Tag Archives: changed

Back in the Saddle

Today I decided not to be a wimp.

For the past five days since my accident, I’ve been moping and whining thinking that I’m not going to be able to run again anytime soon. Now, yes, I know running should be the last thing on my mind after what I went through. But the fact is, it’s just not. It’s very much in the forefront of my mind. Running has been my best friend for a while. Call me crazy, I don’t care. But that’s just a fact. When everything around me was changing, running was always there to turn to. Friends came and went, circumstances changed sometimes at the drop of a hat, family emergencies took place, etc. etc. But still. There was running. My old pal, my old confidant. It never left me.

So, to feel like it was going to be gone for a while made me pretty sad. Almost depressed even.

Especially given that this happened right in the middle of my half marathon training. As most of you know (since I mention it every other breath), I have my first half marathon scheduled for May 4. That’s 25 days away. I mean, if I were counting. But I’m not. Because ya know. It’s no biggie or anything….

MY FIRST HALF MARATHON IS 25 DAYS AWAY! AHHH!

And here I am sitting around missing valuable training days because of a dumb ol’ accident.

Well, today, I decided I’m not having that anymore.

Now, I was careful, mind you. I’m wasn’t going to jump back out there and run 10 miles again like I ran last week. But I did jump back out there. And I ran 3.5 miles. And I’m pretty darn proud of myself, even if I do say so. Man, it felt good. And I even did it on my lunch break from work. Even better.

As I ran, one of my favorite “I am woman, hear me roar” running songs came on my playlist, and the lyrics stood out to me more today than ever before. The song is Survivor by Destiny’s Child:

I’m a survivor
I’m not gonna give up
I’m not gonna stop
I’m gonna work harder
I’m a survivor
I’m gonna make it
I will survive
Keep on survivin’

You dang right. This girl is a survivor. Has been before, will be today, and will be tomorrow. That’s just all there is to it.

Today will be known as my “back in the saddle” day.

May 4 half marathon, here I come.

***

“I run because it’s so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can’t. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you’re capable of so much more than you thought.”
– Arthur Blank

Posted by Melissa Edmondson. Categories: Freestyle Writings/Musings, Running. Tags: accident, blog, change, changed, health, heart, inspiration, inspirational, motivation, motivational, passion, photos, Quotes, race, runner, running, wreck, writing. Leave a comment

Apr. ’13

Reflection

My daughter took this picture of me on Friday, the day after I wrecked and totaled my car on this bank. We were looking through some of the rubble that was left behind. Among the broken glass, car parts, and general debris, I found something interesting. My mirror. My unbroken, completely intact mirror. She took the picture just as I found it and was looking into it.

So, most people might stop here with, “Cool. Mirror didn’t break. Awesome,” and move along. But nope. Not me. Not deep-thinking, over-analytical me. I have to blog about it.

It’s a mirror. Ya know? How symbolic is that?! Among everything else that was shattered and destroyed, two things remained unharmed. This mirror. And me.

Something tells me that’s not a coincidence.

“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever that answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”
– Steve Jobs

Life can definitely knock you for a loop sometimes. In this case – quite literally. Walking away from an accident that very likely could have killed me has had a pretty profound affect on me. It’s hard not to question why I’m still here. Is there something left for me to do? Is there a difference I’m supposed to make? Is there something I need to be doing differently in my life? In my heart? In my mind?

I honestly have no clue. Not yet.

But what I do have is a mirror. And I intend to keep it as a reminder. I’m putting it up beside my bed and I intend to look into it every morning before I start each day. I want it to serve as a reminder that I’m still here. And as long as I see my reflection staring back at me, my job here is not done.

***

“Here is the test to find out if your mission on Earth is finished: If you’re alive, it isn’t.”
– Richard Bach

Posted by Melissa Edmondson. Categories: Freestyle Writings/Musings. Tags: accident, blog, change, changed, inspiration, inspirational, loss, mirror, motivation, motivational, photos, Quotes, reflection, wreck, writing. 5 Comments

Apr. ’13

Helpers

Well, here we are. The dreaded day after.

Not only am I hurting (holy cow, am I sore!), but now comes the fun part. Dealing with the car insurance, the hospital bills, worrying about how to get new transportation, worrying about missing work, worrying about driving again and not being with the kids while I’m lying around recuperating, etc. etc. etc. If I let myself get caught up in thinking of all of that, I could get pretty depressed. And actually almost did this morning.

