Running

The laughing driver…and one angry passenger

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On Saturday, Chris and I were in Portland driving down a fairly busy street. We had the right of way, and were cruising along, when a car that was at a cross street decided they were going to try to cross the street and gunned it. I am fairly sure that the woman driving did not see us. Chris slammed on the brakes, and laid on the horn and they came inches from hitting us.

We drove on. I turned back to look at the car that almost hit us. Partly because I was pissed beyond belief, and partly because I wanted to make eye contact with the driver. At that moment, all I could think about was the fact that they would have slammed into us right at the driver side door. Right into Chris. So I had reason to be livid. When I looked back, the woman driving the car was LAUGHING. I wanted to have Chris cross over three lanes, turn right immediately, and find them. (That would be my father’s anger coming out of me). I wanted them to know that my heart was jumping out of my body, that everything in our backseat was on the floor or under our front seats due to how hard Chris had to brake.

Turning and looking at the driver all happened in a matter of five seconds. Yet, for the rest of the day, the woman laughing is what kept coming back into my thoughts. Why would she have been laughing? Was she nervous that she almost crashed into us? Was she too into her conversation that she did not even care that she almost caused an accident? Was she mocking me looking back at her with a scowl on my face?

Chris is precious cargo to me. Food for thought. Watch the road when driving. We all have precious cargo inside.

A Marathon, Flip Flops, and one Badass

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Two things about me. First one. I am addicted to my flip flops. If I lived in California I would most likely wear them year round. As soon as it gets warm I buff my feet, pull out the flip flops, and let out a sigh of relief. I wiggle my toes, my feet begin to turn just a shade darker after the long 9 month intimacy they had with my socks. I will be bundled up with a jacket and scarf, but as long as my feet do not freeze, you will find me in my flip flops.

Second thing. My term for someone who amazes me is: badass. Impress me, and most likely you will make it to my “badass” category. Just remember the list is short. However, I think I have just found someone who takes my use of badass to new levels. Keith Levasseur ran the Baltimore Marathon on Sunday in flip flops. Flip flops you ask? Yes. Flip flops. He ran it in 2 hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds. Again, I tell you a badass. He will be filing with the Guinness Book of World Records for a marathon in flip flops.

pile of my flip flops…

And I thought I had a full week at work, blogging, running, and personal life changes. I guess I have work to do to catch up with Keith. I need to run my first marathon, then I can decide if I ever want to try to run one in flip flops. But, Keith, you can keep your world record.

What Makes You Happy?

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Do you ever stop and think about what makes you happy? Is there something that brings a smile to your face throughout the day? Or even once a day?

Chris brings a smile to my face. When I think of him during the day, when I see his name show up on my phone. A text, or a voicemail. It is a reminder to me that he is thinking of me. I try to return the favor. It is nice to be thought of isn’t it?

Little babies that start laughing and cannot stop. That makes me happy. Laughter in general makes me happy. When you watch a genuine moment between two individuals, whether two co-workers are making a connection, or you see someone at the store helping another person.

Seeing someone passionate about something makes me happy. It could be when you hear someone sing and it sends chills throughout your body, because you feel the sound of the music and their voice together and it moves you. When you see a couple dancing, and you can see and feel their connection.

Smiles make me happy. You know the kind where their eyes are crinkled and you know that it is real, genuine happiness. When you nail it in a work meeting, or you someone else brings their game to the table and you are just in awe of what they are capable of and what you know you can learn from them.

Hugs. Hugs make me happy. They ground me. I love this quote from this recent Daily Om:

“Many of the happiest people on earth are also those coping with the most serious challenges. They have learned to make time for those simple yet superb pleasures that can be enjoyed quickly and easily. Cultivating a happy heart takes no more than five minutes. The resultant delight will be neither complex nor complicated, but it will be profound and will serve as a reminder that there is always a reason to smile.”

laugh as we have always laughed…on side of Portland building

What makes you happy?

Does Exercise Makes You Smarter?

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I recently read this article in Fast Company titled: “Working Out Doesn’t Just Make You Stronger, It Makes You Smarter.” There are great infographics involved that help to tell the story. The article really made me think. I am not that old, but I do remember what it was like to grow up without a television. I am not going to go on and on about how I had to walk 5 miles to school (I did not have to), but I will tell you that times have changed and I do not think it is a good thing. We used to be outside, get dirty, play in creeks, ride our bikes, the list goes on. We did not sit in front of the television for hours during the sunlight portion of the day. We used our bodies, worked our muscles, got scraps and burns and war wounds. We were ACTIVE!

These days between televisions, video games (um Angry Birds can suck you in for hours), and not to mention iPads kids have so many excuses for not going outside. Their brains are highly wired for the mechanical. Yes, they learn lots of great problem solving skills, competition, and how to find their way around a computer, game, and app. What I worry is that they have lost their creativity. Whatever happened to getting lost in the woods and playing tag? Does that bore the minds of today’s youth? It sort of scares me. The statistics in this quote from the article are shocking:

“Children–who should be buzzing about with so much energy that we have to ask them not to exercise–aren’t moving around that much anymore. (Ironically, part of the problem is the diminished role of phys ed in many public schools.) Only one in four children get 30 minutes of daily exercise, and by the time they’re teenagers, only 12% are getting their daily recommended amount of physical activity.”

Only 12% of children get the daily recommended amount of physical activity. Only 12%. What are we going to do to change this? As mentioned in the above article, exercise stimulates brain cell growth. I like that. It is a quick reminder that we need to move to think better. I believe it. I feel more clear and less sluggish when I have worked out, when I have moved. I am sharper, clearer, and ready to tackle the issues in my thought.

Parting words from the article today: “Fitter Body, Fitter Mind.”

Running Is My Sweat Therapy

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Over the weekend I purchased a dress at Title Nine. The bag my purchase came home in had the following quote:

“Sometimes sweat is the best form of therapy.”

-Samantha Dunn

What a great quote. It is definitely my form of therapy. I love coming home from work, debriefing about my day with Chris, throwing on my running clothes, grabbing whatever book I am currently reading, and revving up the treadmill for a long run. It helps me decompress from my day, relax a bit, mentally jump into the book I am reading, and sweat it all out.

Often I can have a dilemma in my head, and while running I resolve the dilemma in my thought. Or I break down an idea into an actionable plan, and determine what steps to take to make that plan happen. I can be in the middle of my run and have to pause it to make notes because even though I will not even be thinking about the problem a solution will come to me in the midst of sweat dripping out my pores.

I have not always felt that way. I have only been running consistently for the last 5 years. Before that I did not really have an exercise regimen that I followed. Some might say that I am pretty hard-core now. But, I do not care. It is my therapy. It keeps me sane. It allows my mind to process, synthesize, and resolve questions in my thought.

Sweat = therapy.

Have a great holiday weekend, sweat and all!