Vegan 2017 Documentary....please watch.....get educated.

https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/pbn-releases-vegan-2017-film

Mary Oliver, still my favorite poet.

Fit is not a destination. It's a way of life.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself

Ya gotta love puns.

Begin to be now what you will be hereafter.----William James

     I don't imagine my kids remember this, but it was the first poem we taught them after they learned the "Twinkle twinkle little star" song as toddlers, and we would recite it every night.  It brings back such nice memories.

"Star light, star bright,"

BY ANONYMOUS

Star light, star bright, 

First star I see tonight, 

I wish I may, I wish I might, 

Have this wish I wish tonight.

                                    (must go to blog to play YouTube video)

                                     (I'm an unashamed lover of musicals)

     Motivational Monday:

 “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

– Confucious

So true!

Every day I rise from the ashes.

     These words of wisdom are from the following link titled "I'll never be good at running, but I'm sticking to it."

“Kid, if you only do the things you’re the best at, you’ll never do much. You won’t see much, you won’t know much, you won’t laugh much. Doing, seeing, knowing, laughing—these are the things that make a life. If you only aim to be the best, you may one day succeed in that, but you will likely have failed at everything else.”

https://www.runnersworld.com/human-race/sticking-to-it

"You'd think that they would hear the voices of the American people, but it's hard when your ears are stuffed with money from your donors." Elizabeth Warren on the GOP tax plan

Love is what you've been through with somebody.-----James Thurber

I love this quote!   Love=your history together.

I tried a free 45 min. spin class last Sunday

     That's me, back row on left.  My legs are still tired 2 days later despite not working as hard as the leader would have us do!  I sweated buckets. I obviously need some type of cross-training.

Loved this movie

Quote of the week:

"Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in."
(Hub [Robert Duvall] in the movie Secondhand Lions)

Strength training can add years to your life

https://www.runnersworld.com/strength-training/strength-training-adds-years-to-your-life

     This is good to know, but I sure do hate it......  pushups, situps, planks, and squats.

Just living is not enough...one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower-------Hans Christian Andersen

     It was a gorgeous autumn day today.  I was out enjoying the nature.

Front yard

My dog and I tried to sneak by this guy in my neighbor's back yard.  Looking fierce!

Day is done, Gone the sun,
From the lake, From the hill,
From the sky.
All is well, Safely rest,
God is nigh.

Go to sleep, Peaceful sleep,
May the Soldier or Sailor,
God keep.
On the land or the deep,
Safe in sleep.

If you don't have a seat at the table, you're probably on the menu.-----Sen. Elizaabeth Warren

     No representation of women or minorities of any kind.....just a room full of fat old white billionaires on the take from their rich donors trying to fatten their own wallets.  This is where America has fallen.

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” – Abraham Lincoln

(An oldie but a goodie)

Fox

     Here is a wily fox teasing my dog while surrounded by magpies and trying to eat a rabbit.  Reality TV at its finest for my Charleigh-girl.

"Remember, the mind is your best muscle. Big arms can move rocks, but big words can move mountains.” – Rocky Balboa

    This quote is going out to all kids.  Study hard.  Move mountains.

     A friend and her son are doing the Rocky Balboa run in Philly this Saturday.  They are huge Rocky fans.  She has been sharing Rocky quotes all week.  So excited for them.

P.S. to Rim Rock, Action (?) shot

Jen and I chatting away oblivious to camera-person.

     All race proceeds go to Colorado Mesa Univ. providing athletic scholarships.  All of the volunteers were college students, which was cool.

Quote of the day....

Many a trip continues long after movement in time and space have ceased.
                              John Steinbeck

    This quote really caught my attention this morning.  It is one to contemplate and has so many levels, don't you think?

Mental musings

     I reread "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall a few weeks ago.  I love and believe the above quote.  Watching the NYC marathon Sunday, or standing at the starting line with hundreds or thousands of other people, and then watching all the runners being cheered on as they finish even many hours later, you feel this.  Except for the elite professionals actually vying for prize money, the rest of us are there to compete only with ourselves, and to be with each other....our tribe.
     I watched the very last NYC Marathon runners finishing in the rain, in the dark, hours after the start, and there were still a small crowd of people there to cheer them in.  Talk about inspiring!! I can't find the quote right now, but John "The Penguin" Bingham ("The Courage to Start") referred to when, in his first race, people cheered for him, and he cried because in real life, that doesn't happen.
   

“The only opponent you have to beat is yourself, the way you used to be.” ― Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

     Watch this clip if you can without crying.  I'm not crying, you're crying. Last but not least.
https://www.nytimes.com/video/sports/100000005536980/last-but-not-least-at-the-new-york-marathon.html?smid=fb-share

“If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting the rest of our lives.” – Lemony Snicket

     It's nice to be home, even though I had a great couple of days in Western Colorado with friends.  I picked up my insane dog from the kennel yesterday morning.  I missed her imperfectness.  We must have complementary craziness, because she missed me, too.  It's nice having a dog follow me wherever I go, and curl up at my feet.

A new week

Yesterday's Rim Rock Half.....beautiful, and a learning experience.

Pre race, in Fruita, CO gym getting instructions

At race start after a long bus ride to the top of the Monument

The views the entire run through the Monument, that's me with orange jacket

More scenery. It distracts your mind from running

     The running part of the race went great for me....till about mile 9.  I started looking for a bathroom after mile 8 and started walking at mile 9....... There were none!!!  How can that be?? No bathrooms in the last half of a race?? I ended up walking until we got back into the town of Fruita and I found an open business I could stop at.  (You can tell from the pictures that the scenery is beautiful, but the scant shrubbery would provide little cover). My time was 2 hours 55 min., still good, but could have been a personal best had I not had to walk for 4 of the 13 miles.  A learning experience for sure.....no breakfast prior to a race for me after this. It is one of those funny life events, miserable at the time but turned out okay.

     Next year.   There is always next year.

     I am watching the NY City marathon today.
     I'll never get through their lottery to run it but enjoy watching.

     Watching Shalane Flanagan win NYC, and Meb complete his 26th and final marathon at NYC was amazing....tears.

This is my problem......

We are only a moment. Make that moment awesome.

     I am heading to Grand Junction/Fruita Colorado later today with 2 friends for tomorrow's Rim Rock Half marathon at the Colorado National Monument.  There is a 30 % chance of rain tomorrow, so fingers crossed that it holds off.
     Be awesome this weekend, folks.