First 20!

"Earth laughs in flowers." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I ran my first of 4 20 mile runs I'm planning in my training for this trail marathon. I haven't run that far in nearly 2 1/2 years. The weekend is supposed to be rainy and I really didn't relish the idea of running for several hours in the rain so I was very fortunate to have the afternoon off work, to have my daughter playing at a friend's house, and to have a beautiful afternoon in which to run.

I got to run on my favorite trails which was a treat for a Friday afternoon, and overall I felt really good. I had run 9 miles on Wednesday and on Thursday so my legs weren't fresh at all, but I decided to just enjoy myself and I did. I stopped occasionally and took some pictures. The woods were filled with redbuds, little purple, pink, yellow, and white flowers, tiny white butterflies, large yellow and black striped butterflies, birds, trees bursting into bloom - it was a glorious day.

Running is such a mental thing. I notice all the mental games I play with myself. I repeat a mantra in my head over and over or I breathe the word "Quiet" and try to see how long I can go without thinking - usually not very long at all! I try to just listen to the sounds around me - my footfalls on the trail, the wind in my ears, the birds calling all around me. I often can think of creative things - stories, ideas for things I want to accomplish, strings of words that sound cool together. I love looking around at the woods, trying to spot whatever creature is rustling in the dry leaves or flying through the treetops.

I am at a point in my running where I am not really focusing on finishing in a "time" or setting a personal best. I am enjoying the run, the time in the woods or out on the bridges or riverwalk. I am enjoying the feeling I get after the run - that delicious tired feeling and knowing I've done what I set out to do. I am enjoying my strong legs, the mental toughness that running inspires, the peaceful stillness my mind reaches in the woods. It's a good place to be this spring.

Spring

"Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night." ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

Spring arrived a couple of days ago. So many colors of green are everywhere! Trees, flowers, bushes, vines are all blooming in a profusion of color. I love this time of year ~ the freshness in the air, the glorious colors, the cool mornings, the warmth of the sunshine during the day, the newness of everything.

We just got back from a wonderful family vacation and had such a special time. Though vacations are always great, getting home and back into our regular routine is always really nice too. I feel so well-rested and inspired.

This month has been a great one. I am doing very well keeping my focus on things that are important to me. I am reading, running, writing, taking photographs, spending time with my family. My mom, daughter, and I have been working on a 3-generation book project and I took the final proof to the printer today. I already have my next book project in mind and can't wait to get started on it. My marathon is in 8 weeks, and I am running a 19 mile long run this weekend.

I am excited about the possibilities of spring!

Focus

I tend to focus on one big thing in my days ~ spirituality, creativity, running! I think to a point they are all tied together for me. But then it's easy to cross a line and just focus on one. I am enjoying running a lot these days. I've signed up for a trail marathon in May and am liking following a training schedule with a goal in mind. I am at that point of being able to just run and run and not feel really sore which is cool. But... I am physically tired a lot. Then that seems to bleed over into being mentally, spiritually, and creatively tired too!

Getting out of the habit of doing things is so easy. Not carrying my camera with me when I run, not taking time to write in my journal, not making time at night to meditate, not focusing on a creative project. This month I want to focus on running but also focus on not losing sight of all the other things I want to have in my life. I have to really plan the time for my runs because they are much longer these days, but I can take my camera along. I can set aside time to write in my joural every morning. I can read in the evenings before I go to bed. I can find a creative project that inspires me an do something towards it most days.

So I will see with making a conscious effort to FOCUS that I can include all of these important aspects of my life into my days.