We Will Remember

We Will Remember

I have always been a Feminist in my beliefs. From the time I was a child, to the 70s anthem “I am Woman” by Helen Reddy to now I have always believed that gender should never decide what I could be or do. While we have made strides in many areas, I now stand in complete amazement and frankly horror in what is happening in our country. Whether you are part of the #MeToo  movement or not, women now hold the key  in truly changing what America is. Our politicians and government have failed to stand up, not only for women but for the American people as well. Scandals, lies, foreign interference, the tacit approval of hate, bigotry and posturing has put our country and our core values at risk.  Make no mistake, women are listening, paying attention, and will rise to make a difference. It is International Women’s Day, and women will change the not only our country but the world. We have been patient, but patient no more. As I tell my friends, “Never piss off a patient woman because We Will Remember”

We Will Remember

Every time you put party over people

We will remember

Every Lie that comes from a politician

We will remember

For every “Stormy” chaotic day

We will Remember

For every job loss from poor policy

We will remember

Every law, directive or order that denies people based on skin color or religion

We will remember

For every hate group you have empowered
We will remember

Every time you take from the poor to give to the rich

We will remember

For the people of Puerto Rico

We will remember

For every child molester you have supported and praised

 We will remember

 For every Victim of domestic violence

We will remember

For every abuser you have protected

We will remember

For every victim of sexual harassment and abuse you have denied

We will remember

For every teacher whose supplies list include “Flak Jacket”

 We will remember

For every mother who has lost a child to gun violence

 We will remember

For every funeral caused by gun violence while you played golf

We will remember

We will remember, and we will vote our hearts and minds on all these issues and many more. 2018, and 2020 is coming and make no mistake, the women of this country will stand up and proudly proclaim #TimesUp!

Send this out, make it fly!

The 14th Mile.....

I could hear her whispering...."you cannot do this... are you crazy?"... shhhhh I told her.. I have to try..."your knee hurts...your hips hurt.. you have NEVER done more than 13 miles..." SHUT UP I said.... but she kept at it.. from the minute I took a step outside...."wrong socks...see told you  your hip hurt... look at all this wind.. you HATE wind"... I turned up my music louder...trying to drown out that little voice we all have that keeps us from trying something we want to do...incessantly she kept reminding me WHY this was bad idea..."wrong clothes .. wrong shoes... wrong socks... knee hurts.. see now you are hungry....it isn't safe..now you have foot cramps..don't have your compression on..who said you could run... SEE not a good idea."   music up louder....

I have never  done more than nine miles in training EVER...for my first half marathon I had exactly eight miles as a long run..period...it was an ugly first race but one of the biggest thrills of my life...and in all of the half marathons I have done since.. I have never trained more than nine miles...my brain and body shuts off at 13.1 ... that is the "finish line" to me..until today... Music up LOUDER

 I want to do a marathon.. I have not figured out WHY I want to do one but I do.. but 13.1 is my max...body and brain do NOT function after than ( ask anyone who has seen me after a race especially my twin sister)....I stepped out this morning bound and determined to break that 13 mile barrier, even if only by ONE step...
It is amazing what goes through your mind as you do a long run... besides the guy with the cute dog that is...and the fact I could not stop for Starbucks...I thought of my sister who turned me onto "Marathoning for Mortals" and got me started on all this   ( I will pay her back...hmmm)  and who was at the finish waiting for me at my first half... and Jenny Hadfield who wrote that book that lives by my bed and provides my training plan...Her support personally and privately has been amazing...I thought of my closest friend Rosemarie who is amazed I do this at all but showed up to cheer me on my first race and continues to love me despite my craziness... I thought of all the reasons I do run....especially for my students who often come to me already defeated... to keep them motivated and prove that disability is not inability....
I thought of the wonderful people I have met running, especially Sandy, Laura and Jeannette, who have become true friends and support for me...and who make my life amazing.
At mile ten the voices started again... "see you are in pain...the house is close by just stop"....and I did, for a bathroom break and to pick up the dog so she could go the last stretch with me...( she is currently out cold on the floor plotting revenge).... mile eleven..." you are tripping a bit.. stop already...your hip is screaming STOP ( I figured out it was just the fat cells complaining)....by this time the music is not working and I am having an argument in my head with the voice.. much to the amusement of people driving by I might add....all I need to do is take ONE step more than that 13.1....the wind is blowing and some guy goes running by in a respirator mask....really???? I am run walking....and keeping my usual half pace of about 3:30...so no surprises there... and I kept going...with fat cells screaming and the little voice trying to convince me I was crazy ( at this point I believed her).... but TODAY... I did 14.3 miles, not for a medal, not for a race...just to prove I could train for a marathon....and what did I say to that little voice in my head?
Shut UP bitch.. I OWN this :)
Run with me folks....if I can.. YOU can... the voices are WRONG

I am Back at it!

