Jumpin' Off the Edge

What most of you don’t know is that I was about to give up the whole idea of the marathon. Until today, it had been four weeks since I had run more than ten miles in its entirety. The last two long runs I did were a month ago. And I walked a chunk of each of them. My reasoning had everything to do with it being too hot, too dehydrated and/or telling myself I needed to be able to run again after walking. And then, I realized I screwed up and started my training by two weeks early. For the next two weeks, I didn’t do any long runs. The week I went camping, I brought my running stuff, but never took it out of my suitcase. Somewhere in all of this, I was over it. Done with running. Last night, I got a message from a friend who is running the Marine Corps Marathon because of me. She signed up never having run anything more than a 5K. She signed up because I believed in her and told her so. Her message came at the perfect time. We made plans to meet for breakfast, which

Dancing. It is one of my favorite activities. When dancing to live music, it is all the more enjoyable. Last night, I went out with a friend to hear a local band at a small venue. It was a great night of dancing! I don’t think I ever danced with the same person twice. It was about having fun and being carefree. My drink of choice for the evening? Water. What a blast! While dancing the night away, I noticed a few things. 1.      Walking to the dance floor for the first time of the evening takes a bit longer than the rest of the evening. 2.      Many times people are waiting for an invitation to join the fun on the dance floor. 3.      A carefree spirit tends to attract others to the dance floor. 4.      Many people want to dance, but are self-conscious about doing it in front of others (until they have a few drinks). 5.      The younger a person is, the longer it takes them to reach the dance floor (if ever). 6.      Men typically say they cann

Words. Long paragraphs of descriptive writing bores me. Poetry put to music can move me. Kind words make me smile. Words can also set me thinking. The following words written by Marianne Williamson in her book, A Return to Love , did just that when a friend posted it on her page. (Thank you, Laurie.) “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?” The spirit of those words accompanied me for a good portion of my ride today. A ride that took me places I never meant to be and most of my day. Why is it so easy for me to embrace all that is inadequate about me? Whether it be how I view my body; myself as a runner or biker; or something as simple as me dating, I struggle to acknowledge the fabulous that is me. In the past few days, I have ma

The last few days people have not seen me online. With the exception of posting a couple photos to Facebook upon my arrival and a couple of texts to my kids, I made a conscious effort to avoid what I spend hours doing each day. As a result, life slowed down, yet time went much too quickly. I also left my mini-vacation feeling relaxed.   Wild ponies roam freely on Assateague Island in Maryland. (Of course, that was one of the pictures I posted on Facebook as soon as I saw them.) After listening to the Ranger emphatically tell me not to approach them because they are aggressive and will bite, I got a bit freaked out when one put its head in the window of my car when I first arrived. My heart rate quickened and I quickly shut the window and made sure to give the pony a wide berth the rest of the night. By the end of my stay, when the same pony walked right up to me and put his face in mine, I was not concerned in the least about being bitten. Campfires are one

The original plan was to go up to PA for a HOG Open House at the Harley plant. A few days later upon noticing the date was swapped on the calendar with a benefit ride, plans were changed to meet at Ocean City Bike Fest. And then, life happened and plans needed to be changed again. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. Instead of spending the day moping about it, I looked for opportunities to make it a great weekend. The weekend is not over and already it has been fantastic! I HAVE TO GET A PACEMAKER. I’M AFRAID. I DON’T LIKE THE HOSPITAL. WILL YOU COME VISIT ME? The text came Friday while I was on a field trip. The parent of a student I had taken under my wing a few years back. I told her I would be there when we returned sometime around 8. Walking through the hospital (and getting lost several times), I felt a surprising surge of energy.  I hadn’t seen either mother or son in almost a year. It brought joy to my heart to see this 15 year old taking such

Was it just this morning I was all sad, down-in-the-dumps, and a bit angry because my riding date didn’t show up, call, or answer any of my attempts to get in touch with him? I have been the gambit from “I am not good enough!” to “Something horrible must have happened to him or someone in his family.” (I even went so far to Google area motorcycle wrecks.) And then I hung out with Layla for the day. When I set out this morning, I knew a couple of my friends were riding, but I wasn’t sure if I would ride alone or with them. I got Layla’s pipes rumbling and set out to meet them. When I arrived, neither of them were there yet. I debated gassing up and heading somewhere to get lost. About the time the tank was full, a man came over and asked me for $4.00 to get home. I don’t know the whole backstory. Something about needing the money to buy gas for a ride home. I bought him a slice of pizza and a drink. As I walked out of the store, I saw the other two bikes parked besi

I have hung out with many men in the last few months. Some as friends, others dates. I enjoyed a plethora of activities with them: riding, movies, working on my car, drinks, and texting among other things. We have met in a variety of ways: the flea market, online dating, craigslist, and belonging to common groups. Some of these men are pretty amazing as far as the species goes, others not so much. However, the man I spent a chunk of last week with was by far my favorite. If ever I have a partner in my life again, I want it to be one with qualities my son has developed. Go with the flow kind of guy. When meeting him at the airport, the plan was for Sana and I to surprise him at the gate. Unbeknownst to us, he was with Patti and the flag line after security. Rather then getting upset or impatient at having to wait for us to get to him, he laughed it off. We laughed about it all week. Giving. The first thing Sean gave me when he stepped off the plane (after a hug