Allowing the miracle to happen

"Whoever said winning isn't everything never had to fight CANCER!" That is the back of mom's t-shirt she has on in the picture to the left. In two days she will be having colon surgery for her cancer, but today we celebrated life. We celebrated her ability to persevere and endure. She has been a real trooper. Twenty-five rounds of chemotherapy and radiation and now surgery. One step at a time, continuing to do what she has always done and refusing to let it control her life.

We went this morning to run in a local race Run for One - World Missions 5k just as another reminder of how good God has been in this whole process. Mom took 1st place in her age group (60+) and inspired a few along the way. After the race many said.."Thank you for wearing that shirt! It helped push me and motivate me through the race." Allowing mom to have the opportunity to share her story and God's miracle in this whole process today at the race was amazing. Telling her story gives her the reminder and confidence she needs to know that God is in control. It reminds others that trusting in God allows the miracle to happen. It's hard to trust the miracle when you are living in the midst of the storm and while mom has had days she has struggled, she maintains the spirit to push through and endure... just like she did today in the cross country race.

Unless you have lived this race yourself, you can never even imagine the fight... the struggle, mental and physical. I constantly remind myself that I have never walked in these shoes, but I can only hope should I ever have to I can have the trust  and willpower to go the distance like mom.

Today I ran the race knowing that mom was close behind, pushing me harder to not give up when I was breathing hard and thinking I needed to stop. Trail running is hard for me! I did better than I had hoped for in  a 5k. I have been training for a marathon slowing my pace and learning to run in negative splits. I have never been super fast and to run 26.2 miles again means I have to slow it down to endure for four and half hours, my goal. My 5k marathon split should be 30:53 to reach my goal of 4:29 marathon, today I did 29:01. That was pretty on target since my GPS ran out. I was guessing  my pace based on my breathing. I was happy with it. If you run long enough and pay attention you can just about guess what your pace is based on how you are breathing. Today I was able to do that, but I will remember to charge my GARMIN next time! The end result was the pace was a little faster than I need to do by about a minute and the course was harder than the road, but I felt good the entire run:)

Once I was finished, I waited for mom knowing it wouldn't be much longer before that lime green shirt would come in sight... she is a beast. Time passed and I became panicked a little thinking maybe she fell, trail has lots of opportunity to bite the dust. I knew she had her port in and I began to have a little anxiety wondering if I should go look for her. I glanced at the timer and could see five minutes had passed since I had finished. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that she was tough and God was in control. Watching someone go through the fight of their life is hard. You are helpless and all you can do is sit and really do nothing... kind of like today.

I am use to being in control. I am a principal. I make things happen. It is my job to do what others can't. It is expected of me and I hold myself to meeting that standard... do whatever it takes for the kid. It doesn't matter if it is hard or it's never been done.. just make it happen. Nothing more important than a student's future and I don't take my responsibility lightly. But with mom, there is nothing I can do, but watch the fight, the struggle, trusting that I know she has overcome many things and this too will pass. Trusting that God decided a long time ago. But... in the moment the fear is real and life is not fair. I want to make it be over and make it happen for her , make it be easy... but I can't so I wait and I watch like today in the race.

Sometimes...time seems like forever. Today nine minutes seemed like a life time as I waited for mom. Thousands of thoughts came in and out of my mind and I quickly pushed them away. I felt my breath release when I saw that lime green shirt coming around the tree line. I could breathe easy now. "Go Mo-ma, you are almost there!" I screamed as loud as I could. She pressed through and I could tell it was hard. She was pushing hard up hill to get to that finish line. I ran beside her watching  her every step. Feeling a huge amount of relief when she stepped over that timing line. I watched as people surrounded her to tell her their success stories of cancer or to tell her that she was an inspiration today to them and I was grateful. Grateful for a day to be with my mom. Grateful for her courage. Grateful for her trust in God. Grateful that she is who she is and I wouldn't have her any other way. Tough as nails!

