Lazy W Marie

Carpeing all the diems in semi-rural Oklahoma...xoxo

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Safety From Storms, Prayers for Boston

   In the immediate wake of Monday’s horrific events in Boston, I have wanted to reach out and say something poignant, or at least something soothing, or just anything useful at all. But nothing I can summon from the nauseated pit in my stomach has seemed adequate. The news of the violence at the Boston marathon affected me physically, as I know it did many others. We are all intrinsically connected in a million wonderful ways; how can we not feel the this pain?

   Where I have failed to write productively, my dear friend Margi has crafted a beautiful piece that I hope you take a few minutes to read. I am so happy to know that she is okay.

   Anyway, as I said, for the last two days forming sentences that might help has been a futile venture. All I can do is channel my energy back into life. Block out darkness as much as I can and water deeply the roots of nourishing things. Romance. Friendship. Gardens. Love. Literature. Health. Art. Prayer. These things matter, and feeding them makes such a difference. They cushion us against destruction and devastation.

  Storm clouds are gathering here at the farm as I type this. We are told to expect giant hail, thunderstorms, and tornadoes again today. Already the air is a brackish mix of warm and cool, moist and windy. Not unlike the world, our weather threatens to crush us over and over again.

   But we will be okay. Light drives out darkness. And storms pass.

   Here in Oklahoma we all still have fresh memories of the Murrah Building Bombing, which unbelievably happened eighteen years ago this Friday. (I was pregnant with my firstborn that spring, which also does not feel like eighteen years ago…) The commemorative Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is right around the corner. So along with thousands of other people I am preparing for that. And every mile I grab this month is dedicated to Boston. If ever a run could be meditative and prayerful, it’s right now. To the city of Boston, I am praying for your comfort, provision, safety, calmness, healing, and future happiness.

   If you cannot eliminate grief, then increase your joy. That’s all I can do. And it does help.

xoxoxo
 

   

Commencing Training

   Oh my goodness, friends… After joking and dreaming about the possibilities of it for a few months, today I step boldly and sweatily into the half-marathon training program for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon later this Spring. Between now and April 28, my goals are twofold:

  • To be conditioned to run 13.1 miles at a reasonable pace.
  • To do so in front of lots of other human beings without having a nervous breakdown.

   I am more optimistic about the first half of this venture than the second. Of course, losing a little curvy padding around my posterior would not hurt my feelings one bit. I won’t lie, “skinny” is always on my radar. And running just a few times a week has made a nice difference there and all through my life.

   But the good news in the vanity department is that by making running a true habit, a regular fixture in my life, being skinny has taken a back seat. No pun intended. hahaha

   The more I run, the better I feel instantly. And the less junk my body craves. And the more water I tend to drink. So, the more I run, the more I tend to slim down, naturally. It’s all part of my word for this year, STRENGTH.

    Anyway, the program includes more than running. Twice a week I am supposed to incorporate strength training and stretching, which I’ll interpret as either yoga or Pilates. These are on Mondays and Saturdays, so today I have a date with Jillian Michaels.

   On running days, though, my dusty, sticker-ridden shoes will be tromping around the back field here at the farm, negotiating hills and tree roots, eluding a snotty llama, and keeping beat with a slew of late 90’s rappers.

   Have you started a New Year fitness regimine? Would you like to join me in this perfectly realistic schedule? If you’re local, would you like to do some running around a lake or park soon?

   One final thought before I close up and head outside for an amazing Springlike day in Oklahoma… Edie at {lifeingrace} said this last year of fitness… That it is an excellent servant but a terrible master. I could not agree more. Whatever you do for your body, let it be something that serves you rather than something to which you become a slave yourself. Amen.

   Okay, see you around! I have a 70-degree day to soak up!

“There is a necessity for a regulating discipline of exercise that,
whilst evoking the human energies,
will not suffer them to be wasted.”
~Thomas de Quincey
xoxoxo

You Might Be a Runner If…

… you go for a relaxing pedicure with your girlfriend and select a nail polish color that exactly matches your blackened toe nails. All the while, you resist apologizing to your manicurist for the condition of your feet and in fact manage to spark two and a half ounces of pride over their recent destruction.

… you look up one day and suddenly realize that you care more about the numbers on your mileage sheet than the number on your scale.

Seriously, folks, that second one feels incredibly good.

…  your husband slightly cringes when someone else broaches the topic of running in a group conversation. Because he knows you won’t be able to be quiet. And he’s pretty much heard it all already. (Sorry babe…)

… you sleep better at night after enjoying a run longer than three miles. In fact, you can’t sleep at all on the days you skip.

…you have more stamina to work after a good, strong run.

The energy relationships in the human body are fascinating.

… you can no longer wear yoga capris to relax around the house because they trigger something in your legs that makes them bounce frantically until you lace up.

…when clothes shopping you are more likely to browse racer back tanks and lined shorts than jeans and shoes. Unless they are running shoes.

http://www.hillsandhammies.com/

   So have you started yet? If you’re local, would you like to schedule a long run with me soon? I am focused on being ready for the Oklahoma City Memorial (half) Marathon by next April, and the holiday season seems like an excellent time to burn a few extra calories. Hit me up!

   However you stay healthy and happy, keep it up. It’s worth it.

“He conquers who endures.”
~Persius
xoxoxoxo

Three Things for Tuesday Night

   Hello there you fine citizens! 
I need to take a one-day hiatus from the Proverbs 31 project
in order to touch on a couple of things. 

