Why I Accomplished ‘Nothing’ Today

By Moon Joggers | Published: February 25, 2015

Why I Accomplished “Nothing” Today
 (A stream of consciousness that came to me during my run)
by Maggie Hillis

A hiker visiting from Memphis fell off Signal Mountain to his death late last night/early this morning. That’s really horrible, and I feel for his loved ones and hate that his life was cut so short and I hope those last few minutes were filled with awe and wonder and the same breathlessness I feel every time I stand in a spot very much like the one where he was when he fell, which is often.

That has absolutely nothing to do with why I failed to accomplish anything today on my endless list of things I have to do during this two weeks out of a cumulative 3 months I will spend at home this year.

It did, however, pass into my mind as I was planning my route for the day:

Riverside or mountain…

Flat and fast 10k on a paved route convenient to where I need to be later or whatever I  can muster that will be at all more than what I did the other day on that mountain…

Rest my muscles or push myself harder…

Will there be a lot of people…

Do I crave the encouragement of other runners or the solitude of my own thoughts today in the on and off drizzle and falling leaves….

flowing water or falling leaves…

pavement or gravel….

I have a lot to do today, I really shouldn’t go far…

I chose the wide flat slow climb up the mountain. It’s not too far out of my way. It’s a perfect, quite drizzly day for the mountain. And as I start out I think about how on this particular trail it would really take some effort to fall to one’s death. I’m safe. I even left a note with a hand drawn map of my route on the kitchen table, and donned my running safety vest just in case. I always carry my phone.

Now, focus.

My form is good, I’m watching my step for unsteady ground and potential trip/ ankle twisting hazards. I perfect my breathing. I visually gage my half mile point in the distance, then mile one- focusing, pushing…this hurts a little, but in a good way, and I can keep going. No one’s here. I am not in a race. I can stop and rest every half mile if I want. I can even walk some. This is my run. The important thing is that I finish. Finish what? I decide on 5 miles.

After a mile it gets harder, steeper, the terrain rougher, but the focus and the push slowly fade as I adjust, balancing heart rate, cadence, and breath till I don’t realize I’m doing it. I slowly forget I’m doing anything at all….

Leaves whisper as the negligible breeze carries them earthward…

Autumn seems to have come late this year, I guess, I haven’t been around….

I would have been fine in a T-shirt. That’s ok, my vented tech fabric is nice and sweat is good for you…

A rain cloud is following me but from the right angle…I’m on the cool side, the lee of the negligible breeze…I could right a parody of that Cat Stevens song “Moonshadow” called “Rainshadow…”

(I do, in fact, write a parody)

Wow. I have this whole mountain to myself! Just wow. I bet that’s how that kid who died last night felt…

I should email my boss…

I should look over my investment options while I have money…

Do I take that apartment or continue to stay with family when I’m here for free…space or money…peace or convenience…

Am I doing what’s best for my child…am I doing what’s best for me….how mutually exclusive are those things?

Maybe I should just get an RV…or wait till after the holidays…

Maybe I should quit ignoring my slightly injured leg…maybe the pain will go away if I keep ignoring it…

I was supposed to call multiple doctors today and research new insurance plans. I can do that when I’m-

Suddenly I’m 3 miles up the  mountain, sort of accidentally, and realize the next 3 are all downhill, and that my 5 miles turned into a 10K and I don’t care what Strava says, there is no way this is not my best 10K ever. And up (and down) a mountain at that. I hate hills. I loathe hills on the road but I suddenly realize my love of mountains overpowers this loathing by far. I suddenly realize I want to run on mountains all the time.

When I check Strava later I have 7 accomplishments including my best 5 mile ever and I could have opened my stride and drastically improved my split time on the downhill stretch but who cares? That was my reward. I pushed myself up and enjoyed the ride down, and still did great, still a few personal records only worth mentioning to other avid runners. And, it’s the longest I’ve run since my half marathon almost 3 months ago right before my “injury.” It’s only 6 miles, but it’s good to be back.

I sit in my car after my cool down, waiting for the endorphin rush to subside a little because it actually makes me feel like I’m in no shape to drive. Is this that lactic acid crash I hear so much about? I think you’re supposed to do something about that, but I never do. It feels awesome. It’s like what I imagine a morphine drip with a hint of psychedelic mushrooms might be. I wonder why anyone ever does drugs. This is so much better.

