Slow Down.......

Yes, I know that is something you don't usually hear from a runner, especially one who is trying to get her speed up.

This morning was quite the morning!  You know what they say about the best laid plans.....

I had a plan.  Take Tracy to work then go run 6 miles along the unpaved section of the Greenbelt off of Eagle Rd then head home to shower/change before heading to my Weight Watchers meeting.   Just as we were about to leave the house, Tracy started getting emergency texts from work.  This required that we hang out at home while he fixed some issues at work before we even left the house.  This put me an hour behind my schedule.   Just in case I ran out of time,  I went and grabbed an extra shirt and extra jacket to change into for my meeting.   Finally, we were able to leave, but I saw the time.  I'm very glad I grabbed the extra clothes!

On my training schedule, today was 6 miles on flats with my 5:1 timing.  I had just killed my legs last night in a tough 5 mile run so my body was not very happy about today's running.  It was a hard day today.  I was beginning to get discouraged, but then I just had to chalk the day up to a slow running day and not quitting (even though I had all these excuses...like getting to my meeting on time...to quit.)  Instead, I just kept plugging along. I needed to get my 6 miles in, regardless of time.  So I just switched my attitude and kept on going and enjoyed the leaves falling on my head.  As soon as I allowed myself to slow down and enjoy the run/walk, things went much better!

What I found while running today was so much love!  There was so much of it, it was falling from the skies and piling up on the trails!

I finished my run just in time to rush off to Weight Watchers, throw on a tshirt over my base layer, get weighed in and only be 2 minutes late to the meeting!  Whew!  Thank god there were no cops doing speed checks along the roads!

In the meeting I found out that this month's focus is to SLOW DOWN!  Put our forks down and sip water between bites.  But this can be taken even further.  As my leader says, "Slow down between bites of life!"  We do not have to go at break neck speeds all of the time.  This is true for everything we do in life (including running).

The holidays are upon us and with all of the parties,  shopping, working, kids school holiday performances, and just general life, things can get very busy.  It would behoove us to slow down.  Take a moment to take some deep breaths.  Don't lose sight of the things that are important in life.  Remember to take time to take care of ourselves.  Eat right.  Get some exercise.  Do things that make us smile and help us relax.  Instead of having a short temper when a car cuts you off on the high way, give that person a break; you have no idea what that person is going through.  Be patient. Be reflective.  Take it easy and just slow down a bit.

Here's to a peaceful holiday season and taking time to smell the Christmas trees :)