Since the start of the New Year, in order to more fully absorb our gratitude, in the evenings T and I have been asking each other what  was your Happy High Five for the day.

What is a Happy High Five? It is anything that makes you happy. It is a fun thing to do with your partner, friend, or family member.

You will be surprised at what makes them happy.

For example, I told T my new red puffy calendar book made me oh so very happy.

And the little bitlets that fall off my bagel make me happy when I eat them off my plate.

T then said that one of her Happy High Fives was that the puffy book and the bitlets made me happy! It just makes me smile to think about it.

So as you can see, it can be anything that makes your heart swell and your lips turn up in a smile.

It’s a good way to end the day and drift off to sleep thinking about what made you happy that day. It’s all about underscoring the gratitude we feel.

Give it a try, I bet you end up with more than 5!

How ‘bout it?

Vision Runner

A few months ago I listened to Jim Fixx’s book “The Complete Book of Running”

One thing that really struck a chord with me was when he was discussing the concept that if you’re passionate about running, you will find ways to do it.

Well that got me thinking. . .

Ever since I started working the day shift at the hospital, my running has been limited to the weekends and the occasional day off. I didn’t necessarily appreciate that fact. 

Thinking about it though, I realized that I was doing a lot of walking to and from work: about 6 miles round trip. So I thought, “Why not run?”

Okay, well I could run to work but I knew I would not be satisfied with a measly little ol’ 3 mile run. That was almost not worth getting dressed for – although notice I said “almost.” Of course if that’s all I could run, I’d take it. J

But I thought if I got up a wee bit early, I could run a few more miles before the 3 miles to work.

When I was processing all of this, it was already November. So when I decided to try this, the days were getting shorter and shorter all the time!

So how early could I get up and run safely? It’s a tricky thing with my eyesight (or lack thereof.) Too dark and I can’t see a thing!

But morning twilight was just before 7:30 a.m.  I knew if I could see well enough, I could get in 5 extra miles before running the 3 miles to work, giving me a total of 8 miles, and then 3 miles back home after work. Now that’s what I’m talking about!  Yea, this could work!

Now I had to find a way to shower all the running off me before mixing in with the general population.  If I listened to Jim Fixx, well, he didn’t think it was a problem to smell a little sweaty. But sorry Jim, I just can’t do it! I have to face patients and their families and co-workers and of course, myself all day long. I much prefer smelling sweet as a tropical fruit salad to sweaty as an 8 mile runner.

Fortunately I work at a hospital that has a Fitness Center. For $20 a month, I could use the showers as well as the Fitness Center itself.

I really didn’t need to use the fitness equipment, just the showers. And score, the Fitness Center provided clean towels as well!

So I put my plan into action, and joined the Fitness Center, and the next day I got up before 7 a.m.

I had my pre-run meal of yogurt, and then proceeded to put all my blinking lights on – a total of 4, in red, green, blue and white. Yes I was a flashing fool, but thought it better to be seen as a flasher, then a fool!

I made out quite nicely on my run, as I could see fairly well. I was even able to time it so I could still stop and get my beloved lunch bagel at my favorite bagel place, “Bagels on Broadway.”

I had put a package of instant oatmeal in my running pack, so I could replenish my glycogen stores when I got to work.

As I write this, it’s been almost 2 months since I started running to and from work, and I feel great! I love the fact that I get to run almost every day.

I have run in temperatures as low as 9 degrees F, and my water had ice cubes in it when I got to work! But since I know how to dress for the cold weather, I stayed pretty toasty.

The only part of me that gets really cold is my hands. I was thinking I never had this problem in the past, but then I realized I didn’t have to run in such cold temps before, as my work schedule didn’t limit when I could run.

But not to worry about my fingers, as T’s mom and dad made me some really awesome hand warmers. They are filled with seed corn, and when you place them in the microwave oven for a couple of minutes they come out oh so nice and warm. I hold one in my left hand, and the other wraps around my right hand (that’s the one that I use my white cane with) custom made for me!

These corn bags have been a lifesaver, as I don’t think I could have run in such cold temps without them!

I really like it when it snows about an inch or two. The path I run on is asphalt and therefore the snow melts off pretty fast, leaving white edges in the grass and on the side of the trail. This gives me a great visual field: a black path with white borders! I wish it was like that all the time, then I could run faster and without the need of my cane so much.

Because of the angle of light and the frequency of having my black on white path, winter running can be some of the best and fastest runs I have.

All this running has made it possible for me to have the highest weekly mileage since I have been a runner. The last part of December I had 70 miles total for the week! Some might think it’s crazy to run that much, but I love, love , LOVE It!

So what is your passion? What is keeping you from doing everything possible to make sure you are able to enjoy and do what you love to do?

Make 2012 a “NO Excuses” year!

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner

It was an early March day, and we were returning from a nice long walk in one of our favorite parks.  To get to this park on foot requires that we walk along a busy street on the bike and pedestrian path. In fact it’s the same path I run on all the time.  But it is along a very busy street, with lots of cars and trucks traversing the blacktop.  

All of a sudden, T stopped in the middle of the path.  I stopped as well, as I was holding her elbow while she guided me.  She seemed to be lost, and pondering where to go.  I was really confused, as I’m the one who always gets lost in the middle of places I know! 

So I asked her “What’s the matter? Are you lost?”  

She didn’t answer me right away.  She kept looking to her left, then to her right.  I prodded again, saying “What is it?  What are you looking at?”  

She then said, with a bit of reluctance, “There’s a chickadee just outside the white line on the road.” 

I immediately wanted to go get the poor little bird, and said so.  But seeing the obvious insanity of sending a blind woman to the edge of a busy street heaving with rushing traffic to try and locate a tiny cloud of feathers, she would have none of that.  

She asked me if I was done with my coffee.  I said yes and gave her my empty Starbucks cup.  She then made her way to the edge of the road and scooped up the little bird into the paper cup.

She put the cup with the chickadee peering out, onto the grass near a bush.  I naturally wanted to see it.  So T brought me over to see our nearly road kill.  

Once I saw the tiny ball of fluffy feathers, I wanted to hold it.  With a sigh T said, “Okay, but we are not taking it home!”   

I said, “I’ll take it to my mom’s.”

T could see I was not going to leave the chickadee there in the grass.

The little bird was wobbly, leaning to one side, and its wing kind of drooped and splayed out on that side. According to our best guess, it looked like it had probably flown into a car.  If it had gotten hit by a car, it would probably have been more dead or disfigured. But since he was still awake and alert, and not too startled, we figured he was probably dazed.

I wasn’t sure if it would even live very long, but I really didn’t want it to die alone or be lunch for a local cat or something. I know, circle of life and all that, but I really have a soft spot in my heart for birds. I raised a sparrow when I was a kid, and I couldn’t leave the cutest little fluff ball here to become an interesting diversion for a playful or hungry predator. 

 “He shouldn’t die alone,” I said in the saddest, most pathetic voice I could muster. Unable to refuse my puppy dog eyes and plaintive request, T relented and let me carry him to my mom’s.

I held the chickadee close to my body as we walked the few blocks to my mom’s place. 

Once there, my mom and I cooed and awed over the bird, encouraging him to try to drink some water and eat some oatmeal. I don’t think he did, but we certainly tried to be persuasive with the menu of presumably attractive (to a bird) items that we had available. 

After a bit, T said she had to get back home, but reminded me in her most fervent “tough guy” voice, that under no circumstances was I to bring the bird home.  

