In the spirit of this blog and of my comittment to doing things that frighten me, I decided it was finally time today to take my beautiful new bike out on the road. Oh, and, they probably won't let me do my miles for the triathlon sitting on a trainer.
I used to be a bike commuter in Seattle but biking in Southern New Jersey is not for the timid! First of all, there are very few designated bike lanes, none on my route to church today. If you are fortunate enough to be on a road with a shoulder (or "right-hand passing lane" as they seem to be known as here), you will find it riddled with potholes from this winter's madness. These are not your ordinary potholes either, they are more like caverns, many shaped exactly like the imprint of say, a bicycle tire. In the nicer neighborhoods the potholes have been filled but all the loose, spare gravel has been swept into the shoulder. Here is where I would like to point out that road bikes do NOT handle entirely like mountain bikes.
Still, it being Easter, and a time for new beginnings, I strapped on the helmet, shoved my church clothes into a little backpack and took to the roads. I used Google Bike Maps in the hopes of finding a way to avoid Route 70, a monstrosity of a highway that cuts right through a neighborhood, making most streets around it unusable as through streets. Of course there is no bike lane on this road and the sidewalks (Yes, I rode on them. I'll stay off your sidewalks when you make your streets safe for me to ride on!) are covered with broken glass in lots of areas. None of this stopped me.
It took some time to master getting my foot into the toe cage while I was moving, this is much easier on the trainer and I did take a spill that I couldn't avoid because my foot was caught in said toe cage. I was shaken up, wobbly knees and all, but a quick assessment told me that I was just dusty, not injured and only half way there.
On the way home I decided to ignore Google and take a route that would avoid Route 70 the whole way. It meant sharing some narrow but busy neighborhood streets with cars but I guess they were patient given the spirit of the day. I managed to get lost for a bit but the weather was great, I had no place particular to be so I just enjoyed the ride. And when I wasn't cursing at the potholes or panicking over the gravel I felt terrific. I had forgotten how wonderful it is to feel wind on your face as you ride and hear the sounds of the outdoors instead of the morning news.
Tuesday I plan to ride in to work. It's an hour bike ride (will take me more than that) plus a train ride, and includes a pretty healthy incline but I'm looking forward to it and hope to make it a regular part of my commuting at least once a week.
Happy Easter! What new thing will you try today?
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Saturday, March 20, 2010
What a difference a year makes!
A year ago today I went to watch my first 5K. At that time I was not even contemplating running one myself and it would be another 2 months before I actually did one. Of course, this year, when that race came around again, I had to run in it.
What a difference a year makes. The night before my first 5K I couldn't sleep. I was a basket of nerves all morning, I thought the butterflies in my stomach would keep me from even being able to start. This morning, with at least 7 races under my belt, was just another morning, punctuated with a nice run to start it off. What once seemed like an insurmountable distance is now my bi-weekly workout run. Where a year ago I hoped I would just finish, this year I had a target time to beat (and did, by 2 minutes!).
Today, though, was about much more than a time or a distance. Today's race was all about what is most important to me about this journey. A friend of mine ran her first race today and as I plugged along I felt her presence on the course the whole way. It was such a thrill to see her approaching the finish line with a smile on her face and run with her up to her big finish.
I re-learned a second lesson today too. I'm usually the one who gives encouragement and am not so good at asking for or accepting help (though I'm getting better). Today, another friend I didn't expect to see was doing the race and ran the entire course with me. I do all my training on my own, in fact, I do most everything all on my own, so I wasn't sure how much I was going to like this. I was ready to sink into my tunes and just do the race. He asked me at the beginning what time I was hoping to do. And at every mile marker, he'd calculate where we were and say "Oh yeah, we're going to make it for sure." A few times, when I was flagging, he'd say "Come on, you have a time to beat! Let's go!". Now he could have done the race much faster without me but he was determined that he was going to help me reach my goal. He didn't get up planning to do it, he didn't know I was in the race, but once there, it was just the right thing for him to do...and the right thing for me to accept. I learned a lot more than how to pump my arms going up a hill today. I learned to use my strength to pull someone else along, and to let myself receive the same.