It has been months since I touched this blog… but it has been months of learning, growing and changing. One of the things I have learned is that we as women tend to put ourselves and our lives on hold for everyone else. We have been trained since birth to do this, to nurture others first. Time to nurture ourselves ladies, so we CAN nurture others to their very best.  I recently challenged friends to “30 minutes a day” of exercise and have found that we (including me) have all kinds of other things we “ought” to be doing during that time. I now challenge you to ask THIS question first: Will anything change thirty minutes from now? When I tell myself I need to be doing something else instead of taking care of me I now ask that question…will the papers I need to grade still be there? Yes.. Can I still clean the house 30 minutes from now? Yes.. Is the dog going to starve to death in 30 minutes? No    (ask HER and it’s a different story )LOL

You get my point….if you take the thirty minutes for YOU , you can better care for those you nurture and you just might improve your blood pressure, reduce your stress, lose weight, become more optimistic….not too bad a trade off!

I'm BACK!!!

 I have not been on my blog for months. I have been trying to get through school ( finally finished) start a new adventure ( I am teaching for the first time, college courses) and doing other things to try and change things up a bit. I am excited to be back training for the Disney Half Marathon coming up in a couple of months and putting classes together as a professor instead of a TA for a change LOL. Things have been good and bad... but I have learned a lot in the last few months about myself and who I am as a person and thats always a good thing. I am still doing glass and trying to get another small little business off the ground, but glass is my passion, there is nothing like working in the flame to creat beautiful things!

GET A DOG

The loss of my old dog Tucker has made me think about what dogs give us. Loyalty, love, compassion, forgiveness and companionship. I still have that with my Golden Gypsy as well as an impossibly happy disposition. The other thing they give me is accountability and keep me in shape. I now go running with my dog and she is my constant companion when I am home, goes everywhere with me. When I started to get into shape, she is happy to go running amok among the neighborhoods listening to me pant and grumble as we slog along. Everyone wants to stop me and talk about the dog, I often have to just keep going in order to keep my workout on time, but she would be happy to visit with anyone.
There are a lot of really cool dogs at shelters that would not only be thrilled to have a home, but hold you accountable for getting out and getting moving again. I would encourage anyone wanting to get out and exercise to give one of these dogs a home, they will whip you into shape. I think if we required dog walking we would not have an obesity issue!
And just remember, no matter how WE feel, they always love us, are happy to see us and always offer love, support and puppy kisses.

Working together

It is starting to get close to the Tinkerbell Half and I am getting excited. I also have a couple of friends who have decided to change their lives, lose weight and feel better and that is exciting. It also got me to thinking that it is better to be involved with others, even if they live far away, tohelp you reach your goals. I know that I feel better having these ladies working on the same issues I am, and we can talk and message when we need encouragement or just a kick in the rear to keep moving. Sharing is probably the most important part in keeping spirits high andbeing accountable for the choices we make. I know ithelps me a lot.
Stick together, nag each other, support each other, it makes a difference to all of the group. I am in two running groups online and we push each other and help each other when motivation slips away. We give out tips to help and sometimes just nag each other to bits. But it works!!!

Happy New Year!

Its a new year and time for new goals. Its was atough ending to the year for me having lost my old dog Tucker. He is the last of the ranch animals and it is like a new chapter has begun. I still have Gypsy who has become my running partner, at least she has the sense to take a nap after a run!

I am trying to get in 15 miles a week and after a week off for the holidays and travel it is tough to get back into the habit. I was lucky though I only gained a pound over the holiday break and have already taken it off..

I am so excited about the Tinkerbell run, it is my graduation"walk", I graduate right after in Feb. I have four races scheduled this year, Tinkerbell, Disney, Wine and Dine and the Rock and Roll in Losa Angelas.... I will probably run a few more five ks, I seem to do better when I have a race scheduled.

Other goals include teaching, fixing the house up.... getting out more, spending time with friends doing more glass...lots to do!!! Most of all trying to stay healthy and in shape!!