So you know how you always swear you aren't getting sick even when you get that very first tickle in the back of your throat or sneeze? You try to will it away by just lying to yourself that you don't have symptoms - no, not you, you're going to escape unscathed this year…and then you wake up feeling like a truck hit you and finally admit defeat? Well as someone that has a hard time slowing down, admitting weakness of any kind (although I do work very hard at this) I definitely did not want to admit I was getting a bad cold this week. I was starting to feel better from an earlier rib fracture and ramping my running miles up again - this could not be happening! It was one of those crippling blows of slumped over, head hung, defeat…well crap, turns out I'm human. Acceptance.
(..in my super fly Nike leggings I grabbed from Fleet Feet Nashville. They are even on sale now!
…and the Nike "aeroloft" vest I doubt I'll take off until it's summer. Love.)
I ended up running a bit throughout the week and was finally able to meet up with the Brentwood Breakfast Club. Every Thursday they get together, do 5-7 miles, and then have breakfast together. That morning, coupled with my random dropping in for another group of Fleet Feet Nashville runners that tackle the 11.2 at Percy Warner (aka "The Monkey") every Wednesday, I realized that I had gained a rather large new group of amazing people in my life. I've been in Nashville for about 2.5 years now, and sure I've got my core group of girls, my mommy friends, and the occasional server, barista, what have you, that I'm on a first name basis with, but this was an entire (quite large) group of like-minded people that had sort of taken me in. I've always been a very outgoing adult, my kids even joke I can make friends with a wall, but there still always lies insecurity within all of us - and for me, that is sparked ten fold with running. I know I'm on the good side of okay, but I still know I can be better, so I tend to stick to myself when I'm training for fear of not being "enough" for the person I'm training with. That fear, and the fact that I moved my family out here on a wing and a prayer and focused on making sure they had happy lives here first, I kind of put my life on the back-burner.
That being said, I am so thankful for my four best friends here. I've never known a friendship in my life like the ones I have with those women, but none of them is as into running as I am (even if they try to be for me). My husband isn't really into running either, so I was left these past years to do all of my runs solo through gorgeous, but at times very isolating, paths both literally and metophorically.
I am one person to the runners I have met over the last few months, but because of them I have gained a whole new level of completeness of my life here. I finally have my runner friends in Nashville and I have filled such a huge part of the fiber of who I am. Acceptance.
(On the red trail at PW this weekend rocking my favorite running tights EVER (and that's a bold statement since I am pretty sure I have enough leggings and running tights to not need to wash a pair for probably a solid 3 months). Nike is doing some awesome new stuff. I ventured out to other labels for a few years but I am super impressed with their new designs and patterns. I had three runners stop on the trail and ask where I got them. Another great buy from Fleet Feet Nashville!)
I think I may be feeling a bit better and plan to attempt the Dirtbags Thursday night run this week. I have been off for about 4 days now and I'm most likely certifiable at this point. The above photo was taken as I was casually running DOWN the hill so I look pretty chill and relaxed…but I have yet to get used to the uphills around the park. I've been thankful for my time to myself to work at this and make my faces and grunt in solitude, but the rumor is there will be no walking this Thursday so I'm thinking of investing in one of these and hooking myself up to the runner in front of me….
Brilliant, right? Ha! I know we will break off into groups, and paces will vary so no one truly needs to worry about not being a certain level to join the group (hint..hint..) but I like to play with the fasties until I just can't do it anymore. You never know how great you can be until you try so hard you fail. That being said, we all need to work a little harder on not beating ourselves up when we fall short of a goal - myself included. The trying is part of the journey and every once and awhile you surprise yourself. Acceptance.
If you know me, you know music is a huge part of my life. There is not one thing, even running, that can captivate me and change my total mind-state like music can. I want to include it in my blog and share some of my favorite songs with you that I'm either feeling a lot at the moment, or are my favorites that tie into what I'm writing about. Most likely all of the songs have carried me through something at some point in my life. This song is one of my favorites (was even my ring tone for two years!) by one of my favorite bands, Incubus. Truly nothing can feel as freeing to me as a great rock show. This song, Drive, was a mainstream hit for them, and I'm happy about that because I think we can all benefit from listening and living these lyrics. …"Whatever tomorrow brings I'll be there, with open arms and open eyes"… Acceptance.