What a difference a year makes. The night before my first 5K I couldn't sleep. I was a basket of nerves all morning, I thought the butterflies in my stomach would keep me from even being able to start. This morning, with at least 7 races under my belt, was just another morning, punctuated with a nice run to start it off. What once seemed like an insurmountable distance is now my bi-weekly workout run. Where a year ago I hoped I would just finish, this year I had a target time to beat (and did, by 2 minutes!).
Today, though, was about much more than a time or a distance. Today's race was all about what is most important to me about this journey. A friend of mine ran her first race today and as I plugged along I felt her presence on the course the whole way. It was such a thrill to see her approaching the finish line with a smile on her face and run with her up to her big finish.
I re-learned a second lesson today too. I'm usually the one who gives encouragement and am not so good at asking for or accepting help (though I'm getting better). Today, another friend I didn't expect to see was doing the race and ran the entire course with me. I do all my training on my own, in fact, I do most everything all on my own, so I wasn't sure how much I was going to like this. I was ready to sink into my tunes and just do the race. He asked me at the beginning what time I was hoping to do. And at every mile marker, he'd calculate where we were and say "Oh yeah, we're going to make it for sure." A few times, when I was flagging, he'd say "Come on, you have a time to beat! Let's go!". Now he could have done the race much faster without me but he was determined that he was going to help me reach my goal. He didn't get up planning to do it, he didn't know I was in the race, but once there, it was just the right thing for him to do...and the right thing for me to accept. I learned a lot more than how to pump my arms going up a hill today. I learned to use my strength to pull someone else along, and to let myself receive the same.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Ennui? There's an App for that.
South Jersey has been under seige for most of February. Three back-to-back snowstorms have had me snowed in with work and school cancelled and a compelling argument for doing nothing but drinking whiskey and baking cookies. It had gotten so bad that yesterday, when the flurries started, my first thought was "Where's the cake?!".
Before the storm, or BS, I was pretty good at keeping a 5-7 day a week schedule of workouts. Since the great hibernation I've stretched the term "exercise" to first include sledding and building snow forts, to shoveling the walk, then to doing laundry and finally to listening to the radio instead of the tv. Thank goodness for the treadmill and trainer or I might have completely calcified.
To combat the sloth, I started looking around for new workout podcasts. Santa brought me an i-pod Touch for Christmas and I've been having a great time (much to the pleasure of the fine accountants at itunes) loading all sorts of diversions.
I have found two free podcasts that are helping me through the grey days. The first is called Motion Traxx: Fuel for Fitness. It's free to subscribe. I'm not sure how often they upload new episodes but I've downloaded about 5. They are workout routines set to music with the beats per minute calculated so that you can choose a workout to get you to the speed you want. There are tracks for walking, jogging, running and cycling and some sprint workouts as well. All you have to do is keep up with the music, the sets are organized to increase your speed according to the workout type. The next is called Indoor Cycling Podcast. I've downloaded a few episodes but confess that I haven't listened to them yet. They are advertised as spin workouts though which is great because I can't seem to get to the gym at the time of the spin classes. I also downloaded a program called BeaTunes which calculated the bpm of all my own music stored in itunes (why itunes doesn't already include this feature is a mystery to me). Then I was able to use the Playlist feature of itunes to create playlists of my own music within a certain range of bpm. I also made a list of songs that just make me smile for the days I really don't want to be out there.
Despite yesterday's amazing yoga class, it had been a couple days since I had done anything to really get my heartrate up and today was looking like it would be another lazy day. I found at least 6 sound reasons not to go for a run and paced up and down the stairs unable to settle on anything to do. Clean the house? Read? Watch a movie? Sew something? Nothing seemed to hold my attention and then it dawned on me. Could it possibly be that I actually wanted to run? Or even stranger, needed to? As soon as the idea crossed my mind I realized that of course, that was it. I missed the endorphins. Before I could talk myself out of it, I threw on my shoes and running clothes and turned on the podcast. I'm back, feel great and might actually be able to tackle folding laundry after all. And they're saying we won't have any more snow for at least four whole days!...
