goals

I know Life in an Instant didn’t publish on Sunday, but I have a good reason … Saturday morning I woke up at 4:45 am, laced up my sneakers and took a 40 minute bus ride to Bastrop, Texas to complete my very first half marathon, Zooma Texas.

It was still dark as our bus made its way up and down the narrow winding roads I would soon be climbing with my own two feet. I must admit, I was overly apprehensive. I doubted my ability and forgot all of the many, many miles my sneakers had racked up leading up to this very moment.

There wasn’t much time to doubt myself, the sun was rising and racers were being called to the starting line. I gave my sister in law one last hug and she was gone, up to the front of the line where faster runners belonged. Suddenly, I was all alone. The countdown began and we were off.
I had spent months carefully selecting each song that would escort me on my journey, but someone had other plans for me. A different playlist sounded in my ears and the notes and words could not have been more perfectly selected for my journey. I didn’t even make it across the starting line before my eyes were filling with tears.

I turn the music up, I got my records on
I shut the world outside until the lights come on
Maybe the streets alight, maybe the trees are gone
I feel my heart start beating to my favorite song

The songs kept coming just like that, as if they had been perfectly orchestrated for what and how I was feeling, so uplifting. I had done my research, I knew the obstacles that lay in front of me. The 2.5 mile mountain that started the run, the next 5 miles of up & downs. I was more than intimidated, yet somehow my feet found the way.

The miles ticked by. The first 8 came much faster than I thought they would … but those last 5.1, well they seemed to take forever. Lucky for me, I had a support network cheering me on. Messages from my husband, tweets from my friends and this adorable fella rooting me on
That last show of support came in my darkest hour of the run and gave me the strength I needed to dig deep and push through till the end. Thanks Tricia! You guys were a lifesaver.
I dedicated the last three miles of the run to my kiddos, spending a whole mile focusing on each of them helped take my mind off of the fatigue I was feeling. This shot was right after I got Tricia’s tweet and found a second wind, I powered it out and as I came along that last half mile stretch the racers who had already finished started cheering me on. As I rounded the last curve and saw the 13 mile marker, my sister in law was there waiting for me (LOVE YOU MEGAN — FOREVER AND EVER). Somehow I found the power to sprint to her, we high fived and I ran across that finish line.
The post race rewards were breathtaking, I highly recommend you check out the Lost Pines Resort if you’re ever near Austin or Bastrop, Texas. I know my family will be taking a trip there as soon as I can arrange one! I’m ready to experience all that I’ve seen firsthand with the ones I love now, lazy river and all.

I still can’t believe what we accomplished, to think when we toyed around with the idea in November I wasn’t even able to run a mile. We “trained together” via text and email — she lives in California. We cheered each other on during long runs and kept up with one another on dailymile. We were dedicated and found a way to make it happen.

It truly is amazing what your body can do if you can get your mind to be quiet long enough to let it! I’ve wanted to tell you all for so long now, but didn’t want to let anyone down. Now that I’ve achieved my goal, I have a few notes and lessons learned I’d like to share with you. If you have any specific questions you’d like me to answer or just want to leave a kind word, I sure would appreciate it.

So tell me, what did you do this week?

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Photo: J Crew

Ever had one of those days? Do you sometimes feel as if you’ve had a chain of those days or as if things are piling up on you all at once? Often times we add to a stressful situation and actually make things appear worse than they really are. After all, our ability to handle any situation is 90% attitude, 10% circumstance.

Fortunately for us, Andrea from the ShortcutSleuth.com has come up with 10 really great ways we can overcome stress RIGHT NOW. I’m delighted to share an excerpt of these tips with you now.

1. Let the small things slide. - I promise you’ll feel better for it in the long run, Andrea tells us to “Figure out what really matters and choose your battles.”

2. Don’t set unrealistic goals - OK, I have a feeling we’re all guilty of this one, but when Andrea points out that, “if we expect too much” from ourself and others, “then we always set ourselves up for disappointment” it makes me reconsider.

3. Learn to say ‘no’ - I’m not sure about you, but this is a really tricky one for me. Still Andrea is pretty convincing when she says, When you’re only doing the tasks you really want to, you will be more effective and less stressed.

4. Take time for yourself every day. We’re so accustomed to doing for everyone else that sometimes we forget to focus on what we need, want and like. If we make ourself a TOP priority, then it is easier to handle the source of stress in our lives.

5. Let yourself be a kid again - This is a point we should all take close to heart. Andrea is so right with this one, have you ever noticed how a child can go from end of the world bawling to barrel of laughs in 0.001 seconds? We were that way too…. once. Let you child be your guide and try to reclaim this lost ability. Take the time to just let go and be spontaneous. Do something fun and let yourself laugh! For a few minutes, just forget about all of the responsibilities you have as an adult and in no time at all you’ll feel rejuvenated.

6. Keep a sense of humor - Sometimes when things aren’t so great, you just have to look at things and see the funny side of them. The saying that “laughter is the best medicine” rings true for many of us.

7. Take time to exercise. Not only does exercise keep you in good physical and mental shape, but it also produces endorphins that make you feel good and relieves stress. Plus, exercising is a great way to focus on ourselves, if even for a moment.

8. Eat healthy. When your diet is well-balanced, you just plain feel better. When we’re stressed, we tend to reach for comfort foods or foods that are not the best for us. They may make us feel better in the short-term, but maintaining a healthy diet will make us feel better overall.

9. Call a friend. When things are going badly, find the friend that you can count on for a good laugh or that helps you best put things in perspective, and give her a call.

10. Take a time out. When things are about to reach a breaking point, take a time out to regroup. Just like we put kids in time out so they can calm down and think about what they’ve done, time outs can work wonders for us as well.

This has been a summary of Andrea’s original post, 10 tips to Stop yourself from losing it

Have a few stress busting tips of your own? We’d love to hear them, leave a brief comment or email us at kidsstuffworld@gmail.com

Stacy

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