Day 9 - Today is a good day!

It is Christmas morning and I'm sitting on an unfamiliar couch.  I look to my right and my best friend Sara is sitting next to me.  She puts her hand on my knee and says "I'm so glad you and Jen are here." and I smile.   She got up and walked around the couch and shortly after, I hear Rick, Sara's father, hollering from the dining room table.  "Mister, get up" he says.  "Mister, it's time for your run".   Errrr.. what?  My eyes open, and in a blurry light I see Jen getting ready for work.  It was all a dream. Woah! That was a weird one.   As I lay there in my bed, I can't seem to move.  Now my brain was definitely giving my body explicit instructions to get up.  But my body just wasn't having it.  Again, I issue the command "Get up Marco" and my body quickly rejects me and all I could hear was my body saying "Oh no you didn't" with two snaps in a Z formation.  So I lay there for a little bit until my body decided that it was ready.   It is now almost 5:30 and I know that if I don't get up now, then there is a good chance that I will fall back asleep.  So with a quick burst of energy, I thrust myself out of bed and stumble my way to the bathroom.

Today seemed like it was going to be rough, and I couldn't help but to think about what I had said in yesterday's blog.  OMG, was I really going to try and run to the Mobile AM/PM today?  I murmured to Jen, I don't think that I am going to make it to the AM/PM today.  I don't even feel like running.  Now my memory is not that great so I don't remember the exact words of encouragement that Jen said.  But it went something like;  Be positive, don't throw in the towel before you even start.   This was so true, that was exactly what I was doing and I knew at that moment that I needed to get my mind right if I was going to succeed.

It is now almost 6:00 in the morning and I feel like I'm all out of wack.  I'm running late, my mindset is not in the right place,  but I am all suited up and ready to get started.  I honestly can't say if I'm going to make it today.  But we shall see.

Today's Goal.

Today's goal is to run to the Mobile AM/PM?  The impossible task that has been plaguing my mind all morning, is now my goal.  So I better get my mind right if I'm going to be able to pull this one off.  First thing is first,  take a deep breath and reassure yourself that you can do this!  Now reflect on your success.  Look,  I've run 2 miles already and I kicked butt doing it.  I've got this!






Today's Progress.

Okay,  I'm not exactly psyched about this run today.  But I've convinced myself that I can do it and that seemed to be half the battle.   I hit the streets this morning with a lot of doubt in my mind,  and I spent the first half of the run down my street just reiterating and reinforcing.  I'm a bit over half way down my street when I see a nice lady walking her dog.  As I lift my hand to say hello and good morning; my phone pop's out of my hoodie pocket and crashes on the ground.   Oh no!  I stopped running and I turn back to pick up my phone.  Few, no damage!  Thanks life proof case!

The really bad news is that I stopped running, and I lost quite a bit of momentum.  The good news is that was a complete distraction and when I started running again, I couldn't even remember that I had any doubt in my mind in the first place.  I was running and I was so thankful that my phone was okay, that nothing else seemed relevant.  The next thing I knew,  I was passing the first bridge and I was right as rain.

Now I know this is a little bit off topic here,  but seriously people get your car smogged.  I'm running here!  I have to breath that stuff,  and I have just cause of saying something about it because I got smogged by some Bro master thinking he is cool with his big noisy and nasty smelling truck.  Err.. that was so annoying because for another .3 miles I ran in the same direction as that punk and I was basically filling my lungs with smog with every breath.

As I was running, I couldn't help to think about how proud I was that I own an EV (All Electric Vehicle).  Zero emissions, and that means clean air for runners!  Ha!

Oh hey look,  I'm already over half way to the Mobile AM/PM!  I have my goal in sight.  I'm so close that I can actually see it's bright and shinny sign towering high above so that drivers on the freeway can see it.   I think seeing my goal was so motivating, because I picked up the pace quite a bit.  I wanted to get there, I wanted to do it!

Within several minutes,  I was finally at the Mobile AM/PM and I couldn't help but to feel so proud.  I am just a man with a dream,  and I turned that dream into a reality.  Feeling very proud, I head back.  This victory is not a victory at all unless I can make it back home without calling for a 911 rescue.   I don't think that I realized this on the way there, but there must have been a slight incline heading up to the Mobile AM/PM because I was clearly running down a hill.  That was kind of refreshing and shortly after I was already at Dulin Rd.   It must have been getting pretty late in the morning because the street was getting pretty busy and I had to cross the street like playing a game of Frogger.

One thing you may have noticed is that I have yet to say anything about pain, or my breathing.  We'll that is because it wasn't even an issue today.  I think I can honestly say that I'm feeling much better about the condition of my body.  I'm not going to say I'm in the best shape after only a week of running.  However, it sure is fantastic that I'm able to run like this and feel good doing it.   I'm now about .2 miles from my house, an easy run, and I was so excited that I decided that I wanted a strong finish.  I started to move my legs faster and faster.  I'm still not sprinting,  I'm exhausted!  But I want to get there faster and I want to be proud that I gave it my all.  2.8 Miles,  I'm home!  I threw my arms in the air like a champion winning the Olympics and I jump in the air and plant both feet on my driveway just as you do when you've hit a home run.

Today I am a champion,  today I hit my overall goal in just over a week.  I feel great,  I feel like I can overcome anything in my way.  I'm living life, and I'm loving it.  Today is a good day!