But then, I remember.

As Mr. Rogers so eloquently put it in his quote above, I need to remember the ‘helpers.’ Not only the helpers that were at the scene yesterday – most of which I don’t even know their names and will most likely never see again – but also the helpers that are still here. The ones who have called to check on me, who have read my blog, who have sent out their well wishes through the internet. My boss and co-workers who are understanding and picking up the slack from my not being there today, my kids for calling and texting to check on me and their dad for graciously taking care of them and telling me not to worry and to stay at Richard’s and rest. And dear, sweet, wonderful Richard. Who has taken me in and cooked dinner for me and made sure I was comfortable and asked me how I was feeling every 10 minutes or so. And who has offered me a vehicle to drive until everything else gets worked out. My dad, who has called multiple times to make sure I’m still ok, my grandma, my mom, my siblings, my close friends, etc. etc. etc.

I am truly surrounded by goodness. Sweet, kind, unselfish goodness.

Yes, it stinks that I was in a wreck and totaled my car. And yes, the aftermath of the paperwork and tediousness may make me crazy for a while. But I just have to remember to make myself stop and reflect. Stop and look around and realize how truly blessed and loved that I am. Remember that I’m not alone and never will be.

Remember the helpers.

***

“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”
– John Bunyan

Posted by Melissa Edmondson. Categories: Freestyle Writings/Musings. Tags: accident, blog, change, changed, dating, family, friendship, heart, inspiration, inspirational, loss, love, motivation, motivational, passion, photos, Quotes, relationships, writing. 5 Comments

Apr. ’13

10 Miles….

“Believe that you can run farther or faster. Believe that you’re young enough, old enough, strong enough, and so on to accomplish everything you want to do. Don’t let worn-out beliefs stop you from moving beyond yourself.”
– John Bingham

Ok. Today is the day that I’m supposed to run 10 miles.

What the crap? TEN miles??

I’m not feeling extremely positive about this right at the moment. After all, I struggled with just 3 yesterday. It’s amazing how different some running days are from others. Those runs fall into that whole “momma said there’d be days like this” category, I suppose. So, after having such a crappy running day yesterday, my mind is screaming at me that I’m just not ready for this 10-miler and maybe I should skip it. Maybe I should just wait and do a few more short runs and try the longer run later. Maybe it’s not time for me to step it up just yet and I should hold back a little. Maybe this. Maybe that. Excuse. Excuse. Excuse.

But then I remember something.

I’m not a quitter.

I’m just not. In other non-running areas of my life, I’ve always been very determined to see things through. My mom has always told me that determination is one of my finest qualities. (Although, I’m certain it’s also been the culprit of some of my downfalls at times…but we’re not talking about that right now…) Point is, if I can be determined in other areas of my life, I can be determined in this one too.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

Every increase in mileage in my training plan has caused this same fear in me. I remember when I did 5 miles for the first time. All I could think of was how I barely made it to 5, now how was I going to do 6? Then I did 6 miles, and had the same thought about 7. And so on. And every time, I stepped up to the challenge. Every time. Today will be no different.

Today, after a long, tedious workday, I am going to put my running shoes on, and I’m heading out the door. I’m going to get my playlist ready to play the strongest, most powerful running music I can find, I’m going to bring along my nifty little water bottle that straps to my hand, I’m going to clear my mind of any of life’s annoyances that might be bothering me, and I’m going to run 10 miles. That’s just all there is to it.

Oh, and besides, I have a fail-proof plan. I know I can run 5 miles. There’s no question about that. So, I’m just going to run 5 miles away from my car. Then I have no choice but to come 5 miles back or I can’t go home. See? I’m a genius.

Ok, people. Today is the day I become a double-digit runner. Let’s do this.

Posted by Melissa Edmondson. Categories: Freestyle Writings/Musings, Running. Tags: blog, change, changed, determination, health, heart, inspiration, inspirational, motivation, motivational, passion, photos, Quotes, runner, running, sharing, strength, writing. 1 Comment

Apr. ’13

April Fool

“‘Cause I’ve seen it all come and go before
I’m sure I’ll see it all again
But if I thought for one instant it might be love
I’d be the first one jumpin’ in…”
– Diamond Rio lyrics (“Here I Go”)

Ok. So, a little over a month ago, I wrote a blog about how I was going to take the whole year of 2013 off from dating and relationships. (Here’s the link if you’re interested.) Well, I figure there’s no better time than April Fool’s Day to update my readers on how that little notion has played out. Why April Fool’s Day? Well. I’m pretty sure this day was designed for fools like me. So since this is my own personal day, I figured I can confess a few things and you guys might go a little easier on me.