Before the storm, or BS, I was pretty good at keeping a 5-7 day a week schedule of workouts. Since the great hibernation I've stretched the term "exercise" to first include sledding and building snow forts, to shoveling the walk, then to doing laundry and finally to listening to the radio instead of the tv. Thank goodness for the treadmill and trainer or I might have completely calcified.
To combat the sloth, I started looking around for new workout podcasts. Santa brought me an i-pod Touch for Christmas and I've been having a great time (much to the pleasure of the fine accountants at itunes) loading all sorts of diversions.
I have found two free podcasts that are helping me through the grey days. The first is called Motion Traxx: Fuel for Fitness. It's free to subscribe. I'm not sure how often they upload new episodes but I've downloaded about 5. They are workout routines set to music with the beats per minute calculated so that you can choose a workout to get you to the speed you want. There are tracks for walking, jogging, running and cycling and some sprint workouts as well. All you have to do is keep up with the music, the sets are organized to increase your speed according to the workout type. The next is called Indoor Cycling Podcast. I've downloaded a few episodes but confess that I haven't listened to them yet. They are advertised as spin workouts though which is great because I can't seem to get to the gym at the time of the spin classes. I also downloaded a program called BeaTunes which calculated the bpm of all my own music stored in itunes (why itunes doesn't already include this feature is a mystery to me). Then I was able to use the Playlist feature of itunes to create playlists of my own music within a certain range of bpm. I also made a list of songs that just make me smile for the days I really don't want to be out there.
Despite yesterday's amazing yoga class, it had been a couple days since I had done anything to really get my heartrate up and today was looking like it would be another lazy day. I found at least 6 sound reasons not to go for a run and paced up and down the stairs unable to settle on anything to do. Clean the house? Read? Watch a movie? Sew something? Nothing seemed to hold my attention and then it dawned on me. Could it possibly be that I actually wanted to run? Or even stranger, needed to? As soon as the idea crossed my mind I realized that of course, that was it. I missed the endorphins. Before I could talk myself out of it, I threw on my shoes and running clothes and turned on the podcast. I'm back, feel great and might actually be able to tackle folding laundry after all. And they're saying we won't have any more snow for at least four whole days!...
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Courting Three Lovers
Preparing for a triathlon is a lot like juggling multiple lovers. I know this because I've been doing on-line dating off and on for seven years, but that's probably a topic for another blog. Anyway, during the pre-training phase, which apparently I'm in, I should be able to bike, swim and run each for 30 - 45 minutes. That is to say, by the time I reach May 2nd I should have that level of endurance built up to start the training. Swimming is the sport where I haven't quite reached that goal yet.
So the multiple lovers - all the folks I've spoken to and read about who do tris have one sport that is their weaker sport, their "third man". That's the date you always mean to call but you wait and see if a better offer comes in first. Before you judge, check your own history... The temptation, at least for me, is to keep doing the sports I feel confident in because they tell me I'm pretty and make me feel all giggly. Oh wait, that's the dates again.
Seriously, I'm currently most in love with my new bike. I haven't had it out on the road yet, way too cold and icy, but it's in the trainer and I could ride it every day. I love it and sometimes will do a morning and evening ride because it's just sitting there waiting for me. Before I got the bike, and when I first started swimming, the pool was the only place I wanted to be. Oh sure, I'd give old "running" a chance now and then but swimming was my "Saturday Night Date" and I'd find a million reasons not to get on the bike.
Swimming is now getting neglected and its starting to get a little pissy about it. Before "Bike" came into the picture, I was swimming about 1250 yards in a workout. Today, after only 10 minutes and only 300 yards, I was complaining about the cold water, the water in my nose, the boredom of the laps, you name it.