I agreed, saying I would try to call my friend Vickie and ask if she could care for the bird.  But of course (you can see the foreshadowing from a mile away ) when I called Vickie she was not home.  

My mind was racing, what should I do? How could I make sure that my little “Phoebe” would be well cared for? You know, I have such a warm glowing feeling for birds in general, and this one in distress made my heart expand, kind of like the Grinch’s heart where it “… grew three sizes that day.”  So I asked my mom if she had an old tissue box I could have.  

I was going to make my little charge a soft, cozy nest.  So with the make-shift nest ready, I put the chickadee in it and set off for home.  

My plan was to leave the bird under a spruce tree near our home, where I always heard lots of little birds.  When I got to the tree, I took the injured bird out and tried to put it under the tree.  But the fuzzy little thing refused to get off my hand. 

As I knelt there in the grass next to the tree wondering now what I was going to do, my cell phone rang.  It was T calling me.  “Hello,” I answered the phone. 

“Where are you?”  T said, concerned. 

“I’m trying to put the chickadee under this tree by Shopko, but he won’t get off my hand,” I said in a somewhat desperate voice.   There was silence on the other end of the phone.

“Okay, bring the bird home. We can put him in the bushes over by our house,” T said with some hesitation. 

“I love you. See you in a minute.”  I flipped my phone shut fast as I could so she couldn’t change her mind. 

Now let me point out to you that it’s not that T doesn’t love animals. It’s just that she knew that with my vision issues, the job of caretaking this downy delight that I was determined to take on, would eventually fall to her in one fashion or another. And she didn’t really need one more responsibility on her plate.

Back in the Kleenex-box nest the bird went, and I slowly walked the block to home. T was waiting for me on the steps.

So I took Phoebe – that’s what we started to call our chickadee ’cause that’s the song they sing “Chick-a-dee-dee-dee, Phoe-bee” – out of the box, and T brought us over to a bush in the alley near the fence.  

As I was going to release Phoebe, a big, barking, black dog approached menacingly towards us.  Okay, not a good plan. 

I said, “How ’bout under the porch?”  T agreed, so once again I tried to get the bird to hop out of my hand.  But Phoebe was having none of it.  

Again I turned sad eyes on T and said, “I don’t know what to do, I think he just needs a little time to get his strength back.” 

T just looked at me for a long moment, then said, “Alright, bring him into the office.”  This little fuzz ball had easily wrapped itself around my heart, and was starting to attach himself to T’s too.

Once inside the warm office, I dug out my heating pad and put it on low under the  box.  I covered the opening in the Kleenex box with a tissue to keep the heat in.  

T and I worked on our computers, checking on our little Phoebe every few minutes.  He – or she, we don’t really know which – was sleeping.  After an hour or so, we heard Phoebe trying to get out of the box.  I took the tissue off and Phoebe hopped out.  

His wing didn’t seem to be drooping as much, and the fact that he was hopping seemed like a good sign.  I went to see what I could find in the kitchen for him to eat.  I really had no idea what chickadees ate.  I assumed little insects and seeds.  Hmmm, fresh out of both.  So I had some corn and bread that I mashed up.  I brought in some water too.  Once again Phoebe refused to eat, but I did get him to take a little water.

By now, his strength was building and Phoebe was hopping all over the room, but he did tire easily.  He would go exploring under the desk, then have to take a little nap. His eyes would close for a few minutes.  With all the hopping and flapping and his wing back in its normal position, I thought perhaps Phoebe was ready to be set free.  So I scooped up my little bird-brained friend, and we headed outside. 

Phoebe had been so active, I was sure he wanted to go, but when I opened my hands to allow him to jump off, he just sat there, looked at me for a moment, then turned his attention to his wing and proceeded to preen his feathers.  He seemed to be saying, “La, la, la. What?  I’m not going anywhere.”  So T and I looked at each other and laughed.  What a personality this little guy had.  So we agreed, Phoebe had decided that he needed more time to recover. 

I put Phoebe back in his box, but he just didn’t want to stay in it.  I was trying to come up with something I could rig up for him, so he wouldn’t have to be confined to the box, but not hopping all over the office. I was having a hard time keeping track of him, and did not want to squash him. 

Pheoebe had hopped up T’s leg, and was resting there.  She looked at me and said, “Do you want to maybe get him a cheap bird cage?” I could tell he was working his own little bird magic and casting a spell on her so that she was beginning to fall in love with him. 

So T looked up the phone numbers to a few of the local pet stores, and found a bird cage for under $15.  She went to the mall a few blocks away, while I was in charge of watching Phoebe.  Easier said than done!  After T left, Phoebe jumped out of my hand, and I lost track of him. 

Then I heard flapping and scratching coming from the space heater in the room.  Thank goodness it wasn’t on.  Phoebe had managed to hop/fly/I’m not sure how?  through the metal grate protecting the heating pan.  By the time I bent a few rungs and coaxed him out of his little jail cell, poor little Phoebe was totally exhausted, and I could feel his tiny heart was beating so fast.  He fell asleep right in my hands. The trauma of the whole day was taking its toll; he spent a lot of time napping that day. 

T came home a few minutes later with a small bird cage in hand.  She also got some millet seed and was told that most birds would eat this.  T put the swing and perches along with a food and water cup into the cage.  Then we put Phoebe in his new home for the time being.  

We had decided that if he was strong enough in the morning we would let him go outside.  I was still concerned about Phoebe getting enough to eat.  I wanted to go to the pet store just around the block to get some wild bird seed.  Not seeing the need, since she had just brought home millet from the mall, but noting that I was not going to let it go, she finally gave in and drove me to the store. 

The place was just about to close, and the owner was helping some other customers.  So we set out on our own to look for the seed. That’s when I heard it, an old crackly sounding, “Heloooow.”  I moved towards the greeting, thinking it was a clerk to help us, when T grabbed my arm and directed me away from the mystery greeter.  I asked what was wrong.  Why was she so freaked out?

She then brought me over to a very bald parrot!  Okay not exactly bald, but his entire body had no feathers on it – his wings had a few feathers and his head looked mostly normal, but the gruesome sight of the oddly proportioned “naked” bird still haunts T to this day.  I must admit it was not a pretty sight, but I felt bad for the bird.

Eventually we got some seed and left that little shop of horrors.

When we got back home, I filled Phoebe’s seed cup and watched as he went from the swing to the food, choosing to sit in it, rather than eat it. 

I kept asking T to look and see if he was eating, as I could not see well enough to make it out.  She watched, and to our surprise the chickadee ate a few seeds!  I was very happy and optimistic that maybe Phoebe would be okay.  

T found an old towel, and we draped it over the back half of the cage, and shut off the lights, as Phoebe had perched on the swing and put his little head behind his wing. Nighty-night.

Now you might think this story had a happy ending, and I suppose, in a way, it does. But the next morning when we went to check on Phoebe, T couldn’t find him. Then she spotted the bird lying on the bottom of the cage…dead…yes our poor little Phoebe had died. Probably the shock to his system, along with the internal injuries were too extensive. He had been doing so much better the night before. We were both surprised and sad that our little distraction from the everyday routine was gone. 

But I was also able to look on it as a gift.  With my eyesight the way it is now, I am not able to see birds the way I used to.  So to be able to hold and look at this little chickadee up close was truly a gift from God. 

Even though the time we had with our little Phoebe was limited, he melted our hearts, and we still to this day reminisce about the day a bird no bigger than a chicken’s egg turned our Saturday into instant parenthood. 

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner

How ’bout it?

-Vision Runner

The Daffodil Principle
~ by: Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come and see the daffodils before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. Going and coming took most of a day–and I honestly did not have a free day until the following week.

