"Don’t follow in my footsteps; I run into walls."..

"God’s plan is like a movie. All the good and bad things are arranged together for the good ending."

I am a Airhead. For those that REALLY know me, they may think this is even a understatement. I try so hard to compartmentalize my actions, thoughts and emotions. My mind moves like a rollercoaster. It goes in hyper speed to up and down and often spiraling out of control. I have wires loose, fried and not connected at all. It seems to work OK...most of the time. Well I guess that depends on who you talk to though. But my scatterbrain usually equates to something getting lost..misplace is the way I like to word it.
I personally think it is a genetic disposition. My mom was the same way.
I REALLY try HARD to not be preoccupied, I try to be focused, rational, attentive..But something happens....

I lost Andys Keys!! He has been out of town to Haiti all week. I had to bring his truck to the church tonight so he had a way home and LOST his keys. Now loosing keys is like second nature to me. I have lost so many keys and locked my keys in the car so often that "On Star" would make jokes with me when I would call them.
We now own a FORD so it has a key pad. Kinda weird I can memorize numbers easy enough but not where I put things!

I was seriously asking people to pray for me to find those keys at church. I even told the boys if they found dads keys I would give them 20$ (cheaper than calling a locksmith)!

Well I had a long run today, 19 miles. I had a hard time focusing on my run because the "loss of ANDYS keys" really had taken up EVERY compartment in my overstimulated brain. I could hardly focus on anything.
Heidi had accepted my invite to run with me for at least half my run today. I was trying to zone in on my gratitude there. 
We had a great run together. I ran 9 miles alone before I met her. Together we ran  8 miles together. The day was so beautiful but we really needed the water today.  We actually did a couple loops to her house to hydrate again. We maintained a pace under 9's. That was incredible. We were both "Feeling it"
by the time we separated I had less than 2 miles to go. But I was still standing, my blister wasn't irritating me, and the sun was STILL shining!!
But then...in the quietness of my homeward run...ANDY'S KEYS surfaced into my thoughts!!
I wasn;t home 5 minutes and Andy actually called me from Miami! I had to break the news to him. He was trying to be happy but he was a bit irritated with me, That made two of us.
I hung up the phone and within 5 more minutes I prayed..MORE, and continued to look...I FOUND THEM!!
They were in my car..where we looked a few hundred times!

KHLOE!! my Great Niece..Isn't she GREAT!

Just when I didn't think the day could get any better, my niece and nephew came over with their daughter. What a incredible day.

HYDRATION: 5 Simple Facts: DRINK ONLY TILL THIRSTY!

1. On long runs (more than 7-9 miles) An hour before you start your run, try to drink about 16 ounces of water or other non-caffeinated fluid. 
2.  You should take in 4 to 6 ounces of fluid every 20 minutes during your runs.
3. During longer workouts (90 minutes or more), some of your fluid intake should include a sports drink (like Gatorade) to replace lost sodium and other minerals (electrolytes). 
4. Post run:You should drink 20 to 24 fl oz. of water for every pound lost.
5. Kinda gross but.. If your urine is dark yellow after your run, you need to keep re-hydrating. 

Anita

Some things you never forget.

If you do not know me very well I am going to share a character trait of mine that I am often defined by....FORGETFUL.
My mother was the same way. I am not sure how this characteristic can be passed down but I am a witness to tell you it was.
It is more than walking into a room and forgetting why you walked into it. Or where you put your keys.
My forgetfulness handicaps me. It actually makes me angrybecause I feel so tortured by it..
I know that I can resolve allot of my absentmindedness by simply slowing down.
Staying organized and keeping things compartmentalized.
But here lies another character defect ....I am a yes person. If you need something or want something just ask. I will come running!
Speaking of running that is the one item I never forget to do. I need to do.
Running is for me a compartment that I can relocate lost thoughts, ideas, plans, and perspectives. This is my box of clarity and focus. Running to me is my time I am the most brilliant! At least that is how I feel because most of the time I feel scatter brained and off my rocker. I try to find my lists that will keep me organized or answer phone calls only to remember " Oh crap, that's  right I was supposed to call them back."
Running is my therapy. It is like my Ritalin,  Prozac and Dr. Phil all combined together!

This morning my husbands  alarm went off at 5:45 am to the voice of a local DJ saying " Currently in Flint it is already 79 degrees." That woke me up like a drill sergeant. All I could think of was " I gotta go, I gotta go early, I have so much to do today. I have to go early."  I had already started a list for the next two days and I had to get it all done so running was going to have to kick off my schedule of events. Running in the afternoon  in almost 100 degrees was not an option.
7:40am I got the kids off and I was right behind them. . It was 82 degrees. Piping hot. It was a good run. 5 miles.
I found the list and even got everything done on that! Running is a great time for me to "be still" but it is not replaceable with reading the bible. While praying and meditating on my runs is quite routine it does not replace reading the word. This is another one of the items that is not on a list but something that has to get done in my day Or things are off for me.

I did not lose my list. I got it all done. I managed my run and my reading in there. I also squeezed my sons poetry luncheon in there. I do not think I forgot anything..But I wont know till I remember!

CRAZY THINGS I HAVE FORGOTTEN..NO LIE.

• I car pool. More than once I have forgotten a kid and had to go back to the school. A few weeks ago I picked up my son and we went to a nearby city to get some groceries when I got a phone call. I actually got two,  school and my husband saying that I forgot to bring my sons friend home. I forgot I was taking him home.
• I ran a Thanksgiving race last year, The Turkey Trot. I was so worried for my husband getting around on crutches (he had surgery for a ruptured Achilles) and for me being DROPPED off in Detroit to run alone that I forgot my Garmin, my IPOD and My gum...But I remembered my phone and my Wonder Woman Cape!!
• When I was in Boston for the Marathon I got a phone call from my work. They were calling me to find out when I was coming back because I had clients in. I forgot to mark off my day!!
• I forget everything, my purse, my wallet, My makeup bag on vacations along with computer chargers and keys. I have lost my keys or locked my keys in the car so much that when I called the police they knew me BY NAME! 

Anita