Here's how I juggle things to get the workouts in as a single, working mom during the cold weather:
Monday - run on the treadmill or bike on the trainer. I have both of these at home. I get up at 5:30 and do a half hour or so before it's time to get the Boy up for school. When the weather gets nicer, I will squeeze an outdoor run in instead, I run a 3 mile loop that ends at the afterschool program, which closes at 6:00 so I can pick up the kid and get home to start dinner.
Tuesdays and Thursdays - These are usually bike or treadmill days but one becomes a swim night if I haven't fit two in. If it's a long night and I can't get up in the morning, then I put in the half hour after the Boy is tucked in for bed. He's getting used to falling asleep to whirring and pounding machines.
Wednesdays and Fridays - These are mornings that my son goes to a friend's house in the morning before school. He goes twice a week and then their kid comes to my house once a week so we both get some morning time without kids. These mornings I either have a weight training session at the gym, which is preceeded usually by about a 20 minute ride or run or if the weather is nice I might do a morning run and schedule the session with the trainer for the evening. The gym has a child care center and the Boy loves it because he gets to have some kind of take-out for dinner.
Saturdays - are tricky. When I can arrange morning childcare I go to a morning yoga session. If there's time I'll get a swim in, or a ride or run, depending on which sport hasn't had two dates that week.
Sundays - are the same and often end up being "off" days, unless it's a "Dad" weekend or there's a playdate scheduled that buys me an hour or so to fit in something.
You can see how crazy-making it can be. Every Friday I look at the next week's calendar and based on meetings, events, sitters, etc. I plug in 2 rides, 2 runs, 2 swims and 2 weight sessions. I have gotten religious about it. I have to be or else it won't happen. I suppose some people would plug in the workouts before scheduling all the other things but I am trying to keep a balance between the fitness and all the other things in my life that are important so this way works for me. I'm finding that the weekends are the most challenging though, mostly because there isn't school or daycare to cover. When it gets warmer, we'll hook the tag along to the bike so my son can ride with me and Santa brought a new scooter that I'm hoping will allow him to come along on the runs. I don't go that fast!
I also try and have at least one race on the calendar each month to keep me movitated and pushing myself. Up to now they've all been short running races. After the expo though, I've decided to add a couple duathlons to practice multi-sport events before the tri. Now, I have to fit in a part time job or freelance gig to cover all the costs of my multi-sport "dating"!
So the multiple lovers - all the folks I've spoken to and read about who do tris have one sport that is their weaker sport, their "third man". That's the date you always mean to call but you wait and see if a better offer comes in first. Before you judge, check your own history... The temptation, at least for me, is to keep doing the sports I feel confident in because they tell me I'm pretty and make me feel all giggly. Oh wait, that's the dates again.
Seriously, I'm currently most in love with my new bike. I haven't had it out on the road yet, way too cold and icy, but it's in the trainer and I could ride it every day. I love it and sometimes will do a morning and evening ride because it's just sitting there waiting for me. Before I got the bike, and when I first started swimming, the pool was the only place I wanted to be. Oh sure, I'd give old "running" a chance now and then but swimming was my "Saturday Night Date" and I'd find a million reasons not to get on the bike.
Swimming is now getting neglected and its starting to get a little pissy about it. Before "Bike" came into the picture, I was swimming about 1250 yards in a workout. Today, after only 10 minutes and only 300 yards, I was complaining about the cold water, the water in my nose, the boredom of the laps, you name it.
Here's how I juggle things to get the workouts in as a single, working mom during the cold weather:
Monday - run on the treadmill or bike on the trainer. I have both of these at home. I get up at 5:30 and do a half hour or so before it's time to get the Boy up for school. When the weather gets nicer, I will squeeze an outdoor run in instead, I run a 3 mile loop that ends at the afterschool program, which closes at 6:00 so I can pick up the kid and get home to start dinner.
