Ronalee Par Miyasaki, for "Best Excuses to Procrastinate Running." Yes, on this lovely Oscar Night in which I am totally happy that Colin Firth won, I decided to award myself this title. After passionately declaring to Lynnette this week that I would show up to our 8-mile training session bright and early 7 a.m., rain, snow (which was actually quite possible this past weekend), or shine on Saturday, I flaked. But, in my weak defense, I did feel like I had a slight bout of food poisoning from some Stove Top Stuffing. Yes, Stove Top. How can Stove Top possibly give one food poisoning, you might ask? It was about a year past its expiration date, and despite looking it up online about the safety of eating something so far past its date and reading that I should toss it after a shelf life of 6 months, I ate it anyway. Maybe it was my craving for stuffing that made me do it. Maybe it was my laziness to go to the market. Or maybe, just maybe, it was unconscious self-sabotage.
So I promised myself that I would run this morning at around 10 a.m. Late enough to sleep in, but early enough to get on with my day. Yet, to make sure I won the coveted title of Best Excuse-Maker, I slept a little too late (dare I admit to 11 a.m.?) because I was up late the night before crocheting a beanie and my self-proclaimed ocd wouldn't let me stop until I was done. When I was finally about to crawl into bed, I noticed there were little wet spots all over my duvet, and they turned out to be small hairballs that I'm pretty sure Coco coughed up. Completely tired and frustrated, I cleaned up the mess and kicked the cats out for the night not only because of the hairballs, but because they were wrestling and fighting and pouncing our feet. So when my alarm went off this morning, I conveniently ignored it and rationalized sleeping longer because I had to deal with the cats last night.
But don't think that this title was all too easily won - I made it a point to run after a very lovely baby shower this afternoon that I attended. I didn't do the full eight miles, but I did a 6-mile run down in the lovely Arroyo Seco up to the Rose Bowl. I upped my training to an interval of 2-minute run, 3-minute walk since I received texts from Lynnette yesterday that that was what she did at training. Kudos to her for actually waking up and going, by the way! Unlike Ms. Procrastinator here trying to run, slightly buzzed after some "drink beer out of a baby bottle" shower game. Let me tell you, it's not as easy as it seems!
The first part of the run was difficult, but once I got to the Rose Bowl and saw the gorgeous snow-capped mountains behind it, I was invigorated. There's nothing like being outside with only your legs to get you around. Not some vehicle to take you to and fro and shelter you from the elements, but just your body, your mind and your spirit. Around the 50-minute mark or so I got really meditative, and just thought about all of the things that made me happy - running alongside a very calming stream, my husband whom I am so proud of, my adorable cats, and all of the amazing people that I have encountered.
And as I write this, I do notice a recurring theme of resistance and realization. So if I can just get past this resistance part, all will be well. Or so I tell myself.
Thanks to the very generous donors this week - Dana Barba & JD Lastrilla, Ray & Laraine Madden, Diana Tanaka, and November Morris. I'm just over half my goal of $1,000 and I really appreciate your support and I'm sure the American Heart Association does too!
And also, a very Happy Birthday to Russ Lowe. I am so happy to see that his physical therapy is going well and that he is gaining strength with each passing day. You are an inspiration Russ and just know that I'm sending you and Arlene lots of love and healing energy!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Physics
Yes, physics. Lynnette and I went running today at the Rose Bowl and things are moving very slowly, but surely. We skipped our Saturday six-mile run with Train To End Stroke for fear that it was going to rain cats and dogs, only to find that it was a gorgeous, sunny morning and the rain rolled in a little later on (And yes, I know any serious runner would have said 'Screw the rain' and have gone anyway, but quite frankly, I was really nice and warm and cuddly in bed and it was nice to sleep in). But, we did run on Sunday, albeit for about 30 minutes, and not quite six miles. And skipped yesterday because ankles were hurting and it was President's Day, blah,blah, blah.
So why physics? We ran this morning, or walked, rather, doing an eight minute walk, two minute run interval. The first two minutes I was dying. I know that that's a strong word and I can have a flare for the dramatic (according to John anyway), but my stomach was hurting from trying dried apricots as my running fuel, I can tell I need new shoes because I am starting to feel it in my left knee, and my inhaler left me queasy. And those two minutes felt like ten. Even after that first interval, I had an impulse to ask Lynnette if we can turn around and call it a day after a mere ten minutes. But we kept at it, and on the third interval of running, I couldn't help but think of how true Newton's first law is - "Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it." I was/am very happy to sit around and lounge and eat all day (my uniform motion), and saying yes to this marathon was/is the external force (and I think I'm going to need lots of it) that has gotten me up and running again, no pun intended.
And of course, once we were done, I felt good. The queasiness was gone, I focused on my form so my knee felt okay, stomach was still weird, but I still got through it. Yet another affirmation that no matter how awful or lazy or weird I feel before I run, I always feel so much better afterwards.
So thanks Newton, for figuring this stuff out. I realized how this applies to so many areas of my life - career, love, relationships, etc. and am currently working on getting those external forces to get me going and work on what I really want from all of this - balance, joy, and knowing that somehow, I'm contributing in my own positive way to this crazy world of ours.
By the way, a huge thank you to the Miyasaki family, Eric Jarvina, and Teresa Huang for their generous donations to the American Heart Association! You are all amazing and I really appreciate your support.
