Motivate Me Monday: Courage and Following Your Bliss

Happy Monday! It's snowing here and my boys are doing the snow dance on their way to the bus stop. We won't get much of an accumulation, but we'll take anything that resembles a winter after these very mild winter months. Granted, it's March, but it's so beautiful outside, I wish today was a run day for me so I can run through the flurries.  Do you like running in the snow?

I found these this past week!


1)  Whenever I see a runner with prosthetic legs, I am always inspired.  They really make my excuses for not working out or not running pathetic.  They encourage me to dream big, and to be grateful and blessed. 

Source

2)  Lately, this is why I run.  I've been feeling a bit testy lately and a good dose of 5 miles out there every Tuesdays and Thursdays help me do what I have to do as a stay-at-home mom with more patience.  Amazing how 5 miles can help me feel better about doing laundry!

Source

3)  My runner friends (off and online) have been bitten by the trail running bug lately.  I would LOVE to run a trail course one day, but I can't right now due to my SI Joint Dysfunction (that keeps getting mis-aligned) which pulls at my ITB, making it feel sore...oh and of course there's PF.  I'm a mess.  There's this awesome 5 and 10-Mile loop of trails near my house that everyone goes to with our local running store.  I've heard what a great workout it is - it is both challenging (hills) and fun.  So everyone seems to be going there for long runs, leaving me to do my long runs on the road...alone.  My Physical Therapist said to stick to the roads, to the more even surfaces.  It's easy to get caught up with what everyone else is doing and want to do/try the same thing, but I need to listen to my body if I want to keep running until I'm 90.

Source

4)  Speaking of 90 year olds, have you met Ida Keeling?  Ms. Keeling is America's oldest sprinter who, back in 2011, broke the world's sprinting record at the age of 95.  I love seeing older runners at races.  At my last race, Virginia Is For Lovers 14K (yes, race recap is coming, don't give up on me yet, LOL!), I saw a couple of runners who looked like they were in their 60s.  I couldn't help but feel, man, I want to be running when I'm in my 60s and beyond!  Like Ms. Keeling....




and this man....



Hmmm...perhaps there is hope that I will eventually qualify for Boston in my 80s!  Wow, that would be sweet!


5)  This quote got me thinking about who I really am.  Well, right now, I am a runner and a mom.  I want to be a visual artist one day, but it's not working out right now.  I think in our life, there are many stages of growing up.  When I graduated from college, I was an Environmental Scientist, then after grad school, I was a Landscape Architect.  Then, I became a mom.  Now I am a mom and a runner.  I'm looking forward to who I will become after Little Man goes to elementary school (in 2014!).  I hope I get to still be a runner.  I will always be a mom, but I know there is something else I want to become. 

Source

I hope you all have a great week!  I started the new week with Yoga this morning, a much needed class since I feel so tight everywhere!  Sitting in a car for 6 hours each way AFTER doing a 12-miler last Friday was not fun.  So I'm looking forward to a week of stretching and more yoga.


How was your weekend and your weekend runs?  Did anyone race this past weekend?  Any new inspirations and motivations for you this week?