Tuesdays and Thursdays - These are usually bike or treadmill days but one becomes a swim night if I haven't fit two in. If it's a long night and I can't get up in the morning, then I put in the half hour after the Boy is tucked in for bed. He's getting used to falling asleep to whirring and pounding machines.
Wednesdays and Fridays - These are mornings that my son goes to a friend's house in the morning before school. He goes twice a week and then their kid comes to my house once a week so we both get some morning time without kids. These mornings I either have a weight training session at the gym, which is preceeded usually by about a 20 minute ride or run or if the weather is nice I might do a morning run and schedule the session with the trainer for the evening. The gym has a child care center and the Boy loves it because he gets to have some kind of take-out for dinner.
Saturdays - are tricky. When I can arrange morning childcare I go to a morning yoga session. If there's time I'll get a swim in, or a ride or run, depending on which sport hasn't had two dates that week.
Sundays - are the same and often end up being "off" days, unless it's a "Dad" weekend or there's a playdate scheduled that buys me an hour or so to fit in something.
You can see how crazy-making it can be. Every Friday I look at the next week's calendar and based on meetings, events, sitters, etc. I plug in 2 rides, 2 runs, 2 swims and 2 weight sessions. I have gotten religious about it. I have to be or else it won't happen. I suppose some people would plug in the workouts before scheduling all the other things but I am trying to keep a balance between the fitness and all the other things in my life that are important so this way works for me. I'm finding that the weekends are the most challenging though, mostly because there isn't school or daycare to cover. When it gets warmer, we'll hook the tag along to the bike so my son can ride with me and Santa brought a new scooter that I'm hoping will allow him to come along on the runs. I don't go that fast!
I also try and have at least one race on the calendar each month to keep me movitated and pushing myself. Up to now they've all been short running races. After the expo though, I've decided to add a couple duathlons to practice multi-sport events before the tri. Now, I have to fit in a part time job or freelance gig to cover all the costs of my multi-sport "dating"!
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Year of the Triathlon
Well here we are, already a month into 2010 - The Year of the Triathlon. This will be my big goal for the year. Yesterday I went to a triathlon expo for the South Jersey Triathlon club. I'm really big on clubs. I talked to all sorts of athletes, trainers and vendors about my biggest fears, training plans and more.
I can't say enough about how important it is to surround yourself with other active people when you're trying to change your lifestyle. When we were kids, our parents tried to make sure we had good friends and caring adults around so we'd grow into good adults. The same is true for the fitness convert. If you're trying to change your life but all your friends are avid couch potatoes it's going to be very easy to give up first one day's workout, then the next and soon you're right back in front of Maury Povich with a half a pizza and a bag of stale Doritos.
I used to be intimidated to go to active groups. I thought that at my weight and skill level, I wouldn't be welcome. What I've found again and again in the race communities is that I share with the other members a passion for getting active and a desire for others to feel the same satisfaction and joy I've found. People at the expo were encouraging and their enthusiasm was impossible to ignore. And yes, there were people of every age and size there too - all of them radiating energy and excitement. My new people.
I came home from the expo with all sorts of flyers for upcoming events and races. I signed up to volunteer at a few tris to see how it's all done before I get out there. This week I will plot out the next several months to make sure there's at least one race of some kind or another on the calendar each month and to build in my 16 week training schedule for my tri. It really isn't that different from all the goal setting and scheduling I have to do when I'm in school or planning for a big training event for work. You have to make it a priority and I have to make sure I don't give myself any kind of excuse to give up.
Today's inspiration: Stage 4 of the 2004 Tour de France while I chug along on my bike trainer. I'm working my way through the whole race. So far, I've finished with Lance (or before him) on every stage.
I can't say enough about how important it is to surround yourself with other active people when you're trying to change your lifestyle. When we were kids, our parents tried to make sure we had good friends and caring adults around so we'd grow into good adults. The same is true for the fitness convert. If you're trying to change your life but all your friends are avid couch potatoes it's going to be very easy to give up first one day's workout, then the next and soon you're right back in front of Maury Povich with a half a pizza and a bag of stale Doritos.
