Thank You, Ladies

I have been very lucky to have had three amazing women by my side throughout my life. They have provided me with unwavering support, encouragement when all others stopped believing in me, an endless stream of inspiration, and, most importantly, unconditional love.

My Nana taught me that it's okay to be different and not do or like what everyone else does. She gave me a love of the arts. I spent many weekends with her listening to all kinds of music from Willie Nelson to Frank Sinatra to Maria Callas. If it moved me, it needed to be in my life even if others poo-pooed it. According to Grandma, music and art could speak to us and, if we listened, we could learn from it. She was right.

Nana also taught me which fork to use at a formal dinner party and then said "if you get it wrong and your host, or anyone else at the table, makes fun of your error, leave. You don't want to have dinner with someone that uses education or manners to make others feel bad about themselves." She was right about that, too.

I spent a lot of time with my Aunt Peggy as a child. She would take me out for Saturday afternoon cruises to the local Sonic Drive-In with her friends while the BeeGee's played on her radio. I always had fun with her and felt like I could be myself - and she encouraged that. She never talked to me like I was a little kid or treated me as though I had nothing to contribute to the conversations happening around me. She made me feel that my thoughts and opinions were valuable. She taught me to speak my mind and stand up for myself because what I had to say was important no matter how old I was. Aunt Peggy also taught me the value of having a massive shoe collection but that's a story for another time....

Last but certainly not least is my Mother. She has taught me many valuable lessons throughout my life (too numerous to list) but some of the most important things she taught me were to be creative, work with what I have (a lesson she learned when she was growing up), and that it's okay to laugh and be silly regardless of our age. 

As a kid, I remember her whistling as she cooked dinner or hung laundry in the backyard. She would write her college notes with bright, colored pencils. She would make mud pies with me in the back yard. Mom would buy me construction paper, crayons, glue, glitter, colored pipe cleaners, modeling clay - whatever I needed to "create." Never once did she tell me to not get messy or that I should color in the lines. If anything, she thought I should color wherever I wanted to - as long as it wasn't on walls. Mom and I used to skip together down grocery store aisles while shopping. We got looks from other people that were shopping but we didn't care. It was fun, made us smile, and what could be more important than that? 

Mom always had time for me no matter what she was doing or how busy she might be. She never acted like I was bothering her even when she had been studying long hours for one of her college exams. I knew (know) that I could go to her if I had a problem and that she would listen without judgment. And that still holds true.  She is my confidant and my best friend.

I don't know where or who I would be without these women. Thank you for everything that you have given me, done for me, and instilled in me. I love you all.  

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

Love,
Valeka 

Forrest

"I used to run to get to where I was going, but I never thought it would take me anywhere." - Forrest Gump

"...My Mama always said you got to put the past behind you before you can move on.  And I think that's what my running was all about..." - Forrest Gump

As a runner, one of the most inspirational films for me is Forrest Gump.  My favorite scene is the running across America scene.  It's something that I have always wanted to do and every time I see it, I get the urge to try it (although I can't imagine running continuously for more than three years).  Still, it inspires me to keep going even when I don't want to.

Forrest was an ultrarunner and that is something that I always hoped to do at some point in my life.  It doesn't seem likely to happen at the age I am now but, hey, a girl can dream!  Watching this scene makes me wish I could do that - run alone for hours on end while being one with my thoughts and environment.  I feel like I'm living the moment vicariously through Forrest and let out a deep sigh after I watch it.       

This video shows the scene along with one of my favorite running songs EVER, "Running On Empty" by Jackson Browne, as the soundtrack.  In fact, the name of my blog is a play on the song title - I'm not empty; I'm heavy.  Get it??  Gotta credit the BFF for that piece of brilliance!      

Enjoy the video and keep seeking things to inspire you on your journey towards good health!