“I will come next Tuesday, ” I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove the length of Route 91, continued on I-215, and finally turned onto Route 18 and began to drive up the mountain highway. The tops of the mountains were sheathed in clouds, and I had gone only a few miles when the road was completely covered with a wet, gray blanket of fog. I slowed to a crawl, my heart pounding. The road becomes narrow and winding toward the top of the mountain. As I executed the hazardous turns at a snail’s pace, I was praying to reach the turnoff at Blue Jay that would signify I had arrived. When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren I said, “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these darling children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!”

My daughter smiled calmly,” We drive in this all the time, Mother.”

“Well, you won’t get me back on the road until it clears–and then I’m heading for home!” I assured her.

“I was hoping you’d take me over to the garage to pick up my car. The mechanic just called, and they’ve finished repairing the engine,” she answered.

“How far will we have to drive?” I asked cautiously.

“Just a few blocks,” Carolyn said cheerfully.

So we buckled up the children and went out to my car. “I’ll drive,” Carolyn offered. “I’m used to this.” We got into the car, and she began driving.

In a few minutes I was aware that we were back on the Rim-of-the-World Road heading over the top of the mountain. “Where are we going?” I exclaimed, distressed to be back on the mountain road in the fog. “This isn’t the way to the garage!”

“We’re going to my garage the long way,” Carolyn smiled, “by way of the daffodils.”

“Carolyn,” I said sternly, trying to sound as if I was still the mother and in charge of the situation, “please turn around. There is nothing in the world that I want to see enough to drive on this road in this weather.”

“It’s all right, Mother,” She replied with a knowing grin. “I know what I’m doing. I promise, you will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.”

And so my sweet, darling daughter who had never given me a minute of difficulty in her whole life was suddenly in charge — and she was kidnapping me! I couldn’t believe it. Like it or not, I was on the way to see some ridiculous daffodils — driving through the thick, gray silence of the mist-wrapped mountaintop at what I thought was risk to life and limb.

I muttered all the way. After about twenty minutes we turned onto a small gravel road that branched down into an oak-filled hollow on the side of the mountain. The Fog had lifted a little, but the sky was lowering, gray and heavy with clouds.

We parked in a small parking lot adjoining a little stone church. From our vantage point at the top of the mountain we could see beyond us, in the mist, the crests of the San Bernardino range like the dark, humped backs of a herd of elephants. Far below us the fog-shrouded valleys, hills, and flatlands stretched away to the desert.

On the far side of the church I saw a pine-needle-covered path, with towering evergreens and manzanita bushes and an inconspicuous, lettered sign “Daffodil Garden.”

We each took a child’s hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path as it wound through the trees. The mountain sloped away from the side of the path in irregular dips, folds, and valleys, like a deeply creased skirt.

Live oaks, mountain laurel, shrubs, and bushes clustered in the folds, and in the gray, drizzling air, the green foliage looked dark and monochromatic. I shivered.

Then we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight, unexpectedly and completely splendid. It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peak and slopes where it had run into every crevice and over every rise. Even in the mist-filled air, the mountainside was radiant, clothed in massive drifts and waterfalls of daffodils. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow.

Each different-colored variety (I learned later that there were more than thirty-five varieties of daffodils in the vast display) was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.

In the center of this incredible and dazzling display of gold, a great cascade of purple grape hyacinth flowed down like a waterfall of blossoms framed in its own rock-lined basin, weaving through the brilliant daffodils.

A charming path wound throughout the garden. There were several resting stations, paved with stone and furnished with Victorian wooden benches and great tubs of coral and carmine tulips. As though this were not magnificence enough, Mother Nature had to add her own grace note — above the daffodils, a bevy of western bluebirds flitted and darted, flashing their brilliance. These charming little birds are the color of sapphires with breasts of magenta red. As they dance in the air, their colors are truly like jewels above the blowing, glowing daffodils. The effect was spectacular.

It did not matter that the sun was not shining. The brilliance of the daffodils was like the glow of the brightest sunlit day. Words, wonderful as they are, simply cannot describe the incredible beauty of that flower-bedecked mountain top.

Five acres of flowers! (This too I discovered later when some of my questions were answered.) “But who has done this?” I asked Carolyn. I was overflowing with gratitude that she brought me — even against my will. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“Who?” I asked again, almost speechless with wonder, “And how, and why, and when?”

“It’s just one woman,” Carolyn answered. “She lives on the property. That’s her home.” Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory.

We walked up to the house, my mind buzzing with questions. On the patio we saw a poster. ” Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking” was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs,” it read. The second answer was, “One at a time, by one woman, two hands, two feet, and very little brain.” The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”

There it was. The Daffodil Principle.

For me that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than thirty-five years before, had begun — one bulb at a time — to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountain top. One bulb at a time.

There was no other way to do it. One bulb at a time. No shortcuts — simply loving the slow process of planting. Loving the work as it unfolded.

Loving an achievement that grew so slowly and that bloomed for only three weeks of each year. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world.

This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created something of ineffable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration.

The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principle of celebration: learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time — often just one baby-step at a time — learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time.

When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We can change the world.

“Carolyn,” I said that morning on the top of the mountain as we left the haven of daffodils, our minds and hearts still bathed and bemused by the splendors we had seen, “it’s as though that remarkable woman has needle-pointed the earth! Decorated it. Just think of it, she planted every single bulb for more than thirty years. One bulb at a time! And that’s the only way this garden could be created. Every individual bulb had to be planted. There was no way of short-circuiting that process. Five acres of blooms. That magnificent cascade of hyacinth!

All, all, just one bulb at a time.”

The thought of it filled my mind. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the implications of what I had seen. “It makes me sad in a way,” I admitted to Carolyn. “What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five years ago and had worked away at it ‘one bulb at a time’ through all those years. Just think what I might have been able to achieve!” My wise daughter put the car into gear and summed up the message of the day in her direct way. “Start tomorrow,” she said with the same knowing smile she had worn for most of the morning. Oh, profound wisdom!

It is pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson a celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, “How can I put this to use tomorrow?”

Last year I ran in a little 4 mile race that took place in an area of town I am not as familiar with.  The Missoula Roots Run is in conjunction with the Missoula Roots Festival:  lots of live music, arts and crafts and plenty of food!  Having lived in Missoula all my life, I knew the area but had not run in this particular part of town since the mid-90’s.  So while I “knew” where I was, I was still a little bit nervous about running this race and staying on the race route. 

The race started at 11 a.m. which I thought was kind of a late start for the end of August.  But as it turned out, it was quite pleasant: not too hot yet with blue, sunny skies.  

The time was getting close to the start of the race, so T positioned me somewhere in the middle of the group of runners off to the right side.  

We were waiting for the bang of the start gun to go off when Anders, the owner of our local running store “The Runners Edge,” announced that we had to wait a few minutes to start the race as there was a train crossing right on the road we were starting on.  

As we stood there, a gal who was waiting next to us said she has seen me running out by her house.  I commented on the hill we would be running less than a mile into the race.  I told her I had not run hills in years, and was not sure how I would do.  She told us about what a fellow runner had advised.  

He said, “If you want to be good at running hills, Run Hills. If you want to run fast…Run Fast.”  

This was such a straight-forward concept, but very profound at the same time.  How many times do we say “I wish I could….”  But how simple it is, really: If we just simply did it, eventually we would get good at it.  