Mom and I are like every other mom and daughter. We have good days and days where we drive each other crazy, but we love each other despite our differences and it's unconditional. Today was a great day and now as I sit and hang out to have dinner with her, I know that mom is half way through her race. Surgery in two days is the second portion of her battle, but just like today, I know she will persevere and endure. She will cross the finish line. She will win the battle. She will be victorious. God has given her this miracle to overcome.

Playing with Cross Country Team

My running partners this morning... Boys Cross Country Team. If you want a little push in your running... run up! This morning I ran up... up with better runners than me and up the mountain. I took off down to Camp Thunder, the Boy Scout Camp, about 20 minutes from my house to meet up and run with the guys this morning. I figured it surely couldn't hurt and running with faster people makes you faster. As you can probably tell from the photo, these boys are lean and guess what... fast. It didn't help much that the trail was tough in places and straight up the mountain, being part billy goat would have probably helped me out.

The trooper that I am said go for it and I did. It started out well accept for the directions for the loop made me a little nervous, didn't want to get lost not being able to keep up with the guys. About two miles in we started up the mountain. Guess what? I missed the trail marker even though I could here the boys yelling.. "Come on Ms. Pruitt!"  Lucky for me (God's Provision for the weak) I ran into my son's best friend riding his mountain bike. He got me back on course. I ran about a mile past where I should have turned off, but it was relatively flat so that was good. Back on course was all that mattered.

Up, up, up, the mountain I went. Switchback, after switchback slowly climbing to the top of the mountain. The trail is named Switchback... wonder why:/ It was pretty brutal for an old principal and a little over a mile with all the switching back and forth, but I made it to the top. Next on my radar... searching out Heart Attack Trail. Didn't sound like much fun and I was thinking I had just neared the heart attack point coming up Swithcback. It didn't sound promising. At the top, I saw the make shift aid station the coach had setup for the guys.. thank goodness for the coach! A few gummy worms and some water and I was off running again certain that I could take on the world. Reminding myself to pay attention to the trail markers!

As I ran along, I could hear war whoops and hollering across the valley. I knew the boys were having fun. I was enjoying hearing the playful cheers as the boys made their way quickly around the loop and I down into the valley. Watching my watch, I knew I was behind the boys due to missing the trail marker earlier... so once in the valley, I decided to turn around and head back up from where I had just come from. I hoped to head off the boys as they looped back around to the aid station before heading back down the mountain. I am not sure what the rest of Heart Attack Trail was like, but heading back up what I had just run was bad enough. I will get the whole loop next time and I am certain a heart attack like run with it.

Trail running is so different from the road, and hard. I have to say that even though it is much harder physically, I love it. It was so beautiful and I was so distracted by the scenery around me that five miles was up fast. Before I knew it, I was back on Switchback Trail. 

Jolted back to reality, I heard this God awful noise. My hearing is bad anyway, but the closer I got back near the aid station, the more I realized that it was a person. JEEZ.. it was the coach. His ear plugs in singing to the top of his lungs... "Jaded" by Aerosmith. I realized he was in his zone and obviously oblivious to me or anything else in the world, I cracked up laughing. Funny to see other runners doing the same thing you do and I instantly wondered how many folks I had made laugh with my crazy singing of "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama. Thank Goodness the Coach is a great teacher and Coach because his singing along with mine would not be worthy of a career. He saw me and we both laughed at the realization that this is what old people do when they run---regress back to their youth and sing songs that make them reminisce and get pumped up! You do what you have to do. 

Unaware of us, the boys were all waiting at the make shift aid station chattering about whatever high school cross country boys chat about... I try not to listen. The less you know the better.

Aid station cleaned up, loaded all in the back pack, slung on the Coach's back and off we went. I have to say the run down the mountain was fast and crazy.. slipping and sliding... making my eye and feet coordination get it together. Good for the over forty eyes to have to work on depth perception to prevent a major face plant. To be honest I was going way faster than I would have by myself, working hard to keep up with the boys. It was funny. I could tell they were worried about me. All the way down the mountain..."be careful, switchback, sharp turn, lots of rocks..You all right Ms. Pruitt?" I smiled to despite the fact that I was somewhat tense, but finally relaxed and enjoyed the play of running down the mountain. Before I knew it we were back at the car. The guys were giving one of the boys a hard time... he had to wear my extra pair of running shoes as he had left out of his house with his flip flops on. Kids do the craziest things.

