A Grimace or a Smile?

@postaday 336; #postaday2011.

My husband and I get in touch with each other over Twitter, Facebook, text msgs and email. Sometimes we even talk on the phone! We work different shifts. We’re not sitting within a few feet of each other virtually taunting each other. Well, we do that on the weekends. We like to have fun, and we like to share our joking around with our friends.

When we want to take something offline, we’ll text or email each other. Late this afternoon he asked me how my #5kin100days was going. My problem is that I sometimes mistakenly read biting criticism or sarcasm into messages from John or other people. I drive myself nuts trying to figure out what I did to deserve the flippant abuse. Really, I’m working on myself about that. Pretty soon I’ll be convinced that if you’re sending me crap vibes online, I’ll be so over you in a flash. Pretty soon!

Of course, there’s no fear of that really happening. Haha. I responded that I was current with the program, my right knee hurt, and that I could run tonight or tomorrow and still be within the schedule.

So I went tonight. As I was walking down our street, I was quite taken by the lovely sunset, and I had to stop the Map My Fitness app on my iPhone to take some photos. I turned toward the ocean and the sky kept getting prettier. Although this wasn’t the route I had planned, I told myself it was good to be flexible and the kids were fed. I walked toward the overpass that spans Kalanianaole Highway at Lunalilo Home Road and took more pictures when I got on top. I then went down on the side of my daughter’s school, Koko Head, and decided to take in the fancy neighborhood during the walking portion of my program.

When I got back to my side of the highway, it was time for me to do my runs, six 5-minute runs with 1-minute walks in between. I was on my fourth run when I got to the light at Kamiloiki Park where I touched a pole and went back in the direction I had come from with about a minute to spare. I had two more runs to go, and decided during my last run to extend it to the corner of Anapalau and Lunalilo Home Road, close to home, and at a 10-minute stopping point. Wow! I extended the last set four minutes, and felt pretty good!

Here are my stats. 

When I got to Kamiloiki and turned around, it was fully dark and I was facing cars speeding by with their headlights pointed at me. I realized that people who were looking at me might think I’m in pain. I decided to smile. I decided that if I am grimacing, that it wouldn’t take much more effort to turn a grimace into a smile. I thought about what I was doing. How I have come a long way since I burst my Achille’s Tendon in February 2009. At one point tonight I had a twinge in my right calf that made me gasp, but I said to myself if it had happened to the left leg I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, so I pressed on. But I was actually happy about being able to get my body into a forward motion, although slow, but more than a stroll or a fast walk. I am much better than I was 21 months ago. I have a lot to be happy about. Sometimes a friend might say to me, “SMILE!” and I am so grateful that they take the time to tell me that. It’s like saying, “Gimme that smile! I love that smile!” It really brightens my day!

When I’m out there riding my bicycle or training on foot I hope I always keep myself from looking like I’m in sad-face mode and remember to smile, especially when I’m out there racing against the wrinkles of Father Time.