Suddenly it’s 3:50 and by the time I get anywhere it will be too late to do anything on my list. Maybe an email, maybe a phone call. I was supposed to meet someone, sort of, at some point…

Instead I get coffee and sit down to write. And then it starts pouring outside. I have hated driving in the rain ever since that first accident I had at 16. I still never trust tires and brakes on wet pavement, especially with leaves. Those conditions are meant for pedestrian traffic. Languid walks in the rain alone or with an adventurous loved one, or emotionally driven, angsty, cathartic, empowering bursts of athleticism. So I grab an everything bagel with egg and cheese and head home.

I have so many things to do. So many things. I just spent 5 months far, far away. 6 days a week, 11 hours a day at work; an endless repeat of days in which I attempt to accomplish  the same set of tasks over and over till I finally, one day, manage to get them all done and done right. I have been living the movie “Groundhog Day.”

I have people to see. So much time to spend with people I’ve left, and the few I ever really miss. I have a matter of days to coldly pencil them all in. But I need time with me. I have missed me most of all.

I need silence I haven’t had in months. I need a whole mountain to myself. So what do I do today? Nothing. Nothing at all, except for 6.2 miles.

 

me on beachMy name is Maggie, I’m from Chattanooga, TN, and I’m an archaeologist. I travel about 9 months out of the year for work. I started running in November 2013 because I wanted to be able to get a good workout wherever I am, despite money or access to a hotel gym. My work is physically strenuous but the schedule is unreliable, and I was determined to stay in shape between projects. I couldn’t run 100 yards at when I started running, but I soon fell in love. I have now completed 2 half marathons, and have a strenuous 15 mile trail race planned this weekend. My goal to run ultras and beyond, and particularly love tackling mountains.

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Every Mile Matters

By Moon Joggers | Published: February 18, 2015

Every Mile Matters
by Iva Haines

ThisTime

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Every Mile Matters

By Moon Joggers | Published: February 11, 2015

EVERY MILE MATTERS
by Angie Webb

As a child I loved to run, but I hated running.  Give me a basketball or soccer ball and I could run for hours.  Tell me to go and run a mile and I wouldn’t do it.  In Junior High School I played on the basketball, soccer and softball teams.  I dominated dodgeball and flag football in P.E.  It was Wednesdays that I dreaded most: the day of the “FUN” run.

On Those days I did not want to dress down and wished I had the guts to cut class.  I could not see the “FUN” in running a  mile and a half.  Why in the world would someone run when there was no one chasing you down the field to steal the ball from you or sprinting down the court to score a fast break layup?  In my mind, the only purpose for running was when you were playing sports. That’s it.

Angie

My Favorite Running Photo

I reminded myself of this every Wednesday as I slowly got dressed into my P.E. clothes and slugglishly walked out to the track.  My “FUN” run consisted of hanging out with the other girls at the back of the pack, complaining about having to do a stupid mile and a half, and trying to get away with as little running as possible.  Needless to say, my “FUN” runs were usually more of a “FUN” walk, with a small bit of running whenever Coach Bitton blew her whistle and told us to get moving.

My high school days were not much different.  I played varsity basketball and soccer, and to me, running was a punishment.  It was something we had to do when someone missed a free throw in practice or when our soccer coach would get frustrated and send us off on a mile run.  My teammates and I did whatever we could to get out of running in our strength and conditioning class, which was taught by Coach Morgan, the football coach.  When he wasn’t looking, we’d take turns hiding, or we’d bribe him with donuts to get out of running laps.  Fortunately, the donuts usually did the trick.

It wasn’t until I moved away to college that I decided to give this whole running thing a try.  I went down to St. George with my parents to watch my mom run the St. George Marathon.  It was the first time I’d ever witnessed anything like that.  I stood in awe as I watched people, both young and old, run the final 300 yards of a 26.2 mile run and I was overcome with emotion.  I cried as I watched a little boy run out and run the final 100 feet, hand in hand, with his mom.  I clapped for the older man that came limping in, but determined to cross that finish line.

