Why I Run

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You might run for the thrill. You sail into the zone, keep on like you’re under a spell. I wish it came so naturally to me, wish these limbs would move with knowing.

I run because I was terrible at it. And I’m less terrible the more I do it. I run to silence the aspiration for what’s easy. To teach my body to endure, hold on just a little longer. I run to meet my weaker self head on – conquer her on strong legs Treadmill2so I limp less under my load. I sprint for the fullness of being alive because I often forget how to live. I remember the power of simplicity. I jog to find my pace and cadence. I run to take ownership of myself and to stretch my reserve. I run to claim every day that is mine.

I run because good enough isn’t good enough.

 

See me wrestle? Why I Sweat

 

Women’s Self-Defense: Why I Sweat [Videos]

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I’m going to borrow from Clinton.

Because I can.

Working out is a grateful reminder that all my body parts are intact. It is the opportunity to keep whole. This one body I’ve been given carries my day, helps carry my family. This frame is my tomorrow, and I want to be around for my grandchildren. If I don’t take care of myself, no one else will.

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Are more than markers on the elliptical. My older years hang on how I’ll do in these next ten.

We’re made to move, the office chair to car to store to office chair to TV couch a postmodern anomaly in human history. Tiring on the treadmill, I’ve wondered, What if I went just another mile…and another?  How strong could I get?  I’m my own limit.

So here’s a glimpse of me in action at the gym where my guys and I take classes. I’m a fish out of water, the runt of the pack. The women are afraid of hurting me when we spar. As I was taping, I told them I was doing a video on how NOT to do martial.

Not thrilled to be on camera, I asked Holistic Husband to cut some more footage as he prepared the links. He refused: “When we’re 70, we can show the grandkids. See? Grandma used to wrestle.”

Youth MMA Belt Promotion [Wrestling]

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Last Saturday, Tennyson (in the orange) aka T Dog, moved up to a Sr. Yellow Belt in Mixed Martial Arts. After mastering the techniques required for the next belt the last several months, the students had to take down three opponents in the ceremony. In the video, T Dog is helping each child earn his/her next belt. Mine’s the loudest voice you’re hearing: “GOooo T Dog! Push!!” My throat hurt the next four days. You can hear Gavin’s mom and me cheeryelling our boys side by side. Our husbands should’ve filmed US. T Dog didn’t do so great when it came time to wrestle for his own promotion. I think he’d burned off his breakfast by then and got low on blood sugar. After refueling, he did better in class than he’d done in the ring.

Props to the coaches at the UFC Gym of Corona.  We love the self-defense T Dog’s learned, to handle attacks from bullies and kidnappers. And when learning to ride sans training wheels last year, he applied the breakfalls and didn’t get hurt falling. We are the biggest fans of the UFC kids’ program!