So with that preamble, I’m sure you know what I’m about to confess. Turns out, I wasn’t so great at that whole idea. But that’s ok.

And here’s why.

I heard some Alabama song lyrics again a while back and they really got to me. It’s a song called Lady Down on Love. Here are the lyrics:

“She’s got her freedom
But she’d rather be bound
To a man who would love her
And never let her down.”
– Alabama

That’s so me. It really is. Yes, I had my freedom. And yes, I was enjoying it to an extent. I have learned more about myself in these past three months than I may ever have before – and the only reason for that is that I just finally took the time to actually do it. And one of the biggest things that I’ve learned, and that I’ve come to accept, is that I really am a pretty positive person. I just am. I’m a glass half full kinda gal. Yes, I do get my feelings hurt at times, I do get let down when things don’t go my way, I do cry, I do get sad – I’m not saying I’m immune to all of that. But it’s all temporary. Once it passes, I get back up on that horse and I know that better things are around the corner. I really would “rather be bound,” so to speak. So, with this being the case, I tend to remain open to any possibilities. Including the fact that if something real came along, I wasn’t going to turn it away just because I said in some blog that I would.

Well, something real did come along. Again.

Actually, it never left.

Oh, I tried so hard to convince myself it was gone. I told myself over and over and over again that I was moving on. That I didn’t need “some guy” and that I was fine alone. And I would have been too. I know that now. But my heart absolutely refused to shut up. It just wouldn’t listen to me when I was trying to tell it that we didn’t love him anymore. He was everywhere. In the songs I heard. In the books I read. In the new guys I met (not that there were that many, mind you. But still.) There he was. Unfinished business is a tricky little fellow. It doesn’t go away until it’s dealt with. No matter how hard you try.

Now, being the open person I am, I would spout out all kinds of details if I sat here at this keyboard long enough and didn’t think it through. But just because I’m an open book – that doesn’t mean that everyone else is. So out of respect for the privacy of the people I love, I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty of the hows and whys things happened the way they did. Not even sure we know the answer to that ourselves to be honest with you. But the long and the short of it is this – I found my way back to my best friend. And I’m certain that he found his way back to his too. It has been a long road, and we’re still walking it, but we finally decided to try walking it together for a change. No more rushing ahead, no more falling behind…just walking together. Figuring it out as we go.

We like it better this way.

So, back to the original blog entry. Honestly – nothing has changed. I’m still on this “quest for me,” so to speak. That won’t be changing. I’m still going to be writing this blog. I’m still training for my half marathon. I’m still going to continue acting. I’m still going to be me. A stronger, healthier, more self-aware version of me, yes – but still me. Being in a relationship is not going to change that. Finally. I think maybe I’m finally learning to find that balance – that thin line that lies between giving your heart to someone, while at the same time still remembering to retain a big portion for yourself.

This:

Yeah. That.

So, there’s my update. I didn’t exactly do what I set out to do in the way that I set out to do it. But did I fail? Heck no. I’m in love and I’m trying. There’s definitely no failure in that.

Let’s go find out what the future holds…

***

“To lose balance for love is part of living a balanced life.”
– Elizabeth Gilbert

Posted by Melissa Edmondson. Categories: Freestyle Writings/Musings. Tags: acting, apology, blog, change, changed, dating, friendship, health, heart, heartbreak, inspiration, inspirational, loss, love, motivation, motivational, passion, photos, Quotes, relationships, sharing, update, writing. 5 Comments

Mar. ’13

Still Small Voice

Sounds so easy, doesn’t it? Someone belittles you, tells you that you can’t do something or that you won’t succeed…just kick ’em to the curb. Be done with them!

Yeah, well. Sometimes it’s not that easy.