Me, personally, however, I do not wish to be good at running hills…

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner 

P.S. The hill was fairly easy, and I also ended up with lots of help on the race route as people were so generous when they saw I was using my white cane.  I am so grateful for the kind and loving women who took the time during their run to make sure I was okay and following the right route.  Sure makes me proud of my fellow runners! 

And I finished the four miles in about 46 minutes…Not too bad for a blind runner.

The best part of my winter runs is when I’m going over a bridge that’s about 3 miles into my 8 mile run.  I just love the way the winter sun hits the river.  The angle of the sun is lower in the sky, casting a more diffuse light across the water at a different angle than during the rest of the year.  It looks like the cascading of diamonds across the surface, sparkling, glimmering and fading, over and over again, millions of times each instant. Awesome.

Sometimes I’ll just pause and take in all that this winter scene has to offer, free of charge, just for the price of a minute’s stopping and savoring: peace, tranquility, and a calming of my soul.  And even though I can’t see the river the way I used to be able to, the cool thing is that my eyes allow me to view the rushing water in a way I have never before experienced it.  Abstract trees line the banks, as an artists’ brush paints a serene,  indistinct, yet beautiful landscape for my eyes only.  

Nothing makes me feel more alive than when I’m running in the cool winter air, and I find myself grinning like a fool just for the pure pleasure of running. And that’s the way I like it!

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner

I’m excited…my New Moon Abundance Checks story is in the new book by Patricia Sheehy “Dancing Under the Full Moon – 101 Ways to ATTRACT MONEY into YOUR LIFE.

She sent me an autographed copy. We started reading the book, and it’s great! We decided that each week we’re going to try one of the strategies talked about in the book. That should take us out about two years.

This week we’re working on de-cluttering.  That’s a great one as we live in a small two bedroom place, and things have a  tendency to accumulate and pile up…especially at our desks!

Anyway, you’ll want to check out the book. You can order it here: http://budurl.com/2jc9

How ’bout it?

-Vision Runner

 ^Click Arrow To Listen 

Do you remember when you were in school and you had to get a hall pass?  Or when you had to have a permission slip to attend the class field trip? Or you had a “Get Out of Jail Free” card?  How did that make you feel?  I know when I had a permission slip I felt in control, empowered.  That tiny scrap of paper carried a lot of weight.

Now we’ve pretty much grown up past the point of permission slips, but imagine writing out your own permission slip, and it reads something like this:

I give myself permission to start “You fill in the blank” today. 

Don’t start with the excuses already. I can’t hear you. (This is a blog…remember? It only seems like a conversation ) 

Now where were we…oh, yeah.

I give myself permission to start “You fill in the blank” today.

It doesn’t matter if it’s something fun like your favorite activity that you haven’t been able to find time for, or an arduous task like cleaning out the garage or clearing ground to start a garden, or a life-altering personal growth experience like getting fit or learning to play the harmonica or reading that inspirational book that your friend recommended. And it really doesn’t matter the reason that you’ve been putting it off.

By giving yourself permission, it allows you to start.  You are able to face down all the excuses you have created in the past, like “I’m never going to be able to do that” or “I don’t have time” or “I might as well not even try because I know I will fail” or “It’s too hard” or “Insert your favorite excuse here.”

The question is not whether you can or can not do whatever; the bottom line is whether you start or don’t. If you continue to choose “don’t”, then the spot you’re in now will be the same exact spot you’ll be in next week and next year and the years after. You still can’t find anything in the garage; you still haven’t leapt into your healthier life; you still don’t know how to play the harmonica; and you’re still eating produce that’s been shipped in from several states away.

The thing is, once you start, all it takes is baby steps. Baby steps make it easy to get some momentum so that you can keep going.  It’s not like you are required to overcome this huge barrier all at once; it’s all about baby steps.  And this baby step builds on that one and continues on, so that they are no longer really baby steps because they’ve all built up on the one that came before it. So you end up having made actual steps towards forward momentum and progress. What if you only went and spent an hour in the garage? Is it going to make a dent in the chaos? Perhaps not, but even if you only end up throwing out one box and two bags of broken junk and filling one box of stuff you don’t use anymore to donate to the local battered women’s shelter or to give away on Freecycle, giving yourself permission to start the task is like lifting your foot off the floor to take that first tiny step. And until you start, you never really know how far you’ll get.

Giving yourself permission is not only about starting. You can also give yourself permission to stop. This summer as it got hotter and I had all these miles to run for my fundraising Run Over To Ellen’s project (if you haven’t donated your dollar yet, what are you doing reading this? Perhaps you’re not sure how to do it. Let me help. Take your mouse hand, slide the mouse until the cursor is over in the sidebar where that green FirstGiving widget is, and then click on the orange Donate button in the bottom corner. Go ahead. I’ll wait for you to come back. Go on, now. I promise we’ll pick up right where we left off. We won’t go on without you. It’ll be okay…;) )

La, la, la

La, la, la

Okay, now . . . Thanks for coming back. As I was saying, this summer the temperatures were getting hotter, and in the past I’ve chosen not to run in the heat. But since I have all these miles to run (1,222 miles for my fundraising run), I figured I should try to run when it’s a little hotter out. Now at first this was kind of a big deal in my mind…’What if it’s too hot?” “What if I hate it?” Well, it occurred to me that I could stop and go home if it was too hot.  I could start out, give it a try, and if it was unbearable I could at any point in time turn around or call T to come get me; that thought made it possible for me to start.  Once I got out there running, I was running. I had my water, and yes it was hot, but it was fine that I was running when it was hot. I had always presumed that it would be dreadful to run in the heat, and I would hate it, so I hadn’t really done it. But since I had my water and the confidence that I could stop if it wasn’t fun, I could start.

Giving yourself permission to stop can eliminate the fear of failure that can hold you back and keep you from starting in the first place. Knowing that you have permission to stop can actually be a precursor to giving yourself permission to start.  If you start out with the knowledge that you can stop at any time, you have taken back the power and control in your life. And most likely, once you’ve started, you’ll end up going all the way and finishing the task because it becomes not as daunting as you first imagined.

Permission slips and baby steps…they go hand in hand. After all it’s all about moving forward and growing one step at a time. 

How ‘bout it? 

-Vision Runner   

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Beyond Cloud Nine

The other day we went to our favorite lake about 60 miles from home. We returned from a great day in the sun and water in the early evening. Just as we were coming through the Hellgate Canyon into the Missoula valley, I flashed back to other times when I had come back home from long trips away. Granted this was just a day trip, but as we came into the valley I remembered the feelings I had each time I would come back home, after being gone for weeks, or even months sometimes.

-Vision Runner

What’s more important than your health?  Oh I know there’s probably not one of you out there who would disagree with the concept that your health is your most important asset, but how many of us truly live by those words? 

Think about it like this:  Remember the last time you were really sick? I mean really feeling-crappy-death-melted-on-toast kind of sick.  Maybe you had the flu, or a 4 day long debilitating migraine.  Perhaps it was a bout of sciatica with lower right back pain (oops, …that one was me.) Or … you fill in the blank.  We have all been there. 

Now, answer me this. At that particular point in time – in between the moaning and wailing and feeling sorry for yourself, and wishing that the agony would end – were you thinking about your bank account? I know when I’m not feeling well, even just a little under the weather, all I can think about is wishing I felt better. That’s it: just aching to feel better.

All the money in the world does you no good if you don’t have your health.  So why do we ignore our health and put it off for another day? 

I know, I know. I understand all the human psychology stuff that indicates that we’re more motivated to avoid and alleviate immediate pain, and not much inspired to do things that involve work in the short-term, but result in long-term benefits.