Running with the team this morning did lots of things for me. It reminded me why I love kids and do what I do. It pushed me harder in my running to stay up with the boys, knowing that in reality I couldn't. I ran a hard trail pace for me and I needed that. A little over seven miles, I didn't do too bad. I was pleased. I had the opportunity to run a new trail that I had never been on and it was gorgeous, by the river and up and over the mountain. It doesn't get much better than that. The Fall down on that mountain must be beautiful. I will find out soon:)

 I was reminded that running can be play as I smile to myself thinking of all the hooping, hollering and singing that went on this morning on that mountain and across the valley. Play is good no matter how old you are. It is good for the heart, soul and mind. It was a good running this morning:)

Sticking with it

Yesterday my run was pretty decent after a week of struggling to stick with it. The older I get the more I have to remind myself to listen to my body. Friday I was tired so I skipped my running and went home straight from work. I was totally asleep by 9:00 pm and didn't move until the sun was peaking through my window Saturday morning.

I started a little late for a morning run, but I felt like running so I went anyway. The heat was brutal about an hour into the run, but I figured it was good training physically and mentally. I pressed on through the run enjoying the countryside and very little traffic to hinder me. Completely distracted, which was good, I ran. Before I knew it I ran 12 miles and my run was over. More miles than I had scheduled to run for a Saturday, but I figured I would back off a little on the miles Sunday (today). It was interesting to see that I was only about seven minutes off  my marathon goal time (based on the marathon pace calculator) and considering I walked the first half mile for warm up that is not too bad. I checked out mile times when I got home and as normal I get faster with distance, until I hit my threshold and I bottom out.

My biggest struggle with my training plan for each week is sticking to it, not because I don't want to, but often times my work gets me off track. Parents come in, buses break down or another last minute meeting is called. It gets frustrating, but I roll with it. I try not to make excuses and look for ways to get the miles in somewhere else on another day. Sometimes physically exhausted other times mentally exhausted. Life can consume me , If I am not careful, I won't make time for me. Sticking to it is one of my goals, pressing on when I get off track. I try to apply that to my running, eating habits and life in general. Life happens sometimes and things don't go as I plan.

Each week I start new and let go of what I did or didn't do the previous week. I have come to realize that I can't change it no matter how much I analyze it and look for solutions, "it is what it is." One strategy I try to use is to schedule "me time" into my calendar. This helps when someone calls and wants to meet, its on my calendar. I try to schedule around these times. Sometimes that works and other times it doesn't. If the boss calls, I gotta go.

This week is a new week, a new schedule, a new attempt so I move into the new week with an early morning run on track and believing I can get it right and hit my targeted miles:)

Today was the day

I love it when things all come together!. The stars all lined up and everything worked. Today was that day. First day of school and everything went as planned. I have been doing this a long time and I can honestly say that does not always happen, but today it did. I have watched my faculty, teachers, counselors, clerks and custodians, work hard to get everything ready, schedules, the classrooms,and the building and today it worked.

That energy was contagious. It carried over to me today and kept me pumped and moving throughout the day to stay in the classrooms, hallways and lunchroom with kids. It rolled over to this afternoon when I had to do intervals and I hate intervals. My normal day for intervals is Tuesday, but I had a change in my work calendar so I had to move intervals up to today, not excited about that at all this morning. But this afternoon I did them and did them well. Much faster than I would normally do it... about 30 seconds  faster. Now 30 seconds doesn't sound like a lot, but in the world of running that is a huge amount of difference for a short segment of running. I don't even know how I did it, but my Garmin shows it and my Run Keeper app on the phone lined up with it too. I figure both can't be wrong. Even the girls running with me today commented on my speed. I am never fast and that is why I hate intervals. But today I was on it. I was fast.