   Item #1: Our llama adoption is proving to be quite the memory maker. Since Sunday afternoon when he arrived, we have witnessed a steady stream of four-legged drama. All is well, really; we have neither injury nor illness to report. It’s just that the llama is a whole lot more interested in buddying up with Daphne, our moody mare, than she is interested in even being in the same field as him.
   She runs and snorts and screams and then runs some more, and he just stares at her and gives a little chase now and then. It’s not a menacing stare exactly, but I’ll admit it’s unnerving. If a strange man stared at me like that I’d have to get all Charlie’s Angels about it.

   And Chanta, the alpha horse, continues to be annoyed by the whole situation. He has capitalized on the conflict by simply eating everyone’s sweet grain each morning. You might say he’s an emotional eater.

   The normally wide-range geese are steering clear of all this west-end commotion, barely venturing past the Talking Tree in fact. And it is just a matter of time, folks, before our little buffalo Chunk-Hi feels an urge to socialize that is stronger than the gate holding him in the front field. Eventually he will catch a good, solid glimpse of this loping, table-backed creature and not be able to contain his joy. I rue that future day, Sirs, I rue that day.

   The other thing about this llama is that I have never in my life had so much trouble naming an animal. The flurry of brainstorming with my friends, though, has been endlessly entertaining. I have boiled and reduced the options into categories, and perhaps tomorrow I’ll finally decide. It’s not like he answers my call yet anyway.
   Item #2: I ran my first 5K this past weekend! It was a crazy fun event in Guthrie, Oklahoma, called the Zombie Bolt. I ran it with my friend Trisha, and Handsome accompanied us in our recently dolled up Ford farm truck, now affectionately known as the Zombie Hunter. I can barely tell you in a short paragraph how much fun this was! We laughed almost constantly and made a thousand fun memories more or less evading really aggressive zombies. As for the running part, I am definitely hooked and plan to train for some competitive races this coming year.
Here’s a riddle for you:
Q. How did you know when someone has run a marathon?
A. Oh, don’t worry. They’ll tell you.
   

   Item #3: Please make a point to click back over here tomorrow for an incredibly well written guest post on the whole chapter of Proverbs 31. My guest is Suzanne from over at Periphery, and she flat out honors me with her virtual visit to the Lazy W. Please click here for a link to the first post of hers I ever read, “In This Economy.” You will understand how her deep-seated optimism, blooming warmth, and intelligence captivated me from the get-go. She writes fluidly and as though you are following her through a deep, complex maze that is both padded and fragranced but also plenty challenging.
   Please do check in tomorrow. And give yourself the gift of a quiet room and a cup of something steaming and delicious for when you read what she has to share. I have already read it four times, and I am in love all over again.

   Okay, sweet dreams everyone! Thanks so much for reading! Hope to see you tomorrow for a delicious spin on Proverbs 31.

“If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams 
and you will always look lovely.”
~Roald Dahl
xoxoxoxo

The More I Run…

  • …the longer I can run at once. Back in June, I couldn’t even complete a quarter of a mile without stopping to catch my wheezy breath and lean forward to not pass out. Now on a good day I can run a solid five miles without stopping. On a bad day, I still run two miles easily. I look forward to the day when a five mile run is short for me and a half marathon is on the horizon.
  • …the better I can breathe in general.
  • ...the stronger my tummy feels. I am shocked by how much secondary conditioning you grab without even meaning to! 
  • …the longer my legs look.
  • …the happier I am on a daily basis. After running, on sad days I feel more settled and centered and on already great days I feel downright jubilant!
  • …the clearer my thoughts are. Mostly. (It is still me, after all.)
  • …the less I feel bloated, which feels GREAT, so the less I drink soda to ruin that feeling. Since the only soda I drink is Diet Coke, drinking less is a huge benefit to me in the long run.
  • …the more I drink cold, clear, ice-less water. Like, by the QUART. All day long.
  • ...the more often I brush my teeth throughout the day. Not sure why this happens, maybe because of the water guzzling? I like the feeling of a super clean mouth?
  • …the less I crave sweets, including “filler” type breads and potatoes.
  • …and the more I crave veggies.
  • …the looser my jeans and yoga pants fit. Even wet or straight out of the dryer. This has been a terribly slow progression, but a progression nonetheless. 
  • …the more I enjoy Pilates or yoga, maybe because I am all warmed up? Or because I know I am doing something to compliment the run? Not sure, but it’s a clear benefit. The more I run, the stronger I am. Period. 
  • …the better I am able to work efficiently around the farm. Running actually increases my energy, which is a very good thing.
  • …the more I feel inspired to tackle other projects. Both mental and physical challenges are way more easily met.
  • ...the better I understand my husband. Why? Not because he’s a runner (he certainly is not and makes no apologies for this), but because while running I tend to listen to a lot of white-boy rap, his soundtrack of choice during high school, when we didn’t know each other. Also, now I finally know ALL of the lyrics to Teach Me How to Dougie. Bring on the karaoke.
  • …the closer I feel to the youngsters who have inspired me (my own beautiful Jocelyn and my two handsome nephews, Dante, and Matt…) I am beginning to understand why teenagers love their Cross Country teams so much. 
  • ...the better my skin looks, more or less. I wear sunscreen at the farm, even when it’s cool out, but I think that better circulation gives me the appearance of sunshine. LOL
  • …the more cuddly our two biggest horse become. I mean, Chanta is always a lover, but Daphne, my moody mare, seems to tolerate me more since I have been using her back field for these half-hour adventures in sweat. I am guessing she likes that seeing me outside does not always equal me demanding something of her. Fair enough.