Mostly, as a human race, we are motivated by what we see that is immediately in front of us…the bills that need to be paid, that pressing seminar we just can’t miss, the phone call we need to return, and the seventeen other things on our desk that need our immediate attention Right Now. 

I’ve heard it said that when you find a big enough why, you will make the changes necessary to propel yourself into your better healthier life-style. Think about how you feel right now.  If you feel pretty good, then why not be proactive and take the steps to insure you will continue to feel good tomorrow and next month and next year?

If you are suffering and have no energy, why not just start to take the baby steps to move you towards a better place in your healthier life?  Doing nothing at all guarantees that someday you will be asking the question, “Why didn’t I take care of myself when I had the chance?”  It truly doesn’t have to be that way.

Remember to take a moment to evaluate what is important.  We have a tendency, all of us – and I’m just as guilty of it as the next person – to focus on the financial aspect of things as if it’s the most important thing I need to be worrying about.

A friend of mine recently was so caught up in the spinning of her wheels trying to move forward in her business that she was neglecting her health. While she wasn’t literally sick or unhealthy, she wasn’t doing anything to maintain her health. She was just sitting at her desk all day every day trying to make things happen.

She was struck one day with the thought that it didn’t matter how successful she ended up being in her business if she wasn’t taking care of herself physically. She’s now made the commitment to doing some kind of physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day, whether it’s going for a walk or yoga or putting on the Latin Dance Workout DVD or whatever. And she feels that she can have the same amount of financial success, or even better, by investing at least 30 minutes a day in her physical well-being. The business and financial success will come, but your health deserves your attention and focus.

Even if you’re feeling okay, you could be doing even better. If you are sick, you can’t do all the things you deem important right now.  And you can have fun while getting healthy.  Find an activity that resonates with you and go for it.  Remember it’s all about baby steps. No one is saying you have to go out and run a marathon this year, or even run at all.  Just start moving!  Do things a little at a time.  Be gentle with yourself and start out slow. And celebrate all the baby steps! Hey if it’s more then you were doing just a day ago, it’s all forward progress. 

How ’bout it?

-Vision Runner

Yesterday was the half marathon! This was the first race that
I had to use my white cane. Here’s the videos of my day!

My pre-race update:

…Here’s a little clip of the start of the race, but I don’t think I’m in it.

The Race Clips…running, running and more running!

After the race….replenishing my glycogen stores!! In other words….FOOD!!!

I finished the 13.1 miles in 2:26:03.
Here’s my results:
Vision Runner’s Half Marathon Results

Victory Photo:

How ’bout it?
-Vision Runner

Run Over To Ellen’s Summary After Half Marathon on Sunday:

Start Date: April 20, 2009

Goal Date: Dec 15-18, 2009 (Whenever we can get Ellen Degeneres tickets to a taping of the Ellen tv show before they stop taping for the end of the year break.)

Total Mileage from Montana to the studio for an Ellen tv show taping: 1,222.25

Must Average: 36 miles of running per week or 5.12 miles per day.
Day Number: 84
Mileage Run Today: 13
Mileage Run so far: 592

Mileage To Go To Get There: 630.25

How ’bout it?

-Vision Runner

They also just did a blurb on my fundraising efforts in the July issue of JUST CAUSE magazine which just came out a couple of days ago…here’s the link: I’m on page 65!

http://www.zinio.com/reader.jsp?issue=416088048&o=ext

Below is an interview I did via email for a pets website…. http://blog.k9cuisine.com/ 

I don’t know for sure when they’ll post it, but I figured that I might as well let you, my loyal blog readers, check it out first!

1.   What is your story-how did you get into running for Guide dogs?

I was diagnosed with RP (retinitis pigmentosa) over 12 years ago, and have been slowly losing my vision over the years.  I have also been a runner for 17 years.  Running is my passion, and that was something I didn’t want to give up. In Sept of 2008 I started a blog about being a blind runner.  It’s about overcoming obstacles and envisioning a new reality.  The way I got into running to raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind was I wanted something to challenge me in my running.  I was healing from a severe case of sciatica this spring, and needed some motivation.  So my partner and I came up with a virtual Run Over to Ellen’s. It’s a 1,222 mile fundraising event that will take me 8 months to complete with the goal of raising $30,000 for the “Guide Dogs for the Blind” organization.  I don’t need the use of a guide dog right now, as I get along okay with my white cane, but there are a lot of blind and low vision people who,  without the use of a guide dog, have lost not only their sight, but their sense of freedom and ability to be independent as well.  I know how important it is for me to be independent, and I wanted to be able to help others have that too.

2.  What is the secret to your success with your running-how have you gotten to where you are today?

I guess the secret to my running, is that I enjoy it so much.  I do things to keep my running fun and new, like this virtual Run Over to Ellen’s fundraising project to raise $30,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind.  The challenge of running well beyond what I thought I could accomplish in a week, to the thought of actually getting on the Ellen TV show are all motivating to me!

I have always run for enjoyment, and I’m not a competitive runner, however I have competed in several race events over the years, including finishing a marathon, and a half dozen half-marathons, plus other races.  I think all my running throughout the years has gotten me to where I am today, running more miles in a week than I ever thought I would want to, and not only that, but continuing to do it as my vision deteriorates more and more to the point where I have to run with my white cane.

3.  What makes you different?

I guess what makes me different from other runners out there is that I am running with a white cane weaving back and forth across the path in front of me.  Running is supposed to be one of the easiest and simplest of sports, and for most people, it is. But for me, it has become quite a challenge every time I head out the door to go for my run.  I can’t just head out to run wherever my feet take me, I have to plan ahead and run on controlled paths, and I mentally have to be on top of my game, no runner’s haze for me. I can’t afford to zone out while running.  I have to concentrate very hard on what’s around me all the time. 

4.  What is it about dogs that you love?

 Well the best thing about dogs is that they love you absolutely unconditionally.  We should take a lesson from them in that respect. And of course puppies are the cutest thing ever and they just have to make you laugh.

 5.  What is the neatest part about your work?

 Well right now my work is to run!  And I love to run.  But more importantly, I feel that I can actually make a difference in the world.  That is why we set up this fundraising project for “Guide Dogs for the Blind” to be a grassroots sort of thing.  If everyone gives just $1, they too can be a part of making a big difference in the world.  It’s about a lot of people giving a little to make a big difference!

 6.  Tells us more about the charity you’re running for.

 “Guide Dogs for the Blind” is a great charity.  All the services provided by “Guide Dogs for the Blind” to the blind and low-vision recipients are at no cost whether it’s the dog or the guide dog training or alumni services or retirement of the guide dog…There is no charge to the recipient.  It costs quite a bit to raise and train a dog to become a guide dog, but the service that they provide is invaluable to the individual who receives one.

 7.  What are your future plans related to helping dogs?

 I don’t know at this point, I’m still in the middle of this project…Maybe I’ll do a Run Over to Oprah’s! LOL

 8.  How can people find out more about you and the organization?

 Check us out at www.RunOverToEllens.com , that’s my fundraising project website. My blog is at www.RunnerInsight.com and the donations page is at www.FirstGiving.com/VisionRunner

9.  Tell us a little about you!

I’m 45 years old and I live in western Montana where I was born and raised.  I had 33 years of good eyesight, but over the past 12 ½ years I have been losing my vision to RP, a genetic eye disease.   But that hasn’t kept me from doing what I love to do, and that’s run.  I did have to give up driving, riding my bike, and various other activities that I enjoyed, but I was determined not to have to give up on my running. 

