Runner Insight

Hey, we are back!

2009 is in the archives, and a bright, beautiful new year awaits us all in a shiny new package and it’s up to each of us to make the best of it.

Here’s the news!

Got to Burbank, CA on my virtual RunOverToEllen’s on my birthday Dec. 2^nd, running all of the 1,222 ¼ virtual miles in my home town of Missoula, MT.  I never did hear from The Ellen Show or any of Ellen’s staff, even after a multiple months mailing campaign.  But no worries: Her loss, my gain as I had a blast racking up the miles and raising money for Guide Dogs for the Blind along the way.

This year I’ve been so thankful for my chiropractor, Dr. Krieg.  He really got my back aligned and my sciatica cured so I could put in all the running miles.  I ran more miles in a week than I had ever thought I would want to, and enjoyed every step of it.

This summer, I ran in hotter temperatures than I had ever voluntarily chosen to run, by giving myself permission to turn around if I wanted to.  I also learned how to make my running more enjoyable by taking water with me on my runs.  Not only did it keep me hydrated, but it also allowed me to take nutrition with me to eat at my half-way mark.  This one technique alone – hydrating a couple of ounces every mile – helped me to run as many as 50 miles in a week.

Also, this winter I gave myself permission to run in colder weather than I usually enjoy.  Typically this time of the year it is very hard for me to get out and run due to snow on the trail, but the cold temps usually keep me inside as well. This year I gave myself a cut-off temp of 20 degrees F.  It’s still cold, but at 20 my lungs don’t freeze!  But I’ll write more about my winter running in another blog.

In 2010 I plan on finishing my marathon book.  I am also going to be doing some motivational speaking.

T is now “A Better You Coach”  and she can coach you on just about anything to help you achieve your “better you” -  health and wellness, or even help you grow your small business.  Check out her website at: www.ABetterYouCoach.com

I have more to tell you about upcoming events in 2010, so stay tuned to this blog for more great stories and inspiration!  Make it a great week!

How ’bout it?

–Vision Runner

Permission Slips

 ^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   

Today I’ll be doing an interview with our local NBC station about my Run Over To the Ellen TV Show (Run Over To Ellen’s) and the half-marathon that’s coming up on Sunday. We’re getting quite a little bit of promotion for my fundraising for Guide Dogs for the Blind cause here lately, thanks to T and Carol. 

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.