this is oakland's beautiful lake merritt, which is the perfect place to run or walk or bike around.
back in the day, and by that i mean before babies and toddlers and now big kids, i used to run lake merritt. i'd say it's been a healthy 7 years since i ran around it, although i've walked it hundreds of times.
it is one of my favorite places in oakland; i always think of it as the great equalizer because every single demographic you can imagine is hanging out at that lake. octogenarian athletes that still shuffle around the lake daily? check. cute new couples who are strolling along or hanging on a bench? check. new moms pushing their strollers? check. guys who look like they are in the run-all-over-philadelphia-training-portion of rocky? weekend warriors? check. women in skimpy little bikinis sunning themselves or women in full hijab? every other possible type of person? check.
so, i love it. it makes me feel part of our larger mish-mash of a city every time i'm there. but the running part was never the part i loved...more like the part i tolerated to get stronger, healthier, faster. and yet a month or so ago, when a mom friend form school posted that she was looking for two more relay partners in the upcoming oakland marathon i somehow, inexplicably, thought: "this would be a good personal goal for me. after all i'm turning 40, it's a new year, and running any sort of race scares the bejeezus out of me but it would be a good personal practice to train for it." um, what was i thinking? i have no idea. but i did it. and now i've gotta hustle to get ready to run 7 miles by march 22. SEVEN. i currently run ZERO.
i will add at this point that the part that is hard for me about running these days is that thanks to my two darlings, and pushing them out of the birth canal, that there are some not so pleasant side-deterrents from running. people, i am a one woman pee-on-myself-machine. perhaps that was too much information, but it is a very real reason that i've stopped running.
yet the deadline looms, so i'm off to face my fears and my issues. pep talk anyone? training wisdom? personal stories of triumphing over adversity? (ok that may be somewhat dramatic)
anything new and scary you're taking on this year?
talk to me.
Ummm...I tried to run with Keith on NYE afternoon. I almost died.
ReplyDeletei am going to need a major get myself back on the horse running self talk like pronto, because march is creeping on a comeup!!! ps. you comment, i will write.
DeleteOh, darn. My comment disappeared when I clicked Preview. Oh, well, the gist of it was encouragement to run, that meeting that goal will be 100% yours, and something you will take personal pride in for the rest of your life. But give yourself enough time to train, and check out all the different online training schedules available online... there are some designed to take a couch potato to a marathon, even! My favorite site was: http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/racing/the-perfect-10k/84.html.
ReplyDeleteGood to see your blog, Siouxzie! It is in your voice, which is a delight because I miss you so. Take care, xo.