Sometimes the person who does that to you is someone that is fully involved in your life. Someone that you can’t just leave. Maybe it’s a member of your family. Maybe it’s a boss at a job that you desperately need. Maybe it’s an ex-spouse who is the mother/father of your children and has to remain in your life. Maybe it’s an abusive relationship that you’re not able to get out of just yet for reasons only you know.

And oftentimes, because those are the people that may be around us the most, we think they are the people who know us best. And we put a lot of weight into what they have to say. As Kelly Clarkson puts it in her Mr. Know It All song lyrics:

“When somebody tells you something ’bout you
They think that they know you more than you do
So you take it down, another pill to swallow…”

Well, guess what?

They’re WRONG.

That’s it. Plain and simple. They are wrong. No need to ‘swallow that pill.’ Because they are human just like you and I are. And being human, that means that they are apt to being mistaken. (Pretty often actually.) And those times that they are belittling you and telling you what you can and can’t do? Those are those times.

They don’t know you better than you do. No one does. You know your heart. You know what’s in there – what you feel and don’t feel. Who are you and aren’t, what you can and can’t do. You know the you that no one else sees. The one that you might keep hidden for fear of not being accepted by the people in your life who are impossible to please. But you know it. It’s there. You may keep it hidden well (I’m sure you’ve had years and years of practice), but it’s still there. No matter how much you allow their words to pile up and form a barrier to hide it behind, the true ‘you’ is still there. It won’t be defeated. The still small part of you that still loves yourself keeps it under lock and key where no one can touch it. And you know that. Don’t you?

I have recently crossed paths with an abused woman. It has weighed very heavily on my mind. I’m haunted by the way her eyes look. So dead, so full of regret and sadness. And I’m so very very sorry for her. It’s so easy for people to tell her to leave – to tell her to get out of that situation. But I don’t know her life. No one does. Only she does. I hope that one day she finds her way out. In fact, I’m somewhat consumed with hoping for that. It amazes me that humans can be so cruel to one another. But in the meantime, until she finds her way, I wish I could tell her this. I wish I could tell her that I know it’s not easy. That you can read Mark Twain quotes until you’re blue in the face, but they aren’t going to pave the path out the door. They just aren’t. Things just aren’t as easy as they appear from the outside looking in.

But there is something that she can do. Something that you can do if you’re seeing yourself in what I’m saying. You can alter that Mark Twain quote a little. I don’t think he’d mind. Rather than saying to “keep away” from those people, why don’t we say to “keep YOUR HEART away” from them. Don’t let what they’re saying penetrate your heart.

As I said, you can’t always keep away from those people. Life just doesn’t always allow for an easy out. Sometimes it’s next to impossible. So do your best to keep that guard on your heart and don’t let those negative words through. You are your own best friend, ya know. If you’re not there for you, no one else is going to be. Stick up for yourself. Even if it’s just that small little voice inside, let yourself hear it. Don’t shut it up. Don’t let them win. Listen to what it’s saying. Do you hear that? Do you hear what it’s trying to tell them?

“You’re wrong.”

“You’re wrong. You’re wrong. You’re wrong.”

Keep listening. Practice hearing it over and over and over again. Eventually that voice will get louder and louder if you let it. And before you know it, it will sound almost just as loud as the negative voices coming from the outside. And then finally, when you’ve practiced enough and you’re fully ready, you’ll see that something amazing has happened.

That voice will be so loud that it drowns out the others.

It can happen. You just have to let it.

***

“It is the still small voice that the soul heeds,
Not the deafening blasts of doom.”
– William Dean Howells

Posted by Melissa Edmondson. Categories: Freestyle Writings/Musings. Tags: abuse, blog, change, changed, family, friendship, heart, heartbreak, inspiration, inspirational, intuition, love, motivation, motivational, passion, photos, poetry, Quotes, relationships, sharing, writing. Leave a comment

Mar. ’13

“Failure”

I saw the above picture when I was scrolling through Facebook earlier. And immediately, something in particular popped into my mind. I’m willing to bet that when you saw it, something popped into your mind too. Am I right? Doesn’t matter what it is. Doesn’t matter what mine is. We’re not going to talk specifics here. Just take that thing that just popped into your mind and visualize it for a second. Here’s what I want you to concentrate on:

What’s the worst that could happen?

Really. Think about that. Whatever this thing is that you’re thinking of doing that scares you to death – if you try it, and you “fail” (although the definition of fail might need to be examined a little more, but I digress…), what’s going to happen? Is someone going to die? Are you going to die? Is someone going to be hurt beyond repair? Are you going to be hurt beyond repair? Will the world stop turning on its axis because you didn’t get the result you were hoping for?