Then there was my mom, a 49-year-old mother of eight children, running the final stretch.  I could see the pain in her face as she struggled towards the finish, but she smiled as she completed her marathon.  In that moment I caught the bug.  Or should I say, the bug caught me.  It bit me so hard and all I could think about was crossing that finish line.

I moved back to my home state of Utah to finish my degree at the University of Utah. It was during this time that I fell in love with running.  I registered for the St. George Marathon and when I found out that I got in then the serious training began.  I had only run in one event before and it was a small 5K in Anchorage, Alaska.  The thought of running 26.2 miles was overwhelming, but once again, the thought of crossing the finish line pushed me forward.My second semester of college I signed up for a 6:00am running class.  Don’t ask me what I was thinking signing up for such an early class, but I did it and I never missed.  I wish I could say I fell in love with running right from the start, but that would be a lie.  It was hard.  I wanted to quit. I wanted to walk, and a few times I did. An added bonus is that I attended my first few semesters of college in Hawaii and I loved running on the beach.  My friend, Anjanelle, and I would go for a run and then jump in the ocean for a refreshing swim.  During that time I caught small glimpses of how “FUN” running could be and how good it made me feel.

During one of my training runs I discovered the runner’s high.  It was a clear, sunny morning filled with bright blue sky.  The trees lining the roads were covered in fresh snow that had fallen the night before.  I took off for a five mile run through my sleepy little neighborhood.  As I ran, water dripped onto the street as the snow started to melt from the branches and I felt so alive. I felt like I could run forever and I did not want to stop.  My whole body felt awake, alert and so very strong. Whenever I ran I craved to have that feeling, and although it didn’t always happen, I loved how good running made me feel – physically, mentally and emotionally.

Running the St. George Marathon was an amazing experience for me.  My mom also ran it that year and it was fun to share the experience with the person that inspired me to do it in the first place.  There were 7,000 runners and I loved being part of the crowd and the excitement at the starting line.  For the first mile I listened as thousands of feet hit the pavement. I’ll never forget that.  I felt so connected as my own feet joined in the rumbling chorus.

I wish I could say that the run was easy.  It was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and there were a couple of times I was ready to call it quits.  The finish line seemed to be thousands of miles away.  But I kept putting one foot in front of the other and eventually the end was in sight.  With about 200 yards left I was slowly dragging my aching legs towards the finish line when an older man came to my side and said, “You’re not going to let a 60 year old man beat you to the finish line are you?”  He had a huge grin on his face and started running fast, nearly sprinting, as he pulled ahead of me.  In that moment I forgot about the pain and I pulled every ounce of energy I had left, and began to sprint.  I crossed that finish line neck and neck with that man and then he gave me a smile and was gone.

10399756_309564675432_7619206_n

Standing at the finish of the St George Marathon

I had completed a marathon.  My whole body was sore and my legs felt like jelly when I finished, but I did finish.  That day I realized that I can do anything.  My body is strong and my feet will carry my wherever I ask them to go.  Later that day I lost a toenail and for two weeks my legs hurt so bad.  Walking up stairs or sitting down on the toilet was excruciating, but it was all worth it.  Soon enough my body healed and I was out running again. In the next few years I ran several half marathons and went through phases where I ran and where I didn’t run.  It was a beautiful love-hate relationship.  And through it all I can see how important each and every mile is, especially those miles that carried me to the starting line of my first marathon.

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Angie Webb, Connecting, Don't Give Up, every mile matters, Found Myself Running, Guest Post, having fun running, Jogging, Lessons learned from running, Marathon Runner, marathon running, Moon Joggers, motivation, online running group, Places to Run, Run for Life, Running, running for health | Comments closed

Every Mile Matters

By Moon Joggers | Published: February 4, 2015

EVERY MILE MATTERS
by Perry Newburn

When I put my hand up to write this I thought “this should be straight forward,” but the more I thought about it – yes dangerous this thinking lark – the harder it became. So where to start?

