I Pimped Out My Garmin.

Sigh. Garmie and I connected in a positive, loving way about a year or so ago. We have gotten soooo close through our runs together. Through the heat, rain and insects...through the early morning dawn, thunder storms and spider webs. We've loved each other. So many times it was just us. There were times when he'd just conk out on me right in the middle of a fantastic run. I never got too mad, I'd just replace the batteries lovingly, accepting the tear filled apologies. I'd whisper that the little things were easy to let go since he'd never failed me when I really needed him.

Then last summer my running took a nosedive. Garmie was there. I had to cut so many runs in half. Garmie stayed anyway. I lost sight of my goals but Garmie refused to be put away. The guilt of watching Garmie day after day, not able to track my runs anymore were too much.

Then one morning on a shorty run with Elizabeth, I realized her 3 mile run was closer to 3.5 miles. She had measured her loop by driving it, as we all have done. I looked at Garmie. His face lit up. OH the little timer needed to feel needed again! Who was I to hold him back??? Why cause this kind of pain??? With all the love for my Garmie in my heart, I called out to Elizabeth. I told her Garmie let me know her 3 miler was off a bit. She was surprised, but didn't seem to let it bother her. But Garmie and I knew what this could mean on her 14 miler she had planned for that weekend. It could mean a couple extra miles! NO!!!!!!!!!!!

"Take Garmie on your long run this weekend Elizabeth", I said as I removed him from my wrist.
"No, that's ok...I can recheck the route" she answered.
"Please take him, just while I am off the road for awhile." And I proceeded to show Elizabeth how to work him. The entire time I was giving her the instructions, I knew she'd fall for him, just as I had. They needed each other.

That was about 5-6 weeks ago. Elizabeth keeps offering to give him back but I wasn't ready. I couldn't even get out of bed most mornings, never mind trying to meet his needs. But Elizabeth could. Elizabeth has. Garmie must be loving her. She's doing some major mileage on her training for her first marathon. I think of him often, wondering if I'd know when the time would be right to take him back. Would he send me some kind of message???

Oh yes. Garmie loves me still. Elizabeth had a 16 miler about a week ago. She told me she glanced down to check her pace and saw that Garmie's face was blank. Nothing. No emotion, not even a blink! I know what you're thinking...his battery died. Maybe...maybe NOT. Maybe this is the sign I've been waiting for!!! He's calling me back! He knows I've had a couple decent short runs and he wants me back!!!!

The time is right. We will be reunited by this weekend. I know Elizabeth will understand. I plan to let them be friends. There will be times when they'll need each other and I will gladly give them visitations. I'm glad Elizabeth was there to help garmie get through my time off, but when all is said and done, Garmie and I belong together. And together we will be!!!!!

PS. How long before I can erase all their run history from the memory?????....LOL

Posting While Sweating....

That's what I'm doing...sweating!! Made it out for a shorty this morning. There's a 5K this Saturday and I REALLY want to run it. Problem is, my pride is insisting I come in under 30 minutes but my brain keeps reminding me it might be closer to a 33 minute finish. Eh, could be worse I suppose. Take my first race for instance... No really...take it! Ha!! Just kidding...it's mine and I love it.

My first race was a 4 miler called The Scholarship Run. I had been running for 6 weeks and my coach thought it was time for a race. What I didn't know then was this race was the door to the competitive athlete inside me. Only I wasn't thinking that whilst runnin' it. Noooooo...the thoughts I was thinkin' were closer to..."OMG...what the heck am I doing here??" and..."How can I call a taxi to get me to the finish line??"

But then something funny happened when I saw the finish line up ahead. I felt a chill, I was sweating profusely, my heart was racing....yes! I was dehydrated. HAha...just kidding....I felt the first fluttering of the thrill of the finish line. Then I got 2nd place in my age group. I LOVE that medal still. But most important was the sense of accomplishment that day. I'll never get sick of it.

I write about that race because it popped into my head during my 30 minute, 2.5 mile run this morning. I was starting to feel a little disappointed because I can feel how much I've lost from having to take so much time off. I am very impatient by nature so even though I KNOW I need to build it all back up, I WANT TO PICK RIGHT UP WHERE I LEFT OFF 2 MONTHS AGO. But I was feeling just as I did during that Scholarship Run 2 years ago. Tired, achy and my cardio felt awful. I was thinking it was going to take me forever to get it all back (if it can be done). But here's the thing: I ran and FINISHED an entire marathon after only running for 4 months. I did that. Me. From zero to 26.2 in 4 months. Can you feel my pride??? Can ya now?? How bout now??? Righttttttt NOW??

Anyway...I reminded myself this one important fact: I am a runner. Even if I've had to take time off. Even with having to drop some exercise classes. Even though I feel like I'm starting ALL OVER. I AM A RUNNER. Sometimes we runners have some hills to get over. I've read about it, talked about it, listened to other runners talk about it and have had to get over a few of them myself. It can be done. We, as runners, have a little something called thick skulls (JK) We have persistence. Goals. Calf muscles!!!!!!!! So I am trying to be ok with starting all over. I also understand there will be more times when I'll have to take time off again. Ok. I can do it.

Some people call them mountains.
We call them speed bumps, don't we????