I used to be intimidated to go to active groups. I thought that at my weight and skill level, I wouldn't be welcome. What I've found again and again in the race communities is that I share with the other members a passion for getting active and a desire for others to feel the same satisfaction and joy I've found. People at the expo were encouraging and their enthusiasm was impossible to ignore. And yes, there were people of every age and size there too - all of them radiating energy and excitement. My new people.
I came home from the expo with all sorts of flyers for upcoming events and races. I signed up to volunteer at a few tris to see how it's all done before I get out there. This week I will plot out the next several months to make sure there's at least one race of some kind or another on the calendar each month and to build in my 16 week training schedule for my tri. It really isn't that different from all the goal setting and scheduling I have to do when I'm in school or planning for a big training event for work. You have to make it a priority and I have to make sure I don't give myself any kind of excuse to give up.
Today's inspiration: Stage 4 of the 2004 Tour de France while I chug along on my bike trainer. I'm working my way through the whole race. So far, I've finished with Lance (or before him) on every stage.
Monday, January 18, 2010
10 days and counting
The countdown has begun to my 45th birthday. 10 days. I won't have reached a weight goal I set for myself but I will be saying hello to an entirely new way of living for the second half of my life.
When I first started this blog, it was to encourage people to try things they thought were too scary, to unlike them, the things the always wished they could do...if they were braver, younger, thinner, taller etc. For me, that turned out to be living a more active lifestyle.
This year, I'll be competing in my first triathlon. Up to now I've been focused on just adding fitness to my life. Now, I either run, bike or swim every day, practice yoga and lift weights several times a week and try to have a race on the calendar every month.
The real training for the tri begins in a few months. What scares me most right now is swimming in a pack of people, biking in a pack of people and being able to do both of those things on the same day with a run thrown in for good measure! I've joined a triathlon club and will go to their first event this month.
For Christmas, I got the book "The Slow, Fat, Triathlete". I recommend this book to anyone who thinks they're not able to get fit. You don't have to think of yourself as fat to get something out of this great book. You'll still be inspired by the author's reclaiming her right to move, to sweat, to get out and have fun.
So, with the first warm day (50 degrees) in a LONG time, and a 5 mile gentle run to celebrate, I get this year started with training for my next great challenge. I can't wait!
When I first started this blog, it was to encourage people to try things they thought were too scary, to unlike them, the things the always wished they could do...if they were braver, younger, thinner, taller etc. For me, that turned out to be living a more active lifestyle.
This year, I'll be competing in my first triathlon. Up to now I've been focused on just adding fitness to my life. Now, I either run, bike or swim every day, practice yoga and lift weights several times a week and try to have a race on the calendar every month.
The real training for the tri begins in a few months. What scares me most right now is swimming in a pack of people, biking in a pack of people and being able to do both of those things on the same day with a run thrown in for good measure! I've joined a triathlon club and will go to their first event this month.
For Christmas, I got the book "The Slow, Fat, Triathlete". I recommend this book to anyone who thinks they're not able to get fit. You don't have to think of yourself as fat to get something out of this great book. You'll still be inspired by the author's reclaiming her right to move, to sweat, to get out and have fun.
So, with the first warm day (50 degrees) in a LONG time, and a 5 mile gentle run to celebrate, I get this year started with training for my next great challenge. I can't wait!
Friday, January 1, 2010
A New Year's Carol
With Apologies - no, screw that, I'm done with apologies. With THANKS to Charles Dickens
Sarah Mello was fat. Quite fat. It is crucial that you understand this point or nothing beautiful can come from the story I am about to relate to you. Now I can't work that Marley bit into my metaphor and frankly, I always thought that was a slow and somewhat confusing part of the story anway. (Three ghosts will come, each one on a different night but at the end it's all been one long spooky night - was someone asleep at the editing table?)