I’ve written about my battles with addiction in the past but this point really stands out. What was a huge factor in helping me overcome the “ battle”? It was of course exercise. I started to run again, play sport, and generally started to crawl my way back into the land of living. I didn’t realize it at the time – I certainly do now – but the effect any form of exercise has, in a positive way, on peoples mental wellness is huge. After a bad day at work, on the home front, if there is a chance to go for a walk, bike or run take it as a lot (well most) of the perceived problems just seem to fade away. I remember talking to a running mate once and he explained that on getting home after “ 1 of those days “ his wife wanted to sit down and catch up on the day. He stated he would like to go for a run first of which she agreed. On arriving back he stated he was in a much better frame of mind and thoroughly enjoyed the “ togetherness” time.

Hence why I have a huge advocate for the positive effect that any form of exercise has on peoples mental wellness. On my run around NZ (5000 km in 70 days) where I was running for the Mental Health Foundation of NZ I also used the opportunity to advocate for this as much as possible. So yes miles do matter when it comes to people’s mental wellness.

Let’s fast forward in time to when I joined the Moon Joggers at the start of 2013. I had just come off my NZ run a couple of months prior and had set a goal of running around our Lake Taupo (a distance of 155 km’s), not just once but twice so I needed to keep the mileage up with a balance between recovery and training – yes every mile matters. Also I had never kept a tally of how many miles/km’s I ran each week so I also set a goal of running 100 miles per week for the year. The support of this group has been huge in helping me meet targets, set goals that are at least close to being achievable plus above all else – TO HAVE FUN. Just a point here – I believe setting goals are so important as they are something to strive towards but at the end of the day if they are not reached (and there are often lots of reasons why ) we learn from them and gain immensely in the process. So yes with setting goals and then looking at what sort of training is necessary every mile matters to help you get there.

At about this time I set the goal of Running Across America in the shortest time possible so again every mile that was gained in the training process (18 months and approximately 12000 miles) to help me achieve this mattered.

On arriving back from the states I found out that I had a nasty little virus and am on 24 weeks of a nasty combination of medications of which I am now about half way through. So for me, again, every mile matters and it pretty well reverts back to why I originally got back into running – yes my mental wellness. Initially I thought I would be lucky to get 2-300 miles per month but actually managed 425 miles in January- yes my stubbornness does help!!! My regime at present is: 6am – 8 km mainly walk which helps immensely in clearing the brain fogginess and tiredness out of the body; 1030am – approximately a 15 km mainly run. Weekends I am now managing a longer run of approximately 30 km’s. So again every mile does matter as it is helping me keep a balance – mentally – on things. The beauty is – all going well – I will be back much stronger and with a lot more energy.

So everyone, keep enjoying your exercise, keep having fun and above all else look after yourselves.

YES EVERY MILE MATTERS.

The Real Forrest Gump

Find out more about Perry Newburn and his epic RUN ACROSS AMERICA here.

 

*If you have not signed up to join Moon Joggers on their current mission: MEET ME ON MARS 2015 (one of the paid registration options) do so now and you’ll be able to save 25% on our virtual races in 2015! Sign up NOW! (Use code SAVE10 to save $10 on Meet Me on Mars)

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Every Mile Matters

By Moon Joggers | Published: January 28, 2015

Every Mile Matters
by Marie Smith

Every mile matters,
but it isn’t just about how far you go.
The journey is an experience,
With each foot-fall you throw 

Be it a run, jog or walk,
you’ve taken that step to go
Relish the sights and sounds,
You’d otherwise not get to know.

 Sun rise, or sun-set,
In wind, rain or snow.
A mile is just a measure,
It’s the experience that makes you grow. 

Enjoy the music of your feet,
that hit upon the ground.
Discovering not only the hidden world around you,
but also that there is a little part of yourself to be found.  

marie smith

Marie Smith is one of our Moon Joggers and our January virtual race this year is dedicated to her: M’s RUN: Klingons Against Cancer 5K.  Read her story below.

Hi, I’m M. At the beginning of 2014 the world was at my feet. My family had recently moved from the UK to NewZealand in the August of 2013 and we were looking forward to all the adventures our new home  had to offer, swimming with dolphins, staying overnight in a penguin colony, tramping around Arthur’s Pass, endless adventures and once in a life-time opportunities.

