Tired and sore...

The Tucson Marathon started at 7 am from the town of Oracle and ended in Catalina, 26.2 miles. The first runner crossed the finish line right before 8:30 am. I think his name was Andrew, he completed the half marathon. 3,500 runners were expected to take part in the event on a course that dropped nearly 2,200 feet in elevation as the runners headed toward the finish line. It was a cool morning, perfect running weather...at the start, but it quickly became cold and windy. I heard from many of the runners how that wind whipped up and caused great resistance as they made their way home. Our tables were set up by 8 am...I started work on runners about 8:45 am. It was almost non-stop until 1 pm! I took a break about 11:45 am because I was already feeling my blood sugars dropping, so I had 1/4 of a banana, a tortilla with a thin spread of peanut butter, a handful of trail mix, and a Gatorade. Glen and I had breakfast at 5:30 am, so that helped. By the time the last massage ended, I needed a massage! Honestly, right now, my shoulders, legs and lower back are killing me. It was a great experience though...surely sports massage is a great specialized field to get into. There was one young woman who was suffering from hypothermia, and it took over 2 hours, and 6 blankets, to get her body back to core temperature. There were some EMT's closeby in case the situation worsened, it did not, thank goodness. I watched this one guy's calf muscle spasming, literally, you could see the muscle move as if electric...it was crazy! He said he'd never seen anything like that, and to sit there and watch his own body do that...

As it gets closer to Christmas, I find myself keeping busy or busier than usual because I don't like the holiday...growing up we didn't have a whole lot, although I didn't know it at the time, then in my previous life it was pretty much the same, so that is really I know. I've tried in the past couple of years to direct my toughts toward the true meaning of the season, but I find that so much of what I feel today is due to negative self talk, deep seeded beliefs (whether true or not), that just seem to grip me! To say that Christmas is so commercialized sounds cliche, but true. How do we turn the tide, change our thoughts, and celebrate the spirit in which it is meant? I suppose it starts within each one of us. Me...because I can only change myself, but it is a losing battle when retailers send out flyers with all their specials, mall parking lots are jam packed with shoppers, etc. Besides, my family would never go for it...they're as much into the gift buying/spending, and giving as anyone else. What happens to me? I follow. That is probably why I am so miserable this time of year. Perhaps it is time to let go of the past, I cannot change it, I can only learn from it. Embrace the here and now, the present, because, really, it is all I have. Tomorrow is promised to no one.

Then comes the new year when we look back and reflect on what we've done, what we haven't, then resolve to change it all...next year! Rarely do we accomplish this and we are right back to where we started! Lose weight, quit smoking, budget our money and time, eat healthy, whatever it is that we want to change in the new year, why not start now, today...get a head start kind of!

My, I am tired...my thoughts ramble...if you're still reading...good night! Talk soon...