So, let's jump right to that ghost of the past. There are two scenes she'll show us tonight. The first, wow, 20 years ago. Can that be right? Let me check the math. Yep, 20 years ago. Sarah has just moved to Seattle for the adventure of a lifetime. She knows noone but manages to get an apartment halfway up one of Seattle's many formidable hills. Without a car, she must walk up the hill to one job and 5 miles down the hill and across the city to the other (which means an uphill walk home if you're having trouble staying focused). This was Sarah at her lowest and healthiest adult weight. A size 8. We'll have to guess at the numbers, she was too poor to own a scale.
Now we all remember that the Ghost of the Past didn't only deal in happy memories so lets skip ahead a bit, perhaps another 10 years. This is Sarah at her lifetime heaviest. Unhappily married, her 5'3" albeit broad-shouldered frame was sporting a remarkable 210 pounds. No amount of shoulder breadth is going to hide that much acreage. At her sister's wedding, her own father didn't recognize her, asking where Sarah was. "No, I mean the Sarah that is R's sister". Sarah herself didn't know who the fat, old woman wearing one of her dresses was when she looked at the wedding photos a few weeks later. Sometimes, that old Specter Sarah still pops up in the mirror today, and it can take several trips to the scale and glances at the clothing labels to chase it's shadow away.
OK, the bells start ringing madly, Sarah is summoned from her bed again by a booming voice - the Ghost of Sarah Present. This ghost comes largely in the form of a certain Dr. H. who saw this year in Sarah a spark of stubbornness and resilience - which he convinced her could be the makings of a true athlete - a word as previously foreign to her as brain surgeon (ok, 2 words) or physicist. Dr. H. reasoned that a woman who could survive rape, divorce, death of a parent, and many other more trivial challenges, and do so with laughter and joy could hardly be held captive by the fear of 3.1 measly little miles. With a wave of this ghost's hand, you can see Sarah running her first 5K, then 4 mile race and 10K this year. In fact, Sarah finishes out 2009 stronger, healthier and more fit than ever before.
Now the metaphor (or maybe this is a simile, probably really a parody) is getting a bit flimsy but we've got one more ghost to go to round this thing out. I choose to tell this part of the tale with two Ghosts of the Future.
"Spirit of the Future, I fear you most of all"
The haunting, Dickensian version of Sarah Future is found in every woman I meet who says "I wish I had done more of that when I was young" or "I wish I were more like you". These possibilities of the future are women and men who already given up on the chance at something new. Theirs is a future of regret.
I am more inspired by hope than by fear so let's see the other Ghost of Sarah Future. It is July, 2010 and Future Sarah is just sprinting across the finish line of her first triathlon. An idea that seemed at one time in the not-too-distant-past as ridiculous, the stuff of some other person's life. She is smiling, nearly shouting with joy as she raises her arms in victory through the chute and collapses into the arms of her tall, dark and handsome boyfriend (hey, it's a fantasy, give me some leeway!) who is waiting with her newly svelte and strong best friend (who has recently completed HER first race.....) and ever-adoring son. This Sarah bears the tired, sweaty smile of a champion unafraid to face her biggest doubts.
Alright, the night is getting on and I've about milked this thing for all it's worth. Sarah awakes today, New Year's Day to find that "it's not too late! I haven't missed it! I'm alive!!!". I will turn 45 in three weeks and I am stronger, happier, fitter and more full of life than I have ever been. Less than a year from the start of this blog, a 3 mile run is now a light warm-up. I've taken Dr. H's prescription of "Run, bike, swim, lift, repeat for the rest of your life" to heart. I am registered to race a triathlon. I have inspired others to face their own goals. Fitness is no longer an activity I fit into my life, it is a part of who I am and it offers a never ending supply of challenges, goals and rewards.
And so as we begin this new year, you know I had to stick it in....."God bless us, everyone"! Now get off your ass and move before I sic a ghost on you!
