Action 490 – Make My Own Dinner.

Nearly 500 actions into this project, and this may be the single most shocking thing I have done to date. But it’s true.

Action 490 – Make My Own Dinner.

I know it’s hard to believe, but yes, tonight, I had to make my own dinner. My husband was at work since early, early this morning, so he fell asleep as soon as he got home. I didn’t want to wake him up, so it was up to me to find something to eat.

Back in the day, this would be easy. I would hop in the car and drive to Taco Bell. No problemo. But I am running 26.2 miles in a few days and fast food isn’t going to help.

Instead, I whipped up a little pasta and meat dish. Nothing too fancy, certainly  nothing difficult, but it was just right for me.

It was touch-and-go there for a while, but I survived the night.

Action 489 – Be A Chip Off The Old Block.

My Grandfather turned 90 years old last week. I went to Austin to celebrate his birthday, but he was in the hospital and unable to enjoy a party. I did see him in ICU, though, and was able to talk and visit with him there. Back at my Uncle and Aunt’s house, I found pictures of my Grandpa and I knew immediately what they meant.

Action 489 – Be A Chip Off The Old Block.

The first picture is my Grandpa competing in the Senior Games in Texas. He was a menace in that wheelchair if you made the mistake of getting between him and the finish line. And really, it’s not like they were specific and actually prohibited the use of your own feet to move you faster across the course. I like to think that Grandpa just applied a very loose interpretation of the rules.

And this photo is him afterwards, sporting his medals. And now I know where I get my love of cheap, shiny jewelry. Here I thought chasing medals was something new that I was doing. Turns out, it’s an old family tradition and I am just the next one in line to do it.

Thanks, Grandpa, for passing down the “I must have that medal” gene. Now I can blame genetics and heredity when I find myself signing up for a race just to get the finisher’s medal!

Action 488 – Count My Blessings.

For the most part, I am aware that I am a very lucky person. As I wrote earlier to a friend,

My burden is light and my troubles small.

I take that for granted. My life is pretty good, my basic needs are met, and I have no worries that a good night’s sleep doesn’t seem to solve. I’m very, very fortunate in this regard. And today, I’m going to acknowledge and remember that.

Action 488 – Count My Blessings.

Today, I read about a baby diagnosed with cancer. I was immediately overwhelmed with a sense of sadness for the little girl and her entire family. The news they received this afternoon about her condition was as good as could have been hoped for, but it’s still a serious situation with dark, scary days ahead. And this is a baby. A baby. I can’t imagine how those parents will be able to do anything but break down and cry, but they will. They will carry on because their child depends on them to be strong.

And to think, yesterday my complaint was that running was uncomfortable because I had a few mosquito bites. Imagine what suffering those parents would endure if it meant their child could be healthy again.

I still struggle with my spirituality. Is God real or a wish made by people desperate for a reason to have faith? I really don’t know. But one thing is simple and obvious. Whatever and wherever the good things in my life come from, I am grateful for them. Each day brings with it another reason to smile, to laugh, to love and be loved. Whether it’s random chaos of the universe or a divine plan, it doesn’t matter. It makes each day a joy to experience and I am going to bask in that knowledge.

I will count my blessings today. I will continue to keep others in my heart and hold hope that they will know the same simple joy of the day that I do.

In the end, what else can I do?

Action 487 – Find Something “Special.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I’m a snacker. And sometimes, the snack I want is salty and crunchy. But eating a big bag of potato chips is never a good idea.

Action 487 – Find Something “Special.”

I don’t know how long these have been on the market, but I am just now discovering the Special K Cracker Chips. For 110 calories, I get about 30 chips. I went with the Sea Salt flavor, and they were worth every single calorie. I’m definitely adding these to my list of go-to snacks.

And a note of caution to myself: Yes, they come in packages larger than the single-serving, 100 calorie bag. No, we will not be buying those larger packs. Because we will eat the entire big bag in a single setting.

Oh, yes. I know my weaknesses, and a bag of salty chip/crackers is among them. I’ll only buy the sizes I intend to eat completely. Experience tells me anything larger is a mistake.

And tomorrow, I may try the Cheddar Cheese variety. Bring on the chips!

Action 486 – Share The Spotlight.

I’ve been ultra-focused on my upcoming marathon, and I make no apologies for that. This is a big deal for me and I’m proud of the progress I have made since I began this project. That said, I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge two people who are inspirations to me and who are also running significant events this weekend.

Action 486 – Share The Spotlight.

First up is the amazing Katie, who blogs at RunsForCookies. She is running her first full marathon on Sunday, the Cleveland Marathon. This is her next step in a journey that has seen her drop 125 pounds. She is funny, adorable and absolutely motivating to so many people. I can’t wait to see your finish line photo, Katie!

