Before I headed out this morning I knew it was hot. I also knew that I was pretty tired and not feeling my best, and that's not always a winning combination. But because I run when the aide got here, I ran anyway. Just over a mile and I felt very sluggish. My legs felt like they were carrying an extra 25 pounds a piece (and no I haven't gained THAT much weight! lol). I started thinking that this run was a lot like my life. Over the last 4.5 years I have lived in what I call the furnace. Life is just one big trial; and like today's run - it can be stifling at times. I could probably use it all for an excuse and really no one would blame me. I was thinking about how my run and my life were so parallel as I was coming around mile 2. Here's pretty much my thought process: Ugh! This run is just like my life - heavy, tiring, strength-sapping and stifling hot. Lots of excuses...all of which are true - No....they are NOT excuses - they are reasons to survive! Peter says i...

Running for me seems to be about setting goals. Some of them are kept and some are not. Today as I was running in the heat I was determined to reach my newly set goals. Over the last few years I have set and made lots of goals - and set and not made lots of goals. But a couple of weeks ago it hit me real hard when I weighed in and found that I was overweight. (not a happy camper) I determined right then and there to make a difference. You see, I eat to fill a void in my life. But over the last few weeks I realized that eating more foods may fill my tummy but it will not erase the pain of the circumstance. It's up to me to change -  and I'm committed to the journey. By now I have earned the right to call myself a runner even though I didn't start until the year I turned 49. I've completed over 60 races - 7 of which are half marathons and one marathon ( that I crawled). Some might say that this is amazing but I still talk myself out of that. It's not really that ...