I can remember the first taste I had of the Army. My roommates Laura and Carol had invited me on a weekend survival trip with the USCA Army ROTC at Fort Gordon, GA. It was a good diversion from the weekend studying I had planned.
The weekend was full of road marches, survival tips and my favorite land navigation (not!). The rest as they say, is history. I was hooked. So much so, the following week I enrolled in Army ROTC and two years later I was commissioned as an Officer in the US Army. I served in Somalia, Panama and South Korea. I have seen the best and the worst humanity has to offer, but I wouldn’t change that experience one bit. I have extreme gratitude to have served our great country as a female solider. It is so great to see how far women have come in all of the forces. We make the circle whole.
Tom morrow I will be participating in my first run in the DC area ~ the Veteran’s Day 10k & 2 mile walk. The proceeds will go to the local chapter of Team Red, White and Blue. I picked up my packet today:
The shirt is super sweet because it has long sleeves. I’m almost tempted to wear it tomorrow, but alas that is a running faux pas. It’s going to be cold tomorrow, so I purchased some Brooks™ running gloves. We’ll see how warm they keep me. Happy Miles to You!!
Happy Sunday everyone. I usually do my mileage recaps every Sunday, but every now and again, time and circumstances get the best of me.
First, let me give a shout out to all my friends who ran the New York City Marathon today! They say there was 50,000 runners. Unbelievable! I was reading an article about a teacher who experienced one of the major school shootings and she had a quote that running “heals the soul”. I agree with that statement. That will be one of my last races I do in my mileage journey.
Training is steady as she goes for next week’s 2018 Veteran’s Day 10k Race. Not a long race, but the beneficiaries of the race will be Team Red, White & Blue, a group that helps veterans around the area. There are chapters all around the country. I’m just happy to be running.
Running
I continue to improve my pace on the shorter runs. My breathing is good and my stamina is slowly building. It has been a bit of a struggle trying to get back to what I consider an optimum pace for my age ~ lol! I still maintain my goal to beat my PR marathon goal of 4:41 and keeping my average pace in the 9:00 min range. I finished October with 58.65 miles ~ about 10 shy of last month.
This weeks long run was okay. I was a little winded from lack of sleep (excuses I know) but I got it done. The trail was covered in leaves in a lot of places which made running difficult because I was looking at the ground so I wouldn’t slip and fall! Plus I was taking pictures! I think my pace would have been in the 10 minute range. It was just so pretty!
You can see the leaves falling in the video!!!
I have completed 5734.82 miles in my journey with 5580.18 gratefully remaining.
Cycling
Not much to update here, after the 10k I look forward to focusing on my cycling.
The individual that died was a big part of my life for about five years. She was a step-sister in a marriage that didn’t work out. We were all young during that time. It was a difficult time in my life and when she contacted me about six years ago I had reservations about starting up a conversation. We became online friends and kept in touch with each other through the years. She had experienced a lot of ups and downs, but I always kept a line open and offered my telephone number many times in case she wanted to call, but she never offered hers. I hadn’t heard from her for a while and then a couple of months ago she contacted me to tell me her mother had passed from pancreatic cancer, again I offered her my number. I had checked up on her a couple of times insisting she give me a call. I got her address and sent her a sympathy card which she acknowledged she received and that she would respond. During our conversations she had told me how she was working hard ~ studying for a Spanish test and how things were going well. She had missed her Mother, but that life was moving forward. Then I heard the news that she had hung herself. As I write this, I can’t put into words what I’m really feeling. Bewilderment, sadness, and sympathy for a life cut short. I was dumbfounded as to why she would do this until I went on her Facebook page and saw how she had been battling depression for a long time. It’s sad for me to hear and I often find myself thinking about her even though I hadn’t seen her since she was a little girl. I guess I feel she just didn’t get a fair shake. Life isn’t fair, no doubt. So, if you’re following me in this month of gratitude ~ I ask for a gift gentle reader. Reach out to someone – by voice. A short call or a meeting for coffee. Talk to them and let them know you care. It doesn’t have to be sappy. Sometimes just sitting there, together, sipping wine or drinking coffee is enough. Pick up the phone and say hello. That might be all it takes. I firmly believe we have allowed ourselves to become too dependent on communication through social media programs as primary communication. We are forgetting the art of conversation and interaction with other people. My thoughts only…
Rachel was a beautiful woman:
She leaves behind two children and will be missed. Even though we separated under strenuous circumstances, life is about forgiveness and growth. Rachel is in the arms of the angels and free from the pain she experienced on this beautiful earth. May she rest in peace.
I feel I should post this to help anyone in need:
National Suicide Hotline: Call 1-800-273-8255
I hope this Sunday finds you in a peaceful state of mind. Happy Miles to You. “in this sweet madness, this sweet glorious sadness”….
11315 Miles 