So, let's jump right to that ghost of the past. There are two scenes she'll show us tonight. The first, wow, 20 years ago. Can that be right? Let me check the math. Yep, 20 years ago. Sarah has just moved to Seattle for the adventure of a lifetime. She knows noone but manages to get an apartment halfway up one of Seattle's many formidable hills. Without a car, she must walk up the hill to one job and 5 miles down the hill and across the city to the other (which means an uphill walk home if you're having trouble staying focused). This was Sarah at her lowest and healthiest adult weight. A size 8. We'll have to guess at the numbers, she was too poor to own a scale.
Now we all remember that the Ghost of the Past didn't only deal in happy memories so lets skip ahead a bit, perhaps another 10 years. This is Sarah at her lifetime heaviest. Unhappily married, her 5'3" albeit broad-shouldered frame was sporting a remarkable 210 pounds. No amount of shoulder breadth is going to hide that much acreage. At her sister's wedding, her own father didn't recognize her, asking where Sarah was. "No, I mean the Sarah that is R's sister". Sarah herself didn't know who the fat, old woman wearing one of her dresses was when she looked at the wedding photos a few weeks later. Sometimes, that old Specter Sarah still pops up in the mirror today, and it can take several trips to the scale and glances at the clothing labels to chase it's shadow away.
OK, the bells start ringing madly, Sarah is summoned from her bed again by a booming voice - the Ghost of Sarah Present. This ghost comes largely in the form of a certain Dr. H. who saw this year in Sarah a spark of stubbornness and resilience - which he convinced her could be the makings of a true athlete - a word as previously foreign to her as brain surgeon (ok, 2 words) or physicist. Dr. H. reasoned that a woman who could survive rape, divorce, death of a parent, and many other more trivial challenges, and do so with laughter and joy could hardly be held captive by the fear of 3.1 measly little miles. With a wave of this ghost's hand, you can see Sarah running her first 5K, then 4 mile race and 10K this year. In fact, Sarah finishes out 2009 stronger, healthier and more fit than ever before.
Now the metaphor (or maybe this is a simile, probably really a parody) is getting a bit flimsy but we've got one more ghost to go to round this thing out. I choose to tell this part of the tale with two Ghosts of the Future.
"Spirit of the Future, I fear you most of all"
The haunting, Dickensian version of Sarah Future is found in every woman I meet who says "I wish I had done more of that when I was young" or "I wish I were more like you". These possibilities of the future are women and men who already given up on the chance at something new. Theirs is a future of regret.
I am more inspired by hope than by fear so let's see the other Ghost of Sarah Future. It is July, 2010 and Future Sarah is just sprinting across the finish line of her first triathlon. An idea that seemed at one time in the not-too-distant-past as ridiculous, the stuff of some other person's life. She is smiling, nearly shouting with joy as she raises her arms in victory through the chute and collapses into the arms of her tall, dark and handsome boyfriend (hey, it's a fantasy, give me some leeway!) who is waiting with her newly svelte and strong best friend (who has recently completed HER first race.....) and ever-adoring son. This Sarah bears the tired, sweaty smile of a champion unafraid to face her biggest doubts.
Alright, the night is getting on and I've about milked this thing for all it's worth. Sarah awakes today, New Year's Day to find that "it's not too late! I haven't missed it! I'm alive!!!". I will turn 45 in three weeks and I am stronger, happier, fitter and more full of life than I have ever been. Less than a year from the start of this blog, a 3 mile run is now a light warm-up. I've taken Dr. H's prescription of "Run, bike, swim, lift, repeat for the rest of your life" to heart. I am registered to race a triathlon. I have inspired others to face their own goals. Fitness is no longer an activity I fit into my life, it is a part of who I am and it offers a never ending supply of challenges, goals and rewards.
And so as we begin this new year, you know I had to stick it in....."God bless us, everyone"! Now get off your ass and move before I sic a ghost on you!
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