 Today had an energy and as tired as I thought I was, I was caught up in the overflow of positive energy from school. Some days this just happens and I realize how much a positive state of mind has on what I do and how it affects others. If I think back on my best moments, Pr's, in running or even in Crossfit there was a certain energy then that pushed me to the point of breaking my own personal record. Attitude is everything. whether it's at work or in play, how we approach it , the energy we carry into it is what can make the difference. I read a simple book a couple years back called the Energy Bus with my faculty and I am reminded again that positive energy is a key ingredient to success and moving beyond what we think we can do. The only thing stopping me is my mindset, believing I can't do more or be faster in this case...fixed mindset. Believing that with practice and the right approach, I can get better...growth mindset.

The goal is to learn how to tap into that energy purposefully and use it to drive change in school and change in me. Stay positive; focus on the good.. that is the goal this year, Do more than I believe I can do.
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Today I learned another lesson at school... never to old to learn right?

Dog Days of Summer

The Dog Days of Summer... the time of year between July and August where all the dogs lie around cause it's too hot to do anything else. That's what my Grandmother use to say when we were kids. During the hot, hot afternoons, she would make us go in and take a nap, too hot to do anything else. This July has not disappointed. The dogs have done nothing but sit and pant. It's hot in the shade and even in the house. Add living in Georgia and misery is the name of the game here. Trying to train for a fall marathon can be difficult at best. 

I try to anticipate and be smart as my weekly mileage increases and my long runs get longer. I focus on two areas: the physical and the mental. 

Physical:

• Run in the mornings or late evening/night runs. If I am not too tired from work or want to sleep late on weekends this works. Temperatures are much cooler.
• Stay hydrated.I always make sure that I am putting electrolytes in my water. Critical before I run. Also I include it in my water bottle during my run.
• Use Glide. Lots of sweat makes for lots of chafing. For me the normal places for chafing I remember: shorts, under arms where sleeves rub and bra areas, but I have to remember to glide my feet. This morning I forgot and I have some serious blistering around the ankles:/
• Wear the right type of clothes. Dry-wicking, never cotton (causes blistering like with socks or gets to heavy with tops) and I never wear loose clothing! It makes chafing worse. I wear triathlon bra/bathing suit top. These dry out quicker. I run without socks. This became a habit when doing triathlons and I think it is better or maybe I am just use to it. My friends all get blisters from socks and friction heats up their feet. I am good as long as I Glide:) 
• Wear a visor, never a hat. Hats hold in heat. 
• Sunscreen, lip balm and sunglasses.
• Throw out extra bottles of water in cool shaded areas along my route before I run, especially on long runs over an hour.
• Make sure somebody knows my route and approximate time I will be back.
• Take my phone just in case.(Spiebelt)
• Pick a shaded route if possible. If I can't run early or late I pick a trail as long as it's not too dark and the sun is up. It is much cooler in the shade, about 8 degrees:)

Mental:

• Go ahead and prepare to be slower when the temperature is up. Some of my early morning runs I didn't start early enough and it was well into the 80's when I started and close to 90's when I finished.
• Remember it's okay to walk. I go ahead and tell myself that so if it happens I don't get disgusted. Heat is hard to run in!
• I have spots along my routes that I call my "safe spots." These are areas I have already selected and know that I will use if I get to feeling bad or need to step off my route for a minute to make sure I can continue onward.
• A mantra is critical sometimes to get me through the heat or even a long run. My go to mantra is "You got this." 
• Make a Music list that has phrases that will motivate or that get me hyped up. I have a crazy mix of 70's, 80's and 90's music that gets me all into the music. I don't listen to music most times because I like the peace, but when things get hard, I am struggling or the mantra is not working... music can sometimes distract me to push through the mileage.
• I always have bubble gum with me. It's a distraction. Crazy I know, but I love bubble gum and smacking on some grape Hubba Bubba or juicy Watermelon Bubblicious gets me not focused on the heat or pain.

Running in the heat can be crazy dangerous so be smart. Preparation is the key to ensuring that I get through the Dog Days of Summer without incident. These things work for me and so far I have been okay. I knocked out 10 miles this morning before temperature hit 98 degrees. Then I came back from the run ready to eat my Sunday morning breakfast and lie around and pant with the dogs.