Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, Just Sweat...

141 days
5 miles
46 minutes 13 seconds


I have completed two Saturday training runs with Luke's Locker. So far so good. I wish I was running a little faster than I am right now, but I know there is plenty of time to pick up the pace. I thought it would be really hard to wake up early, but am realizing I just may be a morning runner, I just never knew it. There is something peaceful about running in the morning. Katy Trail is quiet and empty. The opportunity to get my run over with and tackle the day has been really awesome.

A couple of weeks ago my boyfriend and I met one of his college friends for dinner. She is one of those people you feel like you have known forever from the start. She is so sweet and we had a lot of fun. At one point she was talking about how she has always wrestled with "self-inflicted guilt". Feeling guilty for things she shouldn't feel guilty for. As I was running this week I realized I suffer from some self-infliction too. I stress about anything and everything, on and off the trail.

One particular run this week I had to go the restroom so bad. It was early in the run and I was so frustrated that I didn't go before I left the house. For the first half of my run I was stressing. How was I going to make it through this run? How will I make it through 26.2 miles without pissing my pants or worse? That snowballed into self-doubt and scenario after scenario of the challenges that I may or may not face. Like a holy vision, I spotted it, the most beautiful port-a-potty I have ever seen. Like a gift from heaven above. Orange and unoccupied. I was able to take care of business and have a really great run.

This is just one example of how I tend to live my life in a constant state of stress. After 30 years I have come to understand that things always works out. No matter how bad things are at the moment, my experience has been that there is always a port-a-potty along the way.

As I increase my mileage and continue to prepare for October I know the stress will be right on my heels. My palms are sweating just thinking about how nervous I will be the morning of the race. Breathe, run, sweat, but not the small stuff.

And when that stress catches up with me, I will picture that port-a-potty, in all its glory, and know that it will all be okay. It always is!

Three Songs That Made My Runs More Reale:

"California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg)" Katy Perry
"Woo Hoo (feat. Nicki Minaj)" Christina Aguilera
"Wash, Rinse, Repeat" Kelly Clarkson (unreleased)