On Death and Dying

Life is so fragile, delicate, and precious.  It should be cherished, treasured, and maximized.  It is amazing how differences disappear when death is imminent.  Why can’t everyone live life that way regardless?  Never take a day, moment, breath for granted.  Because it can end too soon.  It can vanish in an instant.  Whether with warning or without.  

I learned this lesson a long time ago when my Grandmother passed away.  I lived with regret.  Regret that I didn’t spend enough time with her.  Didn’t get to know her as well as I could have.  Didn’t share with her my innermost person.  Didn’t feel that I truly understand her…all of her…and what went into making her into the person she was.  A brave, strong, and inspirational person.  Who battled MS throughout most of her life and never once complained.  Who always had a smile on her face and a kind word on her lips.  When her body failed, she still maintained a positive outlook until she was diagnosed with lymphoma during my junior year of undergrad work.  After the diagnosis, she was gone in a matter of 3 weeks.  The word shock never quite summed up how I felt.

I was reminded of this lesson again last year.  When my brother was involved in a very serious car accident that took the life of one of his best friends.  The car wreckage was a tail of 2 boys.  The drivers side mangled.  The passenger’s side nearly unscathed.  I almost lost my brother.  And now I make sure I check in with him more regularly, talk with him more often, share with him more often.  Because, well, family is really the one thing you always can count on.  And will always have.  And will always love you.

And more recently I am reminded again…

My husband lost his godfather and uncle on Monday.  My heart goes out to his entire family.  No mother deserves to bury her child, no sister deserves to bury her brother, no children should be without a father.  I grieve that it took something like that to bring everyone together and forgive past trespasses.  

My supervisor at work’s wife has been through a long battle with Stage 4 cancer.  Hospice was called in today.  She is ready for the end and has accepted it.  My heart aches for his entire family and 3 young children.  Holly has been a source of inspiration and a wonderful, kind person to me during the brief time period I have known her since moving to start my job.  My co-workers are my “work family” and anything that effects one, effects all.  We all are devastated.

 

This has just been a very somber week.  And I pray for strength for both the Mason and Sneider families today.  

 

A Great Success!

This past Saturday I ran what was my 5^th half marathon in my running career.  And for the first time ever, all elements combined to create “The Perfect Run”, ala “The Perfect Storm”.   I can safely say none of the following happened:
1) Montezuma’s Revenge
2) Becoming hypoglycemic to the point of having a fake asthma attack in which you think the movie “Children of the Corn” could be, in fact, real.
3) Playing exhausting mental games with the Running Devil and Running Angel on my shoulders
4) Totally let myself down and all of the months of training I have endured
5) Tossing of the cookies
6) Bleeding/chafing to any part of my body
some of these have happened in previous race occurrences. Yuck-o-la.

So instead, The Halloween Half Marathon in Clayton, OH became my b****.  For lack of better phrasing.

My Target: The Halloween Half Marathon
My Mission: To go Sub-2 hours
My Nemesis: Rolling Hills

Clayton, OH which conveniently rhymes with Dayton, OH which convenient enough is right next to Clayton, OH is definitely notorious for being hilly.  Bordering on small mountains.  Or at least they felt like it.  Rolling hills are usually my downfall; as evidenced by all other efforts at doing a half marathon.  But I decided to come prepared this year.  My weapon of choice: Costume!!

Yes, my mother and I both dressed like bumblebees.

We got to the race site at Miami Valley CTC bright and early in the AM.  We picked up our race packets, enjoying the many other costumed runners and rejoicing in the fact that it would likely be a small field of maybe 200 runners, max. 

My parents were only mildly excited for the start of the race

We were able to get a quick warm-up in and then it was race time.  When the gun went off, I tried my best to play it safe and slow for at least the first 2-3 miles before settling into what would be my race pace.  I felt good  really good  which was surprising since my taper week had left me feeling like my legs weren’t recovering well. 

I swear I am in there somewhere!!

It literally only took 1.5 miles before we hit the first series of hills.
And then we hit another series of hills at Mile 3.
Which was also the last time the runners would even be offered a bathroom.  CRAZY.
And at Mile 5.
Where I was chased by a little kid who kept yelling “buzzzzz bee, buzzzz”
And at Mile 7.
Which was about the time my right calf started convulsing from only running on the right side of the road.  WTF.
And at Miles 10-13.
Mile 11 when my legs felt like they could endure no more, I was passed by the Green Lantern who offered his sage advice of: “You can do it, bumblebee!”
To which I realized…I could do it.
I didn’t take a single water stop for fear of my calf cramping further.
My Shot Blocks remained inside my glove where they melted and rubbed nastiness on my hand.
And I finished that stupid race with a smile on my face (even though the picture doesn’t show it)

I was a Half Marathoner again, dammit!  And I was proud of it!
Official Finish Time: 1:52:43  (2^nd in my age group)

Official Finisher’s Medal…Halloween Themed of Course!

I can honestly say, finishing the half marathon strong and feeling good about it…is my best running moment of this year!