Today???
The alarm went off at 5AM. I so did NOT want to move! Really? Who in their right mind runs that early????
My mind's mean and negative Mini Me tried to talk me out of it. "MaryFran, you've been having that burning pain on the top of your foot the last day or two...maybe you shouldn't run". (Basically a pinched or compressed nerve....and I am taking care of it). And. "MaryFran, it's still dark....barely light". And of course the ever present "MaryFran come on now the bed is so comfortable sleep the extra hour away"
Luckily for me there was also the voice of health happiness and well maybe just a little competitivness in there too! That voice, in a much friendlier tone said... (And imagine this as sounding something like angels singing) "MaryFran, if you don't run you will start to fall behind Jason in the mileage challenge and you hate hate hate to lose!!" And "your doing so good with running, if you stop you will lose your momentum". I think it even gleefully sang the words "Look MaryFran, you just wiggled your foot and didn't feel even a twinge of pain....this run is yours!!"
So earlier I asked 'Who in their right mind runs at 5AM?' Apparently I'm not in my right mind...because I was done with my run by shortly after 6!
It wasn't an easy run. Things went awry on this run!
I went slow because of my foot. (Which didn't hurt until after the run was completed). That not really awry but I don't like the higher numbers!
About a half mile into my run my headphones began to speak to me. That's not a good sign....because the only thing they ever say is 'charge me'. From that first warning you only get about 5 -10 more minutes before they shut down completely. So yeah. I ran more than half of my run without music (they are on the charger now!!!)
And well....I went to the bathroom before I left the house but I really had to go starting at about the mile mark! It's not fun running and clenching your muscles tight!!!
Physically I felt well enough to continue....but with everything happening (and I did have to get ready for work so my time was short) I called it a completed victory after about 2.5 miles!
As I ran today....in silence... I was pondering my father and what he is going through. I know I've alluded to some stress and worry about my dad. He was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks back. He started chemotherapy yesterday. (Trying to halt the growth and shrink the tumor and the spots that have metatastasized to make any eventual surgery more successful.)
What kept going through my head was the 'poison' that they are pumping into him. Because yes, that's exactly what chemo is....a poison that kills ...hopefully attacking primarily the cancer cells. It is a necessary poison that we hope and pray keeps him alive!
But what kept going through my head was that I frequently find myself putting non nutritious food (poison I might say) into my body on a daily basis and don't think twice about it! A little harsh? Yeah definitely.....because eating a Reece's cup isn't considered poison....and a piece of cake isn't alone going to kill me. But all put together and ingested with no control and no care about my health, they could kill me. Obesity kills. Diabetes kills. The unhealthy food choices are not building my body up...they are tearing me down. It's just as poisonous...just oh so much more subtle!
