Living our Metaphors

I just got back from a cold 2.5 km run. I was thinking before I left that I'd run the beautiful almost-7 km route by the river, but once I got outside and felt the cold I thought I'd do the 5 km route. My 5 km residential route starts in the same way my 2.5 residential route does. By the time I had run the first half kilometer (which is all uphill), I decided it would be a 2.5 km day. It was -15, but with the blowing wind/snow, I'm thinking it was around -20. I was smart enough to wear a running t shirt, a running long sleeved t, and a cotton hoodie along with my warm running pants and a toque. I knew to wear the toque because of an earlier November run without a toque, when I realized that my ears were going to be permanently frozen if I didn't start wearing a toque.

The hardest part of any run for me is just finishing it. I always get to the last half kilometer and think "well, that's good enough, I may as well walk home". I hate that side of me. I hate it! If I give in, it's a moral failure, because it's not finishing something I started. I forced myself to run the last bit home because for me, it's just a metaphor of my life. I'm nearing the end of this semester. 3 weeks left. What do I want to do? Give up. I'm nearing the end of my degree - 2 more full semesters plus 3 weeks. What do I want to do? Give up!

For me, it's not really giving up that's the problem. After all, if you walk the last 500 m of a run, you still get home, right? The real problem is running the last 500 m with the same determination and commitment to excellence as the first 500 m. It's the same with school. I could finish my semesters with Cs, or I could finish with As. What will it be?

So I ran the last 500 m. Because if I can't even live my metaphor, there's really very little hope for living my life.

never not training.

On the way home from Peace River, I realized that it was the first time in months that I was not training for a race. I didn't like that feeling at all! How dreadful. So of course I went online today to see what was available. I signed up for the Halloween Howl - on Saturday, October 27. For ONCE it's a race on a Saturday. Finally! For some reason it seems most races are held on Sundays which really is inconvenient. I'll be running a 10 km race there. Goal: 1:07. If accomplished, that will be 8 minutes shorter than my last 10 km race, and that's something.

School is almost back in - September 10. I am enjoying the time off, but it's not entirely off as I'm spending it revving up for fall at the church. There is still so much to do, in so little time. I'll be starting early tomorrow, as I'm meeting with a friend for coffee at 9:30 and then another friend for lunch at 12:30. Turns out I'm popular! Ha, not really. In reality, one friend lives in B.C. and I'm catching her on the second last day of her visit, and the other is a missionary friend who is frequently out of the country, so her time is prime. It just so happened that I scheduled them both in one day. :)

Today was my second trip to costco - good lord, is it EVER not busy there? Thankfully, though, I saw some random acts of parenting.

I'm excited to start working out with Chantelle again. We'll be starting up soon, right now we're working out the schedule. She's considering doing the Halloween Howl 10 k with me. Christine is also considering it.

I'm working on meal plans for when fall is in full swing - believe it or not, I'm putting the plans on spreadsheets. I have the "chicken", "beef", and "other" spreadsheets with our favorite recipes listed and what book & page to find them on. Then all I have to do is make one shopping list for the week, and then get all the groceries on Saturday when Tyler is usually working anyway. I'm such a geek. But, organization is going to be even more key for the fall. I've gotten into this comfortable "shop for groceries every day" routine in the summer which I thoroughly enjoy, but it won't work in the fall. The only thing I refuse to do is buy frozen meat. Frozen meat tastes so much worse than non-frozen meat, and I'm really not a fan of meat to begin with. So, while I still will have to go to the grocery store more or less every day, it'll only be for meat, so I won't be wandering about.

Wow, this blog really is a random amalgamation of thoughts.

This upcoming weekend we'll be in Fairmont with my family (mom, dad, lyden) and Danny! (my cousin visiting from England). Tyler and I bought Danny a little gift when we were in Peace River to help keep him occupied at the condo. I really hope he likes it. Tyler has convinced him to watch some Star Wars with him, so that's awesome. I'm looking forward to that Star Wars ACTION!

I'm also looking forward to some runs in Fairmont. I'm really looking forward to just doing some relaxed runs without worrying about races. I know I can do a 10 km race, so when I go for my weekly runs it's just to clear my head, do some praying, and blow off some stress (which I'll need to do, spending all that time with the family! OH BURN! ... just kidding, mom). Every run will contribute to making the Halloween Howl easier. And I guess that's what it's all about.

I'm planning to make my training schedule much more varied this fall - swimming Tuesday/Thursday, bike OR run (or both) on Monday/Wednesday/Friday @ the gym, and long runs on Saturday on the bike paths. Apparently doing that cross training will make my running faster. The only reason that matters is that I want to be running 1/2 marathons in 2 hours or 1:55 before I consider doing marathons.

Anyway, I guess I should make dinner. Tyler should be home any minute :) We're going to have a nice quiet date night tonight - dinner, maybe some cards, and perhaps a movie! - I got "Finding Neverland" at Costco for $9.99 today. :)

RK

A Post!/Updates

Running

Today I registered for the St. Patrick's Day 5K race: http://www.events.runningroom.com/site/?raceId=2626

I'm going to be running it with Chantelle. I'm looking forward to that. We're also planning ahead for the Mother's Day Run:
http://www.mdrunandwalk.com/default.aspx?lang=&city=calgary&page=map.html&col=2

I'm contemplating doing the 1o for that one. If I don't, I think I'll do 10 at the HSBC Calgary Marathon 2007:
http://www.events.runningroom.com/site/?raceId=2646

We'll see how that goes. Maybe next year I'll try a half-marathon.
I've never actually run a race before, so it'll be a bit of an adventure to be sure. I'm most stoked about the race t-shirt (lame, I know). I'll feel so proud wearing THAT at the gym!

Ministry & Music

I got an email from my friend JP this week about the Good Friday service at the Jubilee. He asked me to play saxophone at it. I've played the last few years, and it's always an enjoyable experience. JP gets musicians from Baptist churches in/around Calgary to be a part of the service - I don't know if he just asks people he's networked with or what, but if so, I'm glad I'm at least that networked. Hopefully we'll do an offertory again. :)

I said I'd play, but with a good deal of consternation. I barely play any more, and so I'm decidedly uncomfortable doing it. I wanted to though, so I called up my old jazz saxophone teacher and hopefully we'll get some lessons set up. I'd like to see him weekly until Easter, and then every other week after that, alternating with jazz piano lessons, if I can get in with the teacher I'd like to study with. I don't know if he's taking students or what. It's funny, I called my old band teacher, M, to get my old sax teacher, R's number. Well today M called and let me know that he actually saw R yesterday and told him I'd be calling, and not only did R remember me but he was actually happy to hear of it! I didn't think I was that memorable.

School

So those are some developments. I've been looking at various degree programs for my master's - hoping to start in September 2008. We'll see what happens...The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. Proverbs 21.1