Sometimes one battery must die in order to recharge another

I am happy to report that since my last blog entry, I've managed to stay relatively upright while in motion. The scrapes and cuts are healing since my last glorious escapade in the great outdoors.

Speaking of the great outdoors, can I just say brrrrrrr? Mother Nature, I am begging you...no mas, no mas! However, being the hearty New Englander I am, I laced 'em up and headed out the door for a training run early this morning, wearing layers that would rival Ralphie's little brother in "A Christmas Story" (I can't put my arms down!).

Did I also happen to mention that I'm a slave to technology when I run, particularly when I'm running alone? I have the heart rate monitor, the GPS watch, the iPod...man am I high maintenance. Normally, I don't consider myself to be a very anal person, but when it comes to running, I've timed 99% of EVERY training run or race I've done since 2003. I always HAVE to know how far I go and how fast it was. Call me crazy. It's one of my quirks (I have many).

A few weeks back, I found myself to be in a bit of a funk. I felt tired, listless, frustrated, slow and sick. All classic symptoms of overtraining. This is my 3rd marathon in one year and distance running can be very taxing on the body, not to mention the psyche. As much as I love to run, I was beginning to feel like I was in a bad relationship. Must...keep...going...can't...stop...running. After all, I had taken on this huge commitment to train and fundraise for the Lazarus House, a very worthy and admirable charity. How can I fulfill this promise if every step is an effort???

Aside from scaling back the miles a bit, I wondered what else I could do in order to restore that fire in the belly. One of my dear friends suggested I "leave the watch at home" for a while. You know, just get out there, enjoy the scenery and don't worry about my time. Stop and smell the roses (well, slow down and get a whiff as you pass them, really). Run just for the sheer joy of it. I said I'd think about it. That was a couple of weeks ago.

I walk outside to put on my gps watch and "BATTERY LOW" ominously appears on my display. Hmmmm, I thought, that's odd. Well, I'm sure it'll last long enough for my run.

So off I went. All of a sudden, I look down and the watch is completely blank!!! The horror, the HORROR!!!! What do I do? I have no idea how long I had been gone or how far I had run...I just kept moving. The OCD started kicking in. Mentally retracing my steps while formulating plans to drive the route afterwards began to flood my thoughts. Then, it hit me.

I was enjoying it. I could have been out there 5 or 15 minutes. I didn't really know. And it was okay! I ran for a while longer enjoying my tunes. When the time came to go back home and get ready for work, I chuckled to myself. I may not have followed my friend's advice, but it ended up following me instead!!!

So, I guess, sometimes, one battery must die in order to recharge another. I felt accomplished. I felt free. I felt good! And I still haven't driven the route. Yet. ;-)

As of today, I'm up to $1,311 in donations for the Lazarus House. Thanks to all who have contributed to that number. If you are in the position to help me make a difference in the lives of many deserving, needy people, please visit my webpage below:

http://www.lazarushouse.org/BostonMarathon/ViewWalkerProfile.asp?Id=56

Only 23 more days until Spring. Whoo hoo!!!