I have a blog over at RunnerInsight where I am updating with new posts three times a week, mostly about being a blind runner. I try to keep it inspiring and motivational, because even though we may not all have a physical obstacle, we all have some kind of obstacle or barrier or issue that we need to face in life. My strong belief is that it’s not what happens to you that matters, but what you do with it that defines your success in life. I am also in the process of creating a video workshop on How to Make Running More Enjoyable.  So watch for that, it should be available before the end of the year, if not sooner.

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2008 brought some pretty amazing changes. We had been attending a series of weekly meetings that revolved around the concept of the Law of Attraction and manifesting the best for your life.  One of the main themes that kept popping up throughout the meetings was “What is your passion in life?”  And people would talk about this or that, and be so enthusiastic about their passions: there were a handful of real estate investors, and there were people in the community social working type professions. And beauticians and nail techs, and people involved with multi-level marketing and direct sales and various other things. And everyone was full of inspiration and ideas.  

I however would sit in silence, not knowing how to participate. I was 44 years old, soon to be 45 and while I had a wonderful, comfortable life, I couldn’t really verbalize what my passion was.

Well okay, I did know what my passion was; it was running, but how in the world could I serve others while monetizing my passion for running? Eventually the drip effect did its work on me during all those meetings along with the CD’s I had been listening to. 

 After many months and some unexpected spiritual growth, I had an epiphany of sorts.  I’m legally blind, and even though it’s much harder for me to run, I still manage to do it routinely, because it is my passion.  One evening a truly inspired thought came to me: VisionRunner.com – I could start a blog about being a blind runner.  It would be about my life as a blind runner, and about overcoming obstacles and how it’s not so much what happens to you as what you do with it that defines your success in the world. Hopefully it would be an inspiration to others overcoming difficulties in their lives since we all have them in one way, shape or form.

Eventually it turned into this blog: www.RunnerInsight.com, and I went with Vision Runner as my tag name.  I am now using my unique set of circumstances and my passion for running to inspire others.  I started my blog in September of 2008, and this spring I have embarked on a new mission in conjunction with my blog. It’s called Run Over to Ellen’s and it’s a 1,222 mile virtual run to the Ellen TV Show in Burbank, CA to raise $30,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind.  (www.RunOverToEllens.com)

I guess it’s true that as we grow and mature, we become more about “What can I do to serve others?” rather than “How can I help myself?”  Using my passion for running to help others is the most rewarding gift the Universe has given me.  By going deep within myself, I was able to find my passion, make it uniquely mine and change my reality.

How ’bout it?

-Vision Runner

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On Thursday I was interviewed by Dr. Andrew Shatte’.  He is on the faculty at the University of Arizona and is currently working on a book about people who have overcome adversities.  He’s interviewed lots of people who have been handed some sort of “slapdown” by life (his term). He was intrigued by my slapdown story, and we had an insightful and somewhat introspective conversation.  He asked me a lot of questions in reference to my reaction and the subsequent acceptance of my life with the eye disease RP (Retinitis Pigmentosa). 

But there was one question in particular that Andrew asked me, that I had a hard time articulating an answer for. It was “Did faith or spirituality play a part in how you handled your “slapdown”?”  I told him yes, it most certainly had, but I felt my answer was inadequate in expressing how much it truly has helped me to not allow myself to be limited by my vision constraints.  Even though I’m legally blind, and I do have to deal with that every day, I don’t define myself that way or see myself as “broken” or “limited”.

I’m constantly aware that I’m part of something much bigger than just myself.  It would be nearly impossible to continue on the journey that I’m on if I had chosen to live as a victim.  There’s an inner knowledge that we are all connected, and that gives me hope and a sense of security.  And it’s not just the hope that I will someday see again, but the knowledge that what we do here in this lifetime counts. It matters, and we are here for a reason. 

That reason may not be fully revealed to us until we are no longer a part of this physical world, but it doesn’t matter whether it’s made clear or not. I have the unshakeable faith that what I’m doing at this very moment in time is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. 

There was no way for me to know what my life was going to bring me.  No way to know that it would take going blind for me to even begin to understand what being of service to others is all about. I’m absolutely confident that had I been living my life without this particular challenge, I would not be working on my current 1,222.25 mile fundraising run in an effort to raise $30,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind, or have even considered running to the Ellen TV Show! 

I could have looked at my “Slapdown” through the eyes of a victim, but at the time, I chose this road, not because I’m more evolved or smarter, but because it was the only road I knew. And that journey would allow me to eventually end up where I am today.

I do have faith in the Universe and its infinite wisdom. Look where it’s brought me so far!! I live a beautiful and peaceful and contented life that is only getting better literally every single day.

 How ’bout it?

 - Vision Runner

P.S. If you’re getting value out of this blog, you can do me a favor by linking to us and mentioning my Run Over To Ellen’s fundraising project to friends and co-workers.  Here’s the link information for this article:
Title: My Slapdown

URL: http://runnerinsight.com/2009/06/22/my-slapdown/ 

P.S.S. Here’s an informational website all about guide dogs…www.Guide-Dogs.info

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New Moon Abundance Checks

This little trick does seem to work to draw more money, but I’m not sure why. I figure it has to do with setting an intention and letting the universe take over.  It doesn’t take much time, and once it’s done, you just forget about it, and let the money happen.

So are you curious?

Within 24 hours of the new moon each month, you’ll want to write a check to yourself. 

Okay here’s what you do:

Leave the date blank.  (That’s the universe’s business.)

Where the little box with $ is, write PAID IN FULL.

On the line that says Pay to the Order of, write your own name (or the name of your business if you want to draw money to your business).  

On the line where you would normally write out the amount, you again write PAID IN FULL.

Then sign the check: The Law of Abundance. 

Tuck the check away somewhere out of sight.  I put mine in a bank bag. (Subtle, huh?)

Since we have been doing this the past five months, we have gotten paid cash for two of our mobile homes that we generally sell on contract with a small down payment and monthly payments. So we’ve gotten $5,000 chunks twice, and lesser amounts have shown up any number of times. The money in my bank bag  just seems to keep growing, without any effort on my part…

The next new moons are June 22, 2009, July 22, 2009 and August 20, 2009. So give it a try, you have nothing to lose, and the whole universe to gain. 

How ’bout it?

-Vision Runner

P.S. If you’re getting value out of this blog, you can do me a favor by linking to us and mentioning my Run Over To Ellen’s fundraising project to friends and co-workers.  Here’s the link information for this article:
Title: New Moon Abundance Checks
URL: http://runnerinsight.com/2009/06/19/new-moon-abundance-checks/ 

They say “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” And I buy that…because will can come in the form of faith or of passion or both, but it all molds your determination.

-Vision Runner

P.S. If you’re getting value out of this blog, you can do me a favor by linking to us and mentioning my Run Over To Ellen’s fundraising project to friends and co-workers.  Here’s the link information for this article:
Title: Keep On Keeping On

URL: http://runnerinsight.com/2009/06/15/keep-on-keeping-on

Technorati tags: Ellen TV show Run Over To Ellen’s marathon blind runner blind and low vision Vision Runner Guide Dogs for the Blind

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Baby Steps

 We have always made changes in our lives by taking baby steps.  We did this when we wanted to start eating healthier, when we switched over to drinking more water by getting re-usable BPA-free plastic water bottles, and more recently here, we have done the same thing with our desire to be more environmentally conscientious.  One of those “baby steps” was to buy reusable shopping bags.  Now the ones we bought to put our groceries in, we keep in the van.  And they are easy for us to remember when we pull up to the store.  But we also use the bags to haul in stuff from the van, such as mail and other items we have accumulated while out running errands. For example, if I have to go to say, maybe the running store to buy a couple of things, for example maybe a new running shirt!! (Yee-ha!) and some energy gels, we don’t have to get a bag from the store, we just drop them into the re-usable grocery bag on the back seat. In fact, sometimes we refer to it as “the errand bag.”