Happy Trails!
Valeka 

Scenes from the Trail

One of my favorite places to run is Town Lake.  I love the sound of the gravel crunching beneath my shoes as I wog along the trail that winds through the lush greenery around the stretch of the Colorado River that is a lifeline through the city of Austin.  Not only is it beautiful but it certainly keeps my weekly treks from becoming monotonous.  The natural scenery is wonderful but I also enjoy seeing the different types of people on the trail - different body types, different paces, different styles of running.  I am also inspired by the athletes I see on the trial.  On any given day, one can see professional athletes training for their next big race, people working out to stay in shape and novices that are just getting adjusted to the heat and moving their bodies.  The professionals inspire me because I admire their dedication and I must admit, I do envy their incredibly toned bodies.  I am certain that the elderly men and women out on the trail can run circles around me and that inspires me.  I hope to be that fit and healthy when I am in my golden years!  Of course, there are the Kens and Barbies that look too perfect for words (and, yes, I occasionally find myself rolling my eyes when they trot by me) but there are also a lot of people just like me that are trying to improve and do good things for themselves.  I can see their energy when they start out at the beginning of their run and that is infectious but what really inspires me is when they keep going even after they are pouring sweat and their bodies are telling them to stop.  The fact that they push through the pain renews my spirit.  I marvel at their tenacity and I think that if they can do it, I can too!  Seeing the excitement and pride of others when they discover they are able to do things that they didn't think they were capable of inspires me.  It renews my enthusiasm for my sport and for working out in general.  I like knowing that I'm not alone in my quest for better health and fitness.  As cheesy as it sounds, I wish I could give all of my kindred spirits out there a hug and let them know that I can understand their struggles.  But, instead, I smile at them and they smile back. 
 
Here are a few scenes from the Town Lake Trail.  Hope you have a place to walk/wog/run that inspires you!  

Happy Trails!

Valeka

Inspiration

I'm just an ordinary Amazon, but I feel that I can do things, so - I can do them! - Wonder Woman

Inspiration can come in many forms and from many different sources.  We all have our own story and our own reasons why we are trying to get healthy.  The things that inspire us may be just as unique as we are.  Do you wog because you have a friend or family member that isn't mobile because of an injury or illness?  Do you wog because you want to prove all the naysayers wrong?  Do you wog because you want to keep your thighs from rubbing together?  Whatever your reason(s), find your inspiration and pull from that when the last thing you feel like doing is tearing yourself away from the latest installment of the reality show flavor of the week.

I wish I could say that I am always able to motivate myself to keep moving but, nope, not that lucky.  There are times when all I need to do is remind myself why I am doing what I am doing but other times, I need to be inspired.  Different things inspire me at different times.  It may be a quote (thus the quote at the beginning of each blog), place, person, animal, song or movie/TV character that inspires me.  Lately I've been gleaning inspiration from Wonder Woman (the old-school totally awesome version, or course!!).  I pretend to be her - this beautiful Amazonian princess that is strong, confident  and who happens to have a bustier that I would LOVE to have in my closet.  I imagine that I am running as fast as she does and that I'm using my golden bracelets to deflect bullets of negativity that are coming at me (no, I don't actually flail my arms up and down as I run but that would be kinda funny to see if I did!).  When I trained for a marathon a few years ago and spent a lot of time running alone, I pretended that I was Forrest Gump running through all of these beautiful, scenic locations with nothing more than the clothes on my back.  Sometimes I feel really aggressive and run to nothing but Metallica music. It's all about what works for you and gets you through the workout.  My Ipod play list is a hodge podge of music - aside from Metallica, there are some very introspective pieces of music on there along with some bubble-gum pop selections and a few vintage country tunes.  They are all there for a reason - they take me to another place when my mind is telling me to STOP.  If they can distract my brain and keep it off of the pain in my legs or the fatigue that is setting in, then it's doing it's job.  Our brains may still remember how nice it felt to lay around and watch Golden Girls as soon as we get home after work but if we have our inspiration, our motivation, then we can push through and accomplish great things (and, yes, walking for 30 minutes when you don't really feel like it IS a great thing).

What inspires YOU to do great things?  This week, when you are out there being your wonderful self and you are getting your wog on, think about what motivates you to keep moving forward.  Use that as your inspiration when you need a boost to stay on your path towards a healthier you.  You can do it!


Happy Trails,
Valeka