Category Archives: the list

running…

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First of all, I think you should all be impressed because I ran nine miles today. That’s right, nine! Okay, well, to be totally honest I ran 7.5 and walked 1.5. Last week I ran the full eight, but this week I didn’t quite do that, although even with walking, my average pace was pretty good…I love my iPod and Nike+…fabulous purchases. In any case, it felt good.

So, I love this new running thing. Who knew it would be so great? (Actually, I did run for a while in college, but it was all about losing weight and I hated it.) I went to lunch with my friend, Allison, today and she happens to be quite the runner. When I met her as a new roommate around seven years ago, she wasn’t a runner. I don’t remember when it started, but I do remember that it started with her training for the St. George Marathon and a runner was born. When she came to visit me in Hawaii, she got up early on Saturday to run the 14 miles she needed to run as part of training (for her fourth or fifth marathon). I remember thinking that she was crazy. But now, as I am training for the Canyonlands Half-Marathon, I’m starting to understand. It is totally addictive and I am loving it. I love that, because of this goal, I workout everyday and rather than being super concerned about what I look like, I’m more concerned about training results. I lift weights because I know that stronger muscles mean better, faster runs. I love that I’m motivated to eat healthy food because I know that shedding some weight will help my knees.

I’m starting to understand people who don’t feel like their day is complete without a run…granted, in training, running every day is not the ideal, so I’m following a training schedule…but I’m starting to feel that way. There’s something very therapeutic about it. And the best part is all I need to do it are a pair of running shoes and workout clothes…and an iPod. Apple should be paying me for the marketing I do for them. 🙂

And next week, I’m up to ten miles…hopefully this week will be a great training week and I’ll be able to run all ten miles. I’m already looking forward to it!

mistakes

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It’s sometimes easy to look at our past and ask “Why me?” For those of us who had the opportunity to hear Elder Wirthlin speak this Sunday, the question we should always ask is, “What next?” So, what’s next for me after the last eight months of mistakes…moving forward. I am learning from the mistakes I made and going on to live a better life. I am free. I have my whole life in front of me and I can choose to make it exactly what I want it to be.

I have so many dreams. I want to travel and see the world, not that I haven’t, but I want to see more. I want to go back to school to prove to myself that I can get through a master’s program with good grades and find a great job where I feel challenged and successful regularly. I want to learn to play an instrument. I want to SCUBA in the Galapagos and hike Mt. Kilimanjaro. Most importantly, I want to do what God wants me to do and become what He sees me becoming. What and who that is, I am discovering a little piece at a time.

What I love is that I’m done asking “Why me?” and “How could I have been so (fill in any negative adjective you like)?” and I am moving forward with, “What now?” Yes, I have made mistakes. We have all made mistakes. I am choosing to move on.