I’m guessing not.

“I don’t believe in failure. It is not failure if you enjoyed the process.” – Oprah Winfrey

I like that quote. Think about that. When you decide to take the chance on whatever it is (and notice I said when, not if), don’t you think you’re going to be pretty proud to know that you tried? Aren’t you going to enjoy the process? The process of knowing that you got off your butt, put your big girl panties on (or big boy boxers for my dude readers. Well, unless you want to wear big girl panties – hey, I’m not judging…), and took a chance. You took a chance. Where’s the failure in that?

“They who have conquered doubt and fear have conquered failure.” – James Allen

Yeah. That.

Go out there and conquer some failure. Show failure that it doesn’t even exist. Trying is succeeding.

And that’s just all there is to it.

***

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure…than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live life in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
– Theodore Roosevelt

Posted by Melissa Edmondson. Categories: Freestyle Writings/Musings. Tags: blog, change, changed, failure, heart, heartbreak, inspiration, inspirational, love, motivation, motivational, passion, Quotes, relationships, writing. Leave a comment

Mar. ’13

Just Like That

This is how my day started.

I was on my way to work this morning and I rounded a curve and this is what I saw on the side of the road. Myself and one other person coming the opposite direction were the first (and only) people to arrive and stop. Both of us pulled over and got out of our vehicles and started jogging to the scene. I could see the look on his face and assumed it probably mirrored mine. We both thought that we were the first ones to arrive at a fatality.

But thank God, we were wrong.

I saw movement in the front seat and got down to look in what was left of the passenger side window. She was shaken, but she was alive. And not only was she alive – but she was just fine. Really.

Just fine.

She was just stuck. So, working together, the man and I were able to get the back door open and crawl in to get her free from the seatbelt and help her crawl out. Once she was out, we called for help. After realizing that she was a little unsteady on her feet, we brought her back to my car and put her in the passenger seat. With her there, myself in the driver’s seat, and the other man kneeling on the ground at the passenger side, three strangers spent the next 45 minutes together.

Soon, that number rose to four. The next to arrive was an elderly man who was a retired local volunteer EMT. He didn’t have any equipment with him (he was just called because he was close by) so he proceeded to climb in the back seat and just hold the woman’s head with his hands to keep her stable. He did that for about 15 minutes before more help arrived. All in all, we were there close to an hour.

But it’s those first 30 minutes that I’m going to remember for a while.

Without knowing each other at all, we all sat in the car and just talked. We exchanged stories about who we were, why were driving on this road at this particular time, what kind of jobs we had (a nurse, a preacher, a retired EMT, and a paralegal), our kids, our marriages – or lack thereof, etc.

We just sat there and chatted. And at one point, I looked down and realized that this woman had been holding my hand the entire time and I wasn’t even aware. I held a stranger’s hand for 30 minutes. I can assure you that when I woke up this morning, if someone would have asked me to make a list of things I would be doing today, that sure wouldn’t have been on it.

So there we were. Just four strangers chatting in my car after having just witnessed a miracle. Yes, a miracle. And you can’t tell me otherwise.

She was fine!

Now, did you see that picture? Really? Did you look at it? And I was there. I saw that car. I just knew without a shadow of a doubt that the person inside the vehicle would not have made it. I was astonished that all she had was a pretty nasty bump on her head. That’s it.

I don’t even know why I’m blogging about this really. I’m not sure exactly what I wanted to take from this situation, but sitting here still shook up almost 5 hours later, I know that this interaction today meant something to me.

There’s a video that I remember to watch periodically. It’s the song Hello World by Lady Antebellum. The song is about rolling through life with burdens on your mind, and then something happening – some unplanned event – that makes you stop in your tracks and look around. The video (which I posted at the end of the blog) makes that ‘unplanned event’ a car accident. This man sees this, sees the humanity that surrounds the event, and realizes things just might not be that bad after all. In other words, he wakes up.

Maybe that’s what happened there this morning? Maybe I started to wake up?

This woman was about one minute ahead of me on this road. That could have been me. It could have been anyone. It could have been you. And it could have ended so so differently. Everything could change. Just like that.

You know? Just like that.