Second, a shout-out to the fabulous Mary. She blogs at ASmallLoss and has lost an incredible 151 pounds. She is running the San Francisco Bay to Breakers event this year, and she will be joined on the run by a long-time reader of her blog. How amazing is that? She has managed to not only motivate herself to change her life, but she is also motivating and inspiring others. I love that!

These ladies, along with several other running buddies, are hitting the streets this weekend all over the country. They will be giving all they have as they run mile after mile, and they are examples of what can be done when you set a goal and let nothing keep you from it.

I am happy to share the spotlight, because there is plenty of “oh my gosh, that is so awesome!” to go around.

Run strong, ladies!

Action 485 – Honor Heroes (Mile 26).

I am dedicating each mile that I run in the Pasadena Marathon to another Marine Corps hero who has made the ultimate sacrifice, so that in my own small way, they may be honored, acknowledged, and remembered.

Action 485 – Honor Heroes (Mile 26). I will run mile twenty-six in honor of Cpl Ramona Valdez. On June 1, 2007, the United States Marine Corps honored the memory of Cpl. Valdez by dedicating the II MEF Communications Training Center as the Valdez Training Facility during a building dedication ceremony. The building has a plaque with Valdez’s name inscribed.

I will run this mile in honor of this fallen Marine warrior, dedicated wife, sister and daughter. Semper Fi, Corporal.

Marine Cpl. Ramona M. Valdez died June 23, 2005 serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom; She was 20, of The Bronx, N.Y.; assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; killed June 23 when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near her convoy vehicle in Fallujah, Iraq.

(Photo and summary courtesy of militarytimes.com.)

Action 484 – Handle The Unexpected.

Just when I thought I had prepared for everything marathon-related, along comes something so completely out of the blue that it caught me by complete surprise.

Mosquito bites. Lots of them. All over my feet and my ankles. Apparently, while I was sitting at my Aunt’s house late Sunday evening, I became the buffet for every mosquito in the neighborhood. I knew I had been bitten by a few of them, but it wasn’t until today that I realized how bad it was. The sweat and the scratching from my socks irritated all the bites, so by the end of my six miles, I felt like my toes and my feet were on fire.

Action 484 – Handle The Unexpected.

I completed my run, and that was good. Tomorrow is a rest day, so no problem there. And I’m hoping that by Thursday, the welts will have gone down and the bites won’t be so red and itchy.

Sheesh, who saw this coming? I have a marathon to run on Sunday, and I’ll inhale a bottle of Benadryl before I let something this petty stop me.

Bring it, bugs!

Action 483 – Run Six And Only Six.

With the marathon only a few days away, every choice I make right now is important. If I don’t do enough, I could be running the event cold. If I do too much, I could run the event tired or even injured. So a balancing act is required here.

Action 483 – Run Six And Only Six.

And I did. It was an easy six miles at a ten minute pace. I felt good, strong, and crazy tempted to crank up the speed a bit. But I stuck to the plan and ran my six miles in an hour.

Seems weird that I had to talk myself OUT of running faster. What kind of upside-down world have I created?

Action 482 – Enjoy The Entire Experience.

When I’m in, I’m in. And this weekend is no exception. I was planning to get up to the fitness expo just before it closes on Friday at 7pm, but I’m changing that plan a bit.

Action 482 – Enjoy The Entire Experience.

I’m going to work early morning Friday, then leave from here and head up to Pasadena by 10am or so. I want to get to the expo, meet the race director, claim my Bib No. 1775, and then wander up and down every single row. I want to meet the different vendors, chat with other runners, and gather all the swag and free samples I can.

These expos are celebrations of runners and running, and this time, I will not just dash in, grab my bib and t-shirt, and then dash back out.

Bring on the free stuff!

(Image courtesy of RockandRoll Seattle.)

Action 481 – Elevate.

With less than a week to go before the Pasadena Marathon, I finally took the time to go to the website and review the course.

Action 481 – Elevate.

Oh, Pasadena. You tricked me. I thought you were a nice, flat course, but no. Check out the elevation profile.

The bad news? There are some significant hills here. The good news? There are some great downhill stretches, too. And I love me some downhill. The best part? The last few miles are more or less all downhill. That works for me.

What does this mean for my run? At the end of the day, nothing, really. Whether the course is flat or hilly doesn’t change anything. I’m still going out there with the intention of running steady and true. It’s nice to know what to expect from the course, but my plan of attack on race day doesn’t change.

Come on, Pasadena. Elevate me!