1000 Miles in 2011 - Day 38...I Think

It’s funny how the mind wanders when one exercises.  A half an hour of running and suddenly, you’ve sorted through the most of the world’s problems.  Well, at least the problems in your own world.

Today, I started out a little stiff from that Chuck Norris roundhouse kick I tried a few weeks back, and my chest was burning from the crisp, cold air blowing around me.  But after about three or four minutes, Hannah Montana (of all people), had me running a nice easy pace…….and my world started to make sense.

Here is what went through my mind today in four miles….

1.     Is she a Crip or a Blood?  My perfect honor roll student got called to the counselor’s office this past week with her friends because they all decided to wear purple on Thursday. They were informed that this is considered a form of gang activity and bullying and it would not be tolerated.  She came home hysterical because she thought she would get into trouble and it ruined her fun Friday.  I had to calmly explain that it would have been fun to have a purple day and that I knew she wasn’t being bad, but that we had to follow the school rules because some people could possibly take it too far.  Then, I piled my three girls in the van and we all went down to get matching tattoos like the Japanese mafia.

2.     Carbs.  I thought about carbs while running.

      I started the Atkins diet plan eight days ago.  I can’t have any carbohydrates other than what you get from green vegetables for six more days…..and even then I can only add nuts, berries, and cottage cheese. It says on the Atkins website that my carb cravings would lessen over the first few days, but I bet Dr. Atkins doesn’t have a box of Thin Mints on top of his fridge, a can of Pringles in the pantry, and a Tombstone pizza in the freezer.

3.     I thought about God and I prayed.  This often happens when I run and I am not sure why.  Maybe it is because there are moments on my run that I don’t have to think about anything except putting one foot in front of the other.  I am breathing fresh air and the sun is on my face and I just feel close to Him.  It is these moments that I have held my hands up thanking Him for my blessings and I have also cried out to Him to answer my prayers….and I know He is there. It sounds crazy typing that out here, but it is my own little moment with Him, and I love it.

4.     I hate bodily fluids.  Usually I get mad somewhere along my run because I pee my pants a little bit.  Hey, I have had three babies so give me some slack.  Today, I stayed dry but my nose was running faster than I was.  It was gross and of course I didn’t have a tissue.  Some people do that “snot rocket” thing but I KNOW I would just snot all over the front of myself.  I had to use my sleeve.

5.     Finally I had about a half of a mile to go and Van Halen came on my iPod and started singing, “I Can’t Stop Loving You”, and my thoughts went straight to my husband….who will be home in 21 days……and I miss him.

  Dumb love songs.  Where is Megadeath’s “Appetite For Destruction” when I need it?

So that’s it.  That’s what went through my brain mixed in with, “oh geez is this ever gonna end?” and a few more carbohydrate hallucinations.  I am now back on track.  My daughter is not in a gang, I can have 3 strawberries in 6 days, Jesus loves me, my coat can be washed, and my husband called just a few minutes after I got home.  Nine hundred and fifty some miles to go!