Maybe it’s time to wake up?

***

“Hello world, how you been?
Good to see you, my old friend
Sometimes I feel as cold as steel
Broken like I’m never gonna heal
Then I see a light,
a little grace,
a little faith unfurl
Hello world”
– Lady Antebellum, “Hello World” lyrics

Video: http://youtu.be/al2DFQEZl4M

Posted by Melissa Edmondson. Categories: Freestyle Writings/Musings. Tags: accident, blog, change, changed, friendship, heartbreak, inspiration, inspirational, loss, love, motivation, motivational, Quotes, strangers, writing. 3 Comments

Mar. ’13

Favorite Race (so far)

This is a picture I took at the Shamrock 4-miler, a St. Patrick’s Day theme race my son and I ran in Abingdon, Virginia, last night, March 15, 2013.

Now, granted, after every race I do, I seem to think that it was my favorite race. And this was no exception. But I have a feeling that this one may remain my favorite for a while. And I’ve decided to list the top 10 reasons why.

*** 10. The St. Patrick’s Day theme.
This was the first race I’d ever been a part of that had a theme. And themes are awesome. The atmosphere was completely different…everyone was in such happy spirits and seemed to be just a tad friendlier and a little more chatty than in other races. I’ll definitely be searching for theme races in the future.

*** 9. The cowbell.
Oh yes. There was a cowbell. About a half a mile in, there was a random guy standing on the side of the road with a cowbell. And, of course, the guy who was running beside me yelled, “Hey – we’re gonna need more cowbell!” as we passed. Teehee. That made me laugh all the way up the hill we had to climb right after we passed the cowbell man. I needed that.

*** 8. A pooping dog.
Yes, you read that right. A pooping dog made the top 10 list. And here’s why. One of the runners decided to run in the race with her dog. Around the 1.5 mile mark, nature called. She was standing, embarrassed, on the side of the road letting him do his business while other runners passed. Eventually, runners started high-fiving her as they passed. That was pretty awesome. Lots of laughter came from that. And laughter during a race is always awesome. So, thank you pooping dog for your contribution to my list.

*** 7. This guy:

Yeah. Meeting that guy definitely made the list. Duh.

*** 6. Being passed (yes, passed) by a man running the race while pushing his TWO kids in a stroller.
While going up a hill. Yes, I know. How did that make the list of reasons why this was my favorite race? Well, just because. People are awesome. That’s all.

*** 5. Remembering to thank the people at the water stations.
I always forget to do that. Always. This time, I remembered. There were three separate water stations and I remembered at every single station. I finally forgot my own misery during a race and just remembered that there are awesome volunteers sitting out there for long periods of time just making sure that we have the best race we can. And how cool are they? They deserve more than a simple “thank you,” but that was all I had to give at the moment. I hope hearing me say it made them feel as good as it made me feel to remember to say it.

*** 4. My time.
My MapMyRun tracking device told me that I ran 4.08 miles in just over 40 minutes. That’s less than a 10-minute pace. Best I’ve ever done. Heck yeah, baby! For this fairly new runner, that was something to be proud of.

*** 3. My kids’ dad.
Whoa. I know, right? How the heck did my ex-husband make this list? I think you’ll soon understand. Kevin (that’s his name) has Becker muscular dystrophy. He is lucky to still be walking because the prognosis long ago was that he would have been in a wheelchair before he was 30. (He’s 38.) As I was leaving for the race after picking up my son, Kevin said something that stuck with me. He said, “You guys do good. I’d run it with you if I could.” All I could think of after he said that, was this quote I saw once:

“I run because I can. When I get tired, I remember those who can’t run, what they’d give to have this simple gift I take for granted, and I run harder for them. I know they would do the same for me.”

That quote went through my mind many times during this race. And now I have a feeling it will go through my mind in many more races to come.

*** 2. Memories
I had run a 5k race on this course once before. It was last year. I was afraid that running it again would actually make me feel sad because the person I ran it with wasn’t with me this time. But you know what? It didn’t make me sad at all.

The course was filled with memories at every turn. At one point, I remembered how we both felt when we saw this dreaded hill looming ahead and realized just as we got to it that the course veered to the left and we didn’t have to actually run up it. When I saw the hill this time, I just smiled. Yep, no sadness. Just a smile.

