It's Possible

At least that's what Cesar Chavez tells me. So maybe he wasn't talking to me but it's still advice worth taking. There are always things in life that we think are physically, mentally, or genetically impossible - a lost cause. I'm sure some people are more prone to this thought pattern than others, and I'll admit I've been known to say I can't do something more than once. Sometimes I just insist that I choose not to do something (let's say, run) because what I'm really afraid of is not being able do it.

What I'm learning is that we don't have to stick to those boundaries we (or others) set, no matter how crazy they seem. As it turns out, I can run. Even if I am slow at achieving the final "impossible" goal, or don't quite make it there, at least I have made progress toward it.

I see the same woman walking around the trail Memorial Park lately. She would be classified as morbidly obese and limps a little bit as she walks while her face shows her discomfort too. This loop is 3 miles long and I've gone on long enough runs while we're both there to know that she goes all of the way around. She just keeps going one small step at a time. Every time we pass I think about how courageous she is to do this despite how hard it is. If my run went awry, I would always have the option to finish by walking without too much difficulty. She doesn't have that safety net. She puts herself out there and focuses on herself with hundreds of the city's fittest people running circles around her. As I pass all of them, she's the one I admire most. I contemplate stopping to tell her this sometimes, but my own fear that she'll think I'm strange or even be offended stops me.

Let this be a reminder that you most likely can do whatever it is that you think you can't. You just have to decide how badly you want it and give it a try.

Don't Ever Quit

I'm not going to say that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, but I didn't jump out of it will all of the energy, enthusiasm, and rested feelings that I'd hoped I would have. I've signed up to run another half marathon in October, and I'm determined to actually run this one. So, I've been following a training schedule suggested by Runner's World (albeit for first-timers) to help get my mileage back up.

This week it feels like my body's been wearing down. I've been demanding a lot of myself physically and also have a lot on my mind. I started my morning a little too late and believing that this wasn't going to be the best or easiest run. For the record, I do not suggest setting yourself up for defeat (or mediocrity, for that matter) before you even start. But I made it out of the door: the first step.

I have also decided that, in the summer, I prefer to run before the sun comes up to cook me. Today, I just couldn't make it out in time. Although 8am seems early, 6am is ideal. My opinion is that no one in their right mind is still running after 8 or 9am on a Texas summer day.

My mission was 6 miles; twice around a 3 mile loop. As I came toward the end of the first loop, and old thought pattern crept up on me: I'm beat! And this is a respectable enough distance... right? I was SO tempted to stop at 3 miles and call it a day. I haven't been feeling well anyway. And if it's not 90 degrees yet, the heat index is already there. For those who don't believe in signs - these are the moments you believe. In the last 100 feet or so, I came up on a man who was wearing a red shirt with the words "Don't Ever Quit" on the back. Now you tell me how I'm supposed to stop half-way through my goal after that. I no longer have an option. What I did instead was tell him that I appreciated his shirt. I pointed toward my car and told him that I am supposed to run 6 miles today and I was seriously considering stopping here, at the end of my first lap, until I read his shirt. We saw each other once more and he smiled and waved with both hands, happy to see me still going, and I smiled and waved back. I might not have been very fast, but I made it through all six of those miles and I can't be disappointed in that.

Momentum: All or Nothing

Why is it that, in order to be productive, I need to already be getting something done? If there's a list of things to do at home, I can't miss a beat after work - I'm good as long as I just keep going. But if I sit down just for a bit it will most likely be all evening. It's either 90 miles an hour or no miles an hour at all.

I know I'm not the only person this happens to. An object in motion stays in motion, right? (and we all know this philosophy applies to workouts too) I would just love a little bit of balance - the motivation to get a nice,  happy-medium amount of things done with some time to relax.

Part of me is inclined to go overboard and plan it. I know there are some obsessive planners out there, but scheduling all parts of my seems a little overkill. Le sigh.

You Can Do It - Put the Phone Down

I might be a bit more old-fashioned than the average person when it comes to cell phones in general. First, I must admit that I don't have a smart phone. Yes, still. I do understand that new phone technology is amazing and entertaining, but I'm still surprised to see two (or sometimes more) people at the same table in a restaurant on their cell phones - neither one interacting with each other, but instead, the invisible person at their fingertips. Granted, it's probably easier for most to stay connected than it would be for me on my stone-age cell that might as well have a rotary dial compared to all of the things Siri can do.

I may think it's strange, but ultimately, it's your own choice if you want to sit in a room full of people and talk to someone else. But there's one phone offense that I'm becoming more fed up with by the minute: using it while you drive. It doesn't matter if you're texting, talking or checking your email, I am of the opinion that it's not safe. I'll admit I'm guiltily of talking and driving on long stretches home, but I've come to the conclusion that (at least in my place of residence) both hands are required. So, if you call or text me and I'm in my car... be prepared to wait. You'll have to wait until I get to wherever I'm going or until a nice, long stop light.

When I tried to look up statistics on phone use while driving, I was actually surprised that the vast majority of sites and articles are directed at teens. It makes sense, I guess. Teenagers are notorious for texting in general, and many of them are also learning to drive. It's important to establish safe driving habits from the beginning; I get that. My surprise comes from the fact that, when I get cut off by someone in traffic and then pass that person, they are almost always on the phone and almost never a teenager. They are adults. Commuting to or from work, taking their families to games, meetings, appointments. They look like they're texting, but if I had to guess, I would say it's email. Either way, I think they should know better.

There are lots of websites offering facts and figures on how texting and driving isn't safe. It slows your reaction times, it makes you less aware, it's even compared to drunk driving. I understand that most of these sites are biased - dedicated to keeping people from talking or texting while driving (someone should really address the email issue...) but no one could convince me that it's safe. I still can't believe it's not illegal in more places. Right now in Texas, the only place you can't text and drive is in a school zone. I could be wrong, but I'd guess kids are more likely to be vulnerable to cars playing in their own neighborhoods, where texting and driving is just fine according to the law.

Next time you think about picking up your phone while you're cruising down the freeway, ask your self this question: Have I ever chosen to avoid someone on the road because I saw they were on their phone? I sure have. If I need to get into another freeway lane, and I see the person that would be behind me is texting, am I going to get in front of them? Not a chance. So what makes you any safer under those conditions?