So why physics? We ran this morning, or walked, rather, doing an eight minute walk, two minute run interval. The first two minutes I was dying. I know that that's a strong word and I can have a flare for the dramatic (according to John anyway), but my stomach was hurting from trying dried apricots as my running fuel, I can tell I need new shoes because I am starting to feel it in my left knee, and my inhaler left me queasy. And those two minutes felt like ten. Even after that first interval, I had an impulse to ask Lynnette if we can turn around and call it a day after a mere ten minutes. But we kept at it, and on the third interval of running, I couldn't help but think of how true Newton's first law is - "Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it." I was/am very happy to sit around and lounge and eat all day (my uniform motion), and saying yes to this marathon was/is the external force (and I think I'm going to need lots of it) that has gotten me up and running again, no pun intended.
And of course, once we were done, I felt good. The queasiness was gone, I focused on my form so my knee felt okay, stomach was still weird, but I still got through it. Yet another affirmation that no matter how awful or lazy or weird I feel before I run, I always feel so much better afterwards.
So thanks Newton, for figuring this stuff out. I realized how this applies to so many areas of my life - career, love, relationships, etc. and am currently working on getting those external forces to get me going and work on what I really want from all of this - balance, joy, and knowing that somehow, I'm contributing in my own positive way to this crazy world of ours.
By the way, a huge thank you to the Miyasaki family, Eric Jarvina, and Teresa Huang for their generous donations to the American Heart Association! You are all amazing and I really appreciate your support.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Unreal
So this is my first blog post ever. Yes, I'm a little bit behind the times. I still like to send letters via snail mail. My TV still takes about 4 people to lift and carry, and I have a first generation nano pod that I run with. Okay, that doesn't seem like I'm that far behind, but in this day and age with new gadgets and gizmos popping up every second, I might as well live in the early 19th Century, pre-Edison and the incandescent light bulb. But I digress.
This morning was the beginning of week 3 in my training for the San Diego Rock n' Roll Marathon in June, and it hasn't hit me that I'm training. Not in a "I can't believe I'm doing this" kind of way since I've run a couple of events before, but more in a "I'm training, so I should probably be more mentally invested" way. I haven't really been walking, let alone running, and we're already three weeks in!
Granted (and yes, here are my excuses), I'm running the event with two awesome ladies, Lynnette and Sarah, and we haven't been able to coordinate schedules during the week to meet and run, and I was also hit with the worst asthma attack I've had in ten years. I've had it pretty much under control to the point where I haven't had an inhaler for the last seven, but with our warm Southern California days making everything bloom and the cool evenings (I know you Mid-Westerners and East Coasters are pulling out your violins), my allergies have been going haywire and I'm sure my 2 new kitties aren't helping either. And it's been awful! I've been wheezing and coughing and my chest felt like it was going to explode. I've been on Benadryl, inhaled steroids (that doesn't count as doping, right?) and Albuterol all week, and quite frankly, I was really nervous that I wouldn't be able to do this event.
So today, at 7 a.m. in Griffith Park, while I stretched and listened to our coaches, husband and wife team, Bert and Jeanne, talk about eating right and developing a morning marathon routine, I had visions of me passed out next to the Gene Autry Museum, with bikers and other runners staring on in horror. Or just running me over. Would Jeanne and Bert even know? And why couldn't Lynnette and Sarah come today? Why am I here alone, in the gutter, gasping desperately for air, while the bikers and real runners are breezing by me, full of life and vigor and with lungs that work?
But alas, I made it through. And I actually ran a little. And I feel better! So yes, if later on I say that I can't do this, please remind me to read my first blog post ever.
p.s. Much thanks to Diane & Ramon Ocampo, Rick Emerling, Emily Kuroda and Alberto Isaac, and Gene Denos for their generous donations to the American Heart Association! If anyone else would like to donate and help me reach my goal to raise $1,000 for this great cause, please visit http://LAStartTraining.kintera.org/ronalee_miyasaki
This morning was the beginning of week 3 in my training for the San Diego Rock n' Roll Marathon in June, and it hasn't hit me that I'm training. Not in a "I can't believe I'm doing this" kind of way since I've run a couple of events before, but more in a "I'm training, so I should probably be more mentally invested" way. I haven't really been walking, let alone running, and we're already three weeks in!
Granted (and yes, here are my excuses), I'm running the event with two awesome ladies, Lynnette and Sarah, and we haven't been able to coordinate schedules during the week to meet and run, and I was also hit with the worst asthma attack I've had in ten years. I've had it pretty much under control to the point where I haven't had an inhaler for the last seven, but with our warm Southern California days making everything bloom and the cool evenings (I know you Mid-Westerners and East Coasters are pulling out your violins), my allergies have been going haywire and I'm sure my 2 new kitties aren't helping either. And it's been awful! I've been wheezing and coughing and my chest felt like it was going to explode. I've been on Benadryl, inhaled steroids (that doesn't count as doping, right?) and Albuterol all week, and quite frankly, I was really nervous that I wouldn't be able to do this event.
So today, at 7 a.m. in Griffith Park, while I stretched and listened to our coaches, husband and wife team, Bert and Jeanne, talk about eating right and developing a morning marathon routine, I had visions of me passed out next to the Gene Autry Museum, with bikers and other runners staring on in horror. Or just running me over. Would Jeanne and Bert even know? And why couldn't Lynnette and Sarah come today? Why am I here alone, in the gutter, gasping desperately for air, while the bikers and real runners are breezing by me, full of life and vigor and with lungs that work?
But alas, I made it through. And I actually ran a little. And I feel better! So yes, if later on I say that I can't do this, please remind me to read my first blog post ever.
p.s. Much thanks to Diane & Ramon Ocampo, Rick Emerling, Emily Kuroda and Alberto Isaac, and Gene Denos for their generous donations to the American Heart Association! If anyone else would like to donate and help me reach my goal to raise $1,000 for this great cause, please visit http://LAStartTraining.kintera.org/ronalee_miyasaki
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