Then the bottom dropped out of our world in the March of 2014, biopsies from an endoscopy undertaken for chest pain revealed I had stomach cancer and a pretty aggressive kind. There was little option open to me, chemotherapy, followed by stomach removal and then more chemotherapy. We were all on shock, I was 37, extremely fit having only just left the British Army and being Vegan ate all the right foods. But there was little time to dwell as I had to go back into hospital for further biopsies to confirm how much of the stomach was affected and then straight into chemotherapy. Unfortunately the chemo regime didn’t agree and so on June 3rd I returned to hospital where they removed 90% of  my stomach.

As soon as I woke I was determined to get back on my feet, this wasn’t going to defeat me and the family and I will soon be out undertaking those new adventures. On day one I started walking and with the motivation of Moonjoggers behind me I was soon doing several laps of the ward. I spent just under a week in hospital and then, six weeks after the operation I was back on chemotherapy, all be it a different regime. I’ve had two cycles so far and at present have one more cycle (two sessions) to go.

Tests undertaken on my removed stomach revelled it had penetrated to the stomach wall but they couldn’t see it anywhere else in the body. I know now my life will involve many hospital checks but am determined to life and enjoy every moment. I have a wonderful wife, Angie and four beautiful children. Life is too short for regrets, yes I have cancer but that hasn’t stopped me, in fact it makes you appreciate life more. One thing I will say though, never put of that visit to the Doctor. Stomach cancer is normally diagnosed too late and often presents as chest pain. I was lucky, mine was caught early, but it’s not often the case. Beware those silent killers.

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EVERY MILE MATTERS

By Moon Joggers | Published: January 21, 2015

**If you are a paid Meet Me On Mars 2015 participant you should have received an email with a discount code to use on all of our virtual races this year to save 25% on each race. If you have not received that code email us at moonjoggers@gmail.com.  If  you have not signed up for MEET ME ON MARS 2015 (one of the paid registration options) do so now and you’ll be able to save 25% on our virtual races in 2015! Sign up NOW! (Use code SAVE10 to save $10 on Meet Me on Mars)

 

Posted in Connecting, every mile matters, Guest Post, having fun running, jaclyn williams, Jogging, Lessons learned from running, Miles to Go, Moon Joggers, motivation, online running group, Running | Comments closed

Every Mile Matters

By Moon Joggers | Published: January 14, 2015

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**   If  you have not signed up for MEET ME ON MARS 2015  do so now and you’ll be able to save 25% on our virtual races in 2015! Sign up NOW! (Use code SAVE10 to save $10 on Meet Me on Mars)

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Are You Ready?

By Moon Joggers | Published: January 5, 2015

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3-2-1 BLAST OFF!

By Moon Joggers | Published: December 31, 2014

Posted in Angie Webb, Connecting, every mile matters, Half Marathon Training, having fun running, Jogging, Lessons learned from running, marathon running, Moon Joggers, motivation, Running, Running for Charity, running for health | Comments closed

EVERY MILE MATTERS

By Moon Joggers | Published: December 11, 2014

SHARE YOUR CREATIVITY WITH US!

As we begin our 2015 mission: MEET ME ON MARS, our theme for the year is going to be EVERY MILE MATTERS!  As part of this theme, we are asking YOU to share with us what that means to you.  As you are out running, jogging, walking, biking, swimming, etc  what does every mile matter to you?

As you answer this question we ask you to write an article, a story, a poem, draw a picture or anything else that represents what this phrase means to you along your journey.  Every Wednesday, right here on our website, we will publish an EVERY MILE MATTERS article that has been shared by one of our very own Moon Joggers.  Please be one that shares with us.  We’re all here to support and motivate one another and somewhere out there your words, or drawings, will help inspire someone else.

Directions:

1.  Write your article.  We prefer something from 500 to 15oo words.  If its more we’ll accept it as long as its worth the extra reading.  Or draw your picture or write your poem.

2.  Include a small biography of yourself: who you are, where you’re from, what you do for a living, why you started running, how long you’ve been running and/or anything else you’d like to share.  Also, please include a photo of yourself that we can add to your article when we publish it (this is optional, but photos are always great!).

3.  Email your article/drawing to moonjoggers@gmail.com

4.  We’ll let you know when your article will be posted!

If you have questions, please email me, ANGIE, at moonjoggers@gmail.com.

THANK YOU!

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