Everything I know about life, I learned from running.....

OK, OK...so that title might be a bit of a stretch.

(ya think?)

But, the award I won yesterday inspired me to list ten things in life that make me happy.



And then, since this blog is pretty much centered around my new running addiction....and my inability to avoid pot holes (sigh)....I thought I'd go from listing the ten things in life that make me happy...to, more specifically, the ten things about running that make me happy.

Simple, right?

OK....let's see.....where to start.....

1) Is it vain to list losing weight and looking better as my number one reason? I mean, I could make it #7...but it would still be #1 in my head. And, if I put it at #7, when it's actually #1, I'd just feel like I was lying to you all. I'd spend my days guilt ridden for telling such a large fib.

So...there you have it...#1...weight loss and looking so much better than I did!!!!

(whew, only 9 more to go!!)

2) Feeling better. I feel great these days. I really do. I have more pep in my step, more vim in my vigor....or something like that. (hehehe) If my allergies weren't currently forcing me to scream "uncle" every morning, I'd be invincible.

OK, so I wouldn't literally be invincible...but I'd feel like it. That counts, right??

3) Donuts. That seems like a strange #3 doesn't it? Donuts? But, you know what, I had one this morning. And I don't feel bad for doing it. Regret-free donut eating (within moderation)...that's an AWESOME #3 if you ask me!!! :-)

4) Shopping!!!!! I've never been excited to go shopping...clothes shopping....until recently. I used to put it off until the last possible second. I'd have one pair of pants that fit, and find myself having to wash them constantly......THAT'S when I'd finally break down and go shopping for more. Now, it's fun! Now I can walk to a rack, grab my size, and 9 times out of 10.....no, scratch that.....7 times out of 10 they fit! (I think 7 out of 10 is fair. I'm not sure who came up with the women's sizing for pants, but they should be shot. I mean, riddle me this.....why can't a size 10 here, be a size 10 there? )

5) High heel shoes. I'm addicted to them. I love to shop for them, buy them, and wear them. And, having 50 or so fewer pounds pushing down on the balls of my feet...I can wear them more often!!! Hmmmmm.....maybe I should make this #2 instead of #5?

Half way done!!!!!

6) Half the day's gone by. Do any of you recognize that? I'd hear it every Saturday and Sunday am throughout my childhood. "Nej, time to get up!!" "Dad, it's 6:00 am on Saturday....come on!" "Get up, get up...half the day's gone by!" Now, I'm voluntarily getting up at 5:00 am during the week to run. And, at least one day on the weekend. On those days I don't hit the snooze...it goes off, and I'm ready and willing.

Oh, and my dog HATES the alarm clock, so I also get a wet nose jammed into my eye if I even THINK about hitting the snooze. :-)

7) Sense of accomplishment. Every week my total miles goes up. Every week my long run gets longer. Every time the distance increases, the smile on my face and the glow in my heart (what? too corny?) gets bigger and brighter. I'M DOING THIS. No one else, me....all me. I have a goal to run my very first half marathon in almost exactly one month. (holy crap - one month?????? ahhhh!!!!!) I'm visualizing myself running across that finish line. I'm visualizing the finisher's medal around my neck. I'm visualizing the grotesque pictures of me as I sweat and torture myself along the 13.1 mile route.

Maybe I'll stop visualizing that last one. It's kinda scary!! :-(~

8) The way he looks at me. This one is actually kinda tied into #1...and I should probably list it first, now that I think about it. Hubby loves me, always has. (Well, unless I'm b*tching at him because he's left the lid on the toilet up again, and I don't want the dog drinking from it, because our kitchen floor is already covered in water and drool....I'd rather keep the bathroom floor free from it, if at all possible. But every other time, he loves me.)

But.....now he looks at me with a twinkle in his eye more often....if you know what I mean. 'Nuff said.

9) Camaraderie. I've met so many people since I started running. Both online and in person. For the most part, runners are a pretty accepting bunch. There are those that think you need to run so fast or so far.....but I keep thinking they must be really lonely people. No, most of the people I've met are quick to lend encouragement, advice and a smile.

10) Fresh air, and climate acclimatization. I hate hot weather. No, hate isn't strong enough a word. I DESPISE hot weather. Give me snow and below freezing temps any day of the week over 100 degrees with 100 degrees humidity. U.G.H.!!!!!

But, this summer was so much easier for me. Why? Because I was out in it. Usually people are hermits in the winter, and poke their heads out the front door in the summer months. I'm exactly the opposite. Our gas bill for heating the house in the winter is tiny....our electricity bill for chilling the house in the summer is ASTRONOMICAL!!! When people we know come to visit, they bring a jacket or sweater. We've been told that we could hang beef in our house.

I usually stay inside...unless I'm walking between my car and another air conditioned building. But this year I was out there.....running, walking, shopping, laughing, and hanging out. I wasn't Oscar the Grouch anytime the weather person said it was going to be anything over 72 degrees.

So, there you go Heidi, 10 things about running that make me happy. :-)

Thank you soooo much for the award, and the fun things you said about my little 'ole blog!!!!

You hit the nail on the head when you said "It's like her internal thoughts just spew out into her blog."

Spew is right! (giggle)

Also, thank you for the motivation you provide on your blog! It's one of the first I read, when I can find the time TO read them.

(which is why I tend to comment on a week's worth of posts all at once - hehehehehehehe!!!!!!)