When it was light enough out for me to start running home from work in the morning, I needed to bring my lunch and running clothing to work with me.  I was using a backpack during the months I would walk or take the bus home, but I didn’t really want to run home with a backpack on.  So at first I started using plastic grocery bags. But since we were trying to cut down on our use of plastic bags, I thought I would get several tote bags to take to work.  Later during the week, when we were out running errands, we could swing by the hospital and pick them up with all my re-usable lunch containers and work clothes. 

So off we went in search of tote bags.  My plan was to buy four, one for every day I worked during the week.  I found some small tote bags that would work, but then T pointed out a nylon re-usable grocery bag that folded up into a little pouch with a small carabineer on it.  It seemed perfect, as I could just get the one bag instead of four, and bring it home each morning clipped to my running shorts.

So that’s what I got and it’s worked out great!  I no longer use the plastic bags to carry all my stuff to work.

It’s just one more baby step we are taking to go green.

How ’bout it?

-Vision Runner

 P.S. Way to go Robin! Robin won the Runner’s Edge running socks that we gave away in the donor’s drawing over at my fundraising project for Guide Dogs for the Blind www.RunOverToEllens.com. If you haven’t donated yet, go to www.FirstGiving.com/VisionRunner and donate your $1 to be entered into the future drawings…and once you donate, read your email for the special private donor’s only access link to be able to watch the daily video blog.

 Thanks!

If you’re getting value out of this blog, you can do me a favor by linking to us and mentioning my Run Over To Ellen’s fundraising project to friends and co-workers. Here’s the link information for this article:
Title: Baby Steps
URL: http://runnerinsight.com/2009/06/15/baby-stepsbaby-steps/

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I’ve always been one to look at the glass as half full, that is unless it’s filled with cod liver oil, and then I’m afraid the glass is more than half full! 

All my life I have been an optimist – looking for the good in things. And even when the situation doesn’t turn out the way I want, later I can see how it was all for the best.  It’s a choice we get to make every day: whether to be in a good place in our lives or a bad place.

For example when I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) in 1997, I went through a period of grieving for the loss of my vision, but after a while my grieving no longer served me and my generally optimistic self took over again. I remembered that staying positive was a choice.

In the beginning, it was sometimes a minute by minute choice – but a choice nonetheless!

Living with the loss of my eyesight has brought on many challenges, some easy to deal with and some not so much: from making sure I’m color-coordinated easily with the help of my partner and a little organization, to running a full marathon – which took a lot of effort and planning.

But as each new challenge comes along, I see that it’s all about overcoming the obstacle -my blindness – and envisioning a new reality for myself. And the reality I choose for myself is that one day I will have my eyesight back! 

So by keeping a positive attitude and focusing on what it is I want, I live each day with the knowledge that at any moment I could see again!

One of the most positive things that has come out of my blindness is my website.  RunnerInsight.com is a website dedicated to my mission in life: overcoming obstacles and envisioning a new reality – and not just for myself…everyone has challenges to overcome, and barriers to break through to create their more ideal life.

To promote my website and do something challenging and fun while raising money for a great cause, I started a new project: A Virtual Run Over To Ellen’s - Running 1,222.25 miles from my home in Montana to the Warner Brother’s Studios in Burbank CA to the Ellen TV Show.  This means I’ll be running an average of 36 miles a week for 34 weeks here in my hometown.

The challenge: to run 36 miles a week for 34 weeks!  I had just come off a back injury that kept me from running for over two months, and I was having a hard time breaking through that mental barrier at the 3 to 4 mile mark. So needless to say, this became a big challenge for me and since starting 7 weeks ago, I have moved well beyond my comfort zone into arenas I could never have imagined.

The fun part…Well, so far that’s been getting interviewed by the local media, and ultimately the adventure of it all will lead to me getting on the Ellen TV Show!  Or Ellen Degeneres tickets to a taping of the show. 

The inspiring part…That would be being able to do just a little good in the world, by raising $30,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind.  That’s something I would have never attempted while I had my eyesight. I couldn’t have imagined trying to start this grassroots effort to get 30,000 people to each donate $1.00 to do a tremendously good thing. And if you haven’t donated your $1 yet, just click on the green and purple FirstGiving widget in the sidebar to donate.

Anyway, my point is that my vision problems made it impossible for me to stay in my comfort zone, and forced me onto a path that allowed me to think outside my comfort zone…at the same time doing some good in the world. 

And all of this gives me a reason to keep running, even when it’s difficult for me to see the trail.  I’m more determined than ever to overcome my obstacles and breaking through the barriers my vision loss has put up. 

So no matter what you are struggling with right now, you too can decide to make the changes necessary.  Go deep inside yourself and make the choice to envision a new reality for yourself and start on the path to a new life where you are the star of your own show! (…and the crowd goes WILD! They Start POURING Out of The Stands!!! )  Why Not?

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner

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To stay motivated for any goal, you absolutely must have a big enough “Why”: the reason that makes you keep going when you don’t want to and it’s easier to quit. That big enough “Why” is the key. However, sometimes finding your big enough “Why” is the stumbling block when setting a goal.

I personally have found myself using lots of different “Whys” to keep myself motivated and moving forward. Some of them are just short-term “Whys”, that help for a day or a week or two or three, and some of them are long-term “Whys”. For any goal, the size of the “Why” has to be equal to or greater than the size and importance of the goal.

I’ve been a runner for just over 17 years now, but when I was first starting out, I needed the motivation of my friend Dana to keep me going.  I would have given up and would not be a runner today if not for Dana running alongside me with her enthusiastic energy and love of running.  My “Why” was just keeping up with Dana, and that was a big enough “Why” at the time. Eventually her passion for the sport took root in me, and I have since found my own pace, and haven’t stopped running yet.

Once Dana moved away I was left to run by myself. Not necessarily a bad thing though, as running alone allows me to re-connect with my self and center my thoughts. And even though I have a deep passion when it comes to my running, there are times when I do need some strong motivation to get my butt out of bed and pull my running shoes on. So here are some tips and techniques I’ve used over the years to make a big enough “Why” for myself. I have relied on these tricks to stay motivated and keep my running fresh and fun.

I used to be able to keep myself motivated by running a new trail or area of town.  Seeking out new running paths and exploring streets and trails kept my running new and exciting.  I found some beautiful and magical spots by simply running in a new place.

But since my diagnosis with Retinitis Pigmentosa in 1997, my eyesight has been slowly declining over the years.  This makes it almost impossible for me to run new trails anymore.  In fact for safety reasons I pretty much only run on controlled paths that I can navigate with my white cane and limited vision.  And it definitely gets boring sometimes running the same path every single time I put on my running shoes. 

So now I am using these other tricks to keep me motivated.

One sure-fire way to get me out of bed to go running is new running clothes.  A new pair of running shorts or shirt can keep me going for weeks, but soon the novelty wears off.  I could buy more running clothes, but I’m running out of room in my closet and drawers!  I have more running clothes than one human should be allowed!  But hey, that certainly won’t stop me from picking up just one more running shirt…or two, or three…  :) Did I mention how much I love running clothes? It’s my not-so-secret addiction.