I remembered how we stayed at each other’s pace and he refused to leave me during the brief time that I had to stop to walk, when I know he could have gone on ahead easily. When I got to the place that I had to stop and walk that time and the memory filled my mind – again, I smiled. (And went faster.)

There were many more memories throughout the race. And many more smiles that accompanied them. And that made me realize something. I think something has healed. And that’s a beautiful thing.

*** 1. And hands down, the #1 reason why this was my favorite race? This kid:

That’s my son. Now, this isn’t the first time we’ve ran a race together. But this is the first time that he finished the race well ahead of me (as usual) and instead of waiting at the finish line, he turned around and came back on the course to find me. I finished the race with my son by my side cheering me on.

So there. The list is complete.

So, see? How could this not have been my favorite race?

Oh, wait. One more notable mention.

Another reason this was my favorite race? I wrote this whole blog in my head while I was running it. Combining two of my passions is a beautiful thing.

So blessed to be a runner.

***

“Methinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow.”
– Henry David Thoreau

Posted by Melissa Edmondson. Categories: Running. Tags: blog, change, changed, friendship, health, heartbreak, inspiration, inspirational, love, motivation, motivational, passion, photos, Quotes, race, relationships, runner, running, writing. 3 Comments

Mar. ’13

Milestone

“I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened.”
– Wilma Rudolph

This week I hit a new milestone in my running. I ran 6 miles without stopping.

So I titled this blog “Milestone.” Heh. Get it? Milestone. Oh, witty witty me.

Anyway…

So, yeah. As you can see from the stats above, I’m not the fastest runner. Not at all. And, it was a treadmill run rather than an outside run (which people say is “easier,” but I beg to differ…). And I know I still have a long way to go before I’m fully ready for this May 4 half marathon I’m signed up for. I know there are more advanced runners looking at my accomplishment with a knowing smile remembering what it was like way back when they hit a little milestone like this.

But enough of that. Enough trying to downplay what I just did.

Because, let me tell ya something.

While yes, there may be more advanced runners watching me way back here on my journey (while nevertheless cheering me on like I’ve won the lottery – because that’s how we runners roll), there’s also someone else watching me.

The March 2012 version of Melissa.

Oh yeah. That girl was standing outside that gym with her hands cupped around her face looking through the window at me on that treadmill running 6 miles….and her jaw still hasn’t come up off the ground. She’s astounded. She would have never dreamed that this could be possible. She couldn’t even run from the car to the front door of her house when it was raining outside to keep from getting soaked. So, how on Earth could she be staring in this gym looking at this girl who just ran six miles? SIX MILES? And yes, it took her an hour and four minutes to do it. But holy cow – she just ran for over an hour without stopping. Ran! For over an hour! Hello?

Oh, that chick is proud. Astounded, yes; flabbergasted, definitely; but oh so very proud.

And do you know who else is watching?

The Melissa of March 2014. She’s one of those advanced runners I mentioned before. She’s watching me with that all-knowing little grin on her face, wishing that I know now what she’s going to know then. She wishes I could see that I am working towards such amazing and awesome things that my little mind can’t even comprehend them. She wishes that I could know that everything is going to be great – my runs, my life, my heart – all of it. She knows all of that, and just patiently smiles at me as she waits for me to catch up.

She knows that I’ve got this in the bag. That no matter how long it takes, I’m going to do whatever I need to do to succeed. She knows that I’m not going to let her down. I’ve made promises to her that she knows I fully intend to keep.

She knows that I’m going to make it.

In honor of the ‘theme’ of this blog entry, I want to share something that I saw on the “Run Junkees” Facebook page:

Met a fellow runner named Chet over the weekend. He was an old school marathoner, completing his first in 1987. While running a marathon Chet happened along side a fellow runner who was best described as short and stout. Chet engaged the runner in a brief conversation and said “How’s it going?” The runner confidently said “Great! I’m running at world record pace”. Chet inquisitively replied “World record pace, huh?” The runner answered “Yep. My world. My record. My pace.”

Yep. That’s what running is all about, isn’t it? Creating your own world – your own goals to reach, your own mountains to climb…your own personal milestones.

Ok. Enough chatter. Time to get back to work.

There’s someone in my future waiting for me to make her proud.

***

“The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep,
and miles to go before I sleep,
and miles to go before I sleep.”
– Robert Frost