For the entirety of the past week I have felt like... crap. I haven't been abe to sleep well. Something startles me awake on a regular basis now days it seems and when I wake up I'm unable to go back to sleep because my neck and/or my shoulder hurt. I've been seeing a chiropractor but it's a very slow progression toward healing. During the day I've been unbelievably tired (and a bit lazy - especially with the housework) and have not been taking care of myself or my family's dietary needs. And when I don't eat properly I of course feel more... crappy. I haven't eaten a lot of junk really, I just haven't taken in enough calories and I've eaten pretty late several times this week. It's been sort of a vicious cycle that I plan to abort this weekend. I WILL take this problem head on come Sunday evening becase I. AM. A. WINNER! Right? Right. Anyway, in spite of the obvious challenges this week I've still managed to run consistently, although I know I could have done better if I had felt better and taken better care of myself. My total for this week was 9.7 miles. Part of what has kept me going has been running with my best friend, Jennifer. We help to keep one another accountable, motivated and competitive. Because we live about 15 minutes apart (with not much but empty roads and uneven highway between us) running together in my territory or hers has been a welcome change of pace and scenery. Yesterday evening was by far my best run of the week. The first mile was not as bad as it normally is, probably because we'd just had a storm and the temperature at 7:00 pm was only around 80 degrees so the humidity was a bit kinder to us as a result. The second mile was slightly harder because of the lengthy inclines and buckling pavement in one of the neglected streets we ran. But when we rounded the corner of the main highway that leads back to my house I felt rejuvenated and ready for more. As we made our way past the tiny community college on our left I began to see the end in sight. For the last .3 of a mile I picked up my pace and held it steadily all the way to the lamp post in my driveway. I felt amazing! It was just the boost I needed to cast off this miserable week. If there had been a banner to break I would have broken it and dubbed myself THE WINNER! I wanted a trophy, a ribbon, applause, a parade! Instead, my son brought us two big cups of water because Jennifer and I were unable to move out of my driveway for a bit. We managed to cool down and stretch, which is my favorite part, and I spent the rest of my evening basking in the tiny glory of knowing I was ready to do more.

At first I thought that running was about the small, measurable victories. I thought I could measure success in distance or time but last night was different. I didn't run the fartheset I'd ever ran or even make the best time I could possibly make. What made it special was that my body let me know I was again, ready for more. If I continued to work hard my body would reward me. Victory isn't in how far you run or how long it takes you to get there, it's in you. And it's those moments that make me want to take a week like the one I've had and leave it in the dust. I want to shake off the grime that a lack of sleep and poor diet covers me in and move forward. Finding and keeping motivation is WINNING! And if you can find a giant, cheesey, motivational poster to pin on your wall, well that is fabulous!