Another motivational tool I use is new songs on my mp3 player.  When I load up my mp3 player with a new playlist, my “Why” is that I honestly can’t wait to get out and run so I can listen to all the new high energy songs.  This can last quite a while as well, as I only allow myself to listen to my running music while running. In a similar vein, if I have a good book to listen to, that can keep me hitting the pavement for up to a couple of weeks. But the problem is that all of these strategies last only a few weeks at best. And it’s easy enough to load new running music or books onto the mp3 player, but it’s not really a big enough “Why” for the really long-term.

So for me, one of the best motivational techniques I have ever used is training for an event or a particular goal. At one point a few years back, I was going through some new and wonderful changes in my life and my running days were pretty much non-existent.  But after about 6 months I was really feeling the void in my life that only running could fill, so I made the decision to train for BloomsDay: a very big race held each spring in Spokane, Washington.  There would be over 40,000 runners and walkers participating in this race.  By having a goal race to train for, I was giving myself the “Why” I needed to stay totally motivated to get out and run.  I even trained on hills even though I hate running hills, as I knew there was the dreaded “DoomsDay Hill” at the end of this 7 plus mile run. So having a looming event on the schedule is a great “Why.”

After BloomsDay, I kept training for small races here and there, but it was not until I decided to run in my first full marathon, that I learned the true meaning of dedicated and perpetual motivation.  I knew that I would have to be unwavering in my marathon training program for 6 long and arduous months if I was going to pull off the training schedule and ultimate running of a full marathon and live to tell about it. Of course, “living through it” that was my big enough “Why” for that one.

So for 6 months I told as many people as I could that I was going to run a marathon.  Their supportive reaction and amazement that a blind runner was going to run a marathon fueled me on.

My friends and family were another great source of motivation, as they each helped me however they could. My friend Vickie rode her bike with me on my long marathon training runs and our conversation and laughter was so much fun. Some runners use running clubs to keep them motivated, but with my work schedule I was not able to take advantage of them. But my partner and I attended workshops put on by the marathon organizers.

After all the miles of my marathon training program and ultimately running the marathon, I was tired from training so long and hard. It took some recovery time, but soon I was out there running again and doing a fairly good job of staying dedicated to it.

At the beginning of this year 2009, I got flattened with lower right back pain. At one point I sneezed, and I was down right now, rolling on the floor like a beach ball. The diagnosis came back that I had sciatica down my right back and leg.  It was impossible for me to run for over 2 months!  Once I was given the okay by my chiropractor to run again, it was slow going, as the sciatica was still hampering me somewhat.  But soon I was plugging along and eventually my lower right back pain was all healed up, and I was moving normally. 

Even though my back injury was healed, and I wasn’t having the lower right back pain anymore, I was having trouble getting past the 3 mile mark on my runs.  Before my back injury I had been running 6 to 8 miles at a time, easily and comfortably, so it bothered me that I’d get to 3 miles and be wiped out, even though I shouldn’t have been.

So in order to challenge myself, get myself motivated to break through that 3 mile barrier and push my comfort zone, I decided to do a virtual Run Over To Ellen’s: to the Ellen TV show in Burbank, CA.  This 1,222 and a ¼ mile run from my home in Montana to the Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank will take 34 weeks running an average of 36 miles a week!  Before my lower right back pain and the sciatica issue, I was running about 18 to 24 miles a week. 

But not only am I doing this virtual Run Over To Ellen’s in the hopes of getting Ellen Degeneres tickets to see a taping of the Ellen TV show, I’m fundraising for Guide Dogs For the Blind at the same time.  My quest is to raise $30,000 for them between now and the end of the year.

So this Run Over To Ellen’s fundraising project will keep me motivated and running for 8 months!  And by doing a daily video update for the special access Donors Only page, I am determined to do the mileage.

So I think I have found my big enough “Why”…for this year anyway! 

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner  

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This first paragraph here is basically a PSA for you. First off, Mother’s Day is just around the corner…and if you’re stuck for a gift suggestion and your mother likes to walk or run, or hike or bike or jog, go over to the right hand sidebar, and  get your free ebook “Gifts For Runners – More Than 50 Unique and Creative Gifts for the Runner in Your Life.” It’s got tons of great ideas, not just for runners but for anyone who enjoys walking, biking, hiking, etc. And Father’s Day is coming, too. So go get it…it’s free. Right now…what are you still reading this for…you should be over there under the FirstGiving Donate Box———>

This second paragraph here is to remind you that I’m now starting the third week of my 1,222.25 mile Run Over To Ellen’s on a quest to raise $30,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind. So if you haven’t donated your $1.00 yet, why not click on the Donate button on the FirstGiving box in the sidebar and do that now…while it’s on your mind…I know it’s on your mind…because I’m putting it there right about now     Anyway, once you donate at least $1.00 you get special access to the private website set up for donors only, where we update you daily on our progress and post announcements and hold special VIP giveaways for donors. I know you can handle a $1.00 donation…so go for it. Over there ———>

And now, back to your regularly scheduled content…. 

Breaking Through Barriers…Or Not

Once I started running again after my back injury, I got stuck at about 3 miles when I’d go for my runs.  Don’t get me wrong…3 miles was really good considering I was out of commission with lower right back pain and sciatica for over 2 months. 

But I knew that what was happening to me had nothing to do with my physical ability to run longer or the lower right back pain or even my diminishing vision.  I had simply hit a wall.  Albeit a mental wall, but a very real wall to me, nonetheless.  I knew that I was now capable of running longer, but my mind was playing games with my body, telling me I was too tired to go any further and that I needed to take it easy on myself.

So after some consideration, I decided to call the Discovering Wellness Coaching Program that is provided free of charge to clients of my chiropractor’s office.

I knew I needed some gentle nudging, and that’s exactly what I got when I spoke with Rodrigo the Wellness Coach. No Biggest Loser show Jillian-style rants for me…as much as you’ve got to respect Jillian and what she’s accomplished on the Biggest Loser TV show, I just don’t respond well to that. I love Jillian, but of the Biggest Loser trainers, I would definitely perform better with Bob…Anyway, back to the point…Rodrigo’s immediate and simple suggestion was that maybe I could run 5 extra minutes 3 times a week. 

Well yeah…I could do that. 

We also discussed my diet and decided I was not eating enough carbs, and this would account for my low energy.  So we upped my carb intake too.  Along with some other suggestions and small goals, I was set, and Rodrigo would call and check in with me same time next week.

When I hung up the phone after talking with my coach, T looked at me and said, “I’m pretty sure I told you all those things, too.” 

Of course she did, and she was right, but sometimes I think we just have to be hit over the head with the same information multiple times before it finally sinks in! There’s also the added authority that sometimes exists when information comes from an outside source.

So the next day I started out my run with the intention of going 5 extra minutes.  When I got to the place on the trail where I had been stopping to turn around, I simply stepped around the wall in my mind that had been blocking my progress.  You see the wall wasn’t very big at all; in fact, it was quite small. I had just made it big in my mind. 

But once I moved around it, I was free.  I ran an extra mile.  About 10 more minutes!  It felt great.  I could have kept going, but I also knew I needed to be smart and not increase my mileage too fast at the risk of injuring myself. 

So what mental barrier have you thrown up to block your forward progress? 

Sometimes it just takes a little outside coaching and encouragement to help you realize that you don’t always have to expend all that energy trying to break through the wall.  You can just find another way around it. That’s what I did.   

How ‘bout it?

-Vision Runner