I've read so many blogs, and regretfully only had time to comment on a handful. Many of you have been doing so well! Even if you're struggling, you're not stopping. If you're succeeding, you're sharing your success with the rest of us, and encouraging us to keep on. That's what I really love about my Spark family here - you tell it like it is, good or bad, and keep on keepin' on.

I read several BLC blogs (you all are rockin' it, really!) and realized that, while there's nothing wrong with trying to 'go it alone' as it were, I probably need to find a challenge/team that will push me more. I love the teams I'm on now, but I recall a small private team of women I joined that introduced me to Lori and Karen and other great ladies, and helped encourage me to do more, be more. I haven't had a challenge team like that since, so I should probably seek one out again.

That's an encouraging sign, isn't it? Wanting to seek out more challenges, more encouragement, more activity and purpose and direction? I'd like to think so.


So, I got home after work yesterday, all psyched up from reading about successes and efforts and progress, determined to get out of the house and get some miles in. Yes, having plans is great - and I had plans for the week off from work to recover from the dental implant. No, I did not follow my plans - I did alright with the food, mostly, but didn't bother to leave the house but once.. ONCE.. the entire 10 days. That was pretty indulgent, lazy, and wonderful all at once.

I had messaged Bill earlier in the day, asking if he wanted to go with me. Now, keep in mind, we're in Oregon. Our rainy season has JUST started, so it's as if we're playing catch-up, all the rain we've been missing being tossed in and thrown at us now.

Anyway, Bill wasn't really feeling the need to get outside.

"You're going to get rained on," he said.

"That's been known to happen. It ~is~ Oregon," I replied, in case he'd forgotten where we lived.

I wanted to find my gloves to wear, but couldn't put my hands on them. Get it? Gloves? Hands on them?

Ahem..

I pulled on my current favorite pair of workout pants (they have a wide waistband that I fool myself into thinking helps hold Eunice and other various belly-jigglers in place), my Heartbreaker long-sleeve tech shirt (because it's roomy and I fool myself into thinking it helps disguise Eunice and the jiggly bits), my Hope pink ribbon baseball cap, and my Mirage runners.

If you dress the part, you're more apt to play the part.
Or something like that.

Garmin, music, and you all were with me when I stepped out the door. I have figured out a nice 3 mile route that is mostly flat except for a small hill mid-way through. I headed down toward Sandy (.5 mi from our house) with my alert set to go off every 45 seconds. I'd run one interval, then walk two. No big deal, no great effort, but it sure beats the h*ll out of schlumping on the couch.

Am I right?


I do the half mile down, and half mile back, and head to the house. It's been drizzly, thinking about raining, the whole time, but wasn't really putting anything down. Yet.

As soon as I step in the door...
"Gotta go potty?" Bill asks.

"Yep!" as I trot on by him.


Hey, stuff happens, right? LOL I had to chuckle, recalling a previous blog post about my backfield not being in motion.. ahem.. and a comment from Dee about her dogs running around in circles when ever they had to 'go' and how maybe that would help. Let's just say.. it does!

So I'm back out the door, on my way to the next mile. This is where Mother Nature decides to teach me a little lesson. I did state in my feed yesterday afternoon that rain or shine, I was getting out for some miles. She decided I needed a little more rain.

It poured.

I mean, it came down so hard, it was raining down and bouncing up! All I could do was snort and grin as I kept up with my intervals.

Remember this?

It's ok if you don't! It's from my abandoned 'why I run' blog back in March.
Anyway, that's how I felt, all bad*ss running in the deluge, laughing at the joke Mother Nature was sharing with me. I spied a patch of clear, bright skies off to the west, so I just watched it as I ran and walked my way through the mile, until the rain slowed to a drizzle then finally stopped. I glanced over my shoulder, and there was this bright rainbow.

It was lovely. I like to think that it was Mother Nature saying "ok, you didn't quit, I guess you deserve this."

I finished mile two, chugged up the small hill, and finished off mile three, feeling pretty darned good. I was getting tired, admittedly, so my endurance has waned a bit. That's ok, I can build that back up.

I finished what I started. 3.14 miles in 46 minutes. That's the same time as my very first ever 5K. That's fine by me. I'm toting around an extra 18 lbs right now. Timing will improve as the extra lbs are removed. There will be more running than walking at some point.

I hesitated about blogging this, because what if.. what if I lose my groove again? What if this good feelings falls away? What if 18 becomes 25? What if?
But I've got to start (or resume) somewhere, right? Why not right here, right now. Here's to moving forward.

C~