewhere along the way, most of us lose that sense of joy.  We grow up and take on adult responsibilities that zap that joy from our activities.  When life throws you a curveball or knocks you on your ass, it's nice to do something that makes you  smile.  For me, that activity is running.  It does so much more than just bring me happiness.  Running relieves my stress, helps me lose weight and keeps my heart healthy (and it gives me killer gams, if I do say so myself!).  It's nice to run with purpose (training or weight-loss) but it's also nice to run just for the sake of running.  I don't get enough of those opportunites.  Most days, my activities are planned out which can take the fun out of things.  I look forward to going back home to visit my parents. When I go there,  I run for fun and never plan my route.  I allow my feet to be my guide.

I love running through my old stomping grounds, taking in the sights, seeing what has changed since my last visit.  It's like a trip down memory lane.  Running by my old elementary school.  Running past the giant oak tree that I use to climb and scrape my knees on.  Stopping off for a drink at the high school water fountain before I make my way towards downtown and past all of the little boutique shops that have existed for as long as I can remember (although some now have different names).  The laidback pace brings a relaxing element to any of the runs I do when I visit and restores that sense of joy.  My hometown runs always end with a big smile on my sweaty face.  Wouldn't  it be nice if joy could be regained in all aspects of our lives that easily?  

I will do my best to carry that sense of joy with me as I begin my half-marathon training in the next few months.  Once the hard work begins, I will have to make an effort to keep things light and relaxed.  I will have to do things during my training that make it fun for me.  Taking my big puppy with me during a run always makes me happy.  Jumping over rocks on the trails makes me smile.  Enjoying the sounds of nature soothes me.  Running is my happy place where I lose myself in the limitless possibilities that lay before me.  Knowing that I can do anything I want makes me happy and gets me through the hard times when I hurt and want to stop.

 
What gives you joy?  Seek it out.  Embrace it.  Try to hold on to that sense of joy as long as you can.  And never forget to enjoy the little joys along the trail. 

Happy Trails,
Valeka