Day 6 - I ran 1.22 miles today..  I would like to run a little longer tomorrow.  We will see if I can squeeze it in with my crazy schedule.  Between work and studying for a class I'm taking its been difficult to find extra time.   :)   I was really happy about the photo of the day.  :)   I was passing a fence that has the green screen attached to it... the silhouette of the weeds on the other side of the fence and the sun shining through made for a great canvas.

Day 5 of running everyday this month!

 













I actually procrastinated on my run all day today.  :)   It was challenging because I went to a super bowl party and enjoyed the friends and food and just couldn't pull myself away to run.  Sooooo when the party was winding down I zipped home grabbed my shoes and ran 1.34 miles around the streets of my neighborhood in the drizzling rain.  It was actually pretty refreshing!  Anyway... I do not recommend running after dark and it really does make for boring photos... oh well... here is the pic from day 5.  :)

Running everyday of February!

Day 4 of 29 - I ran 1.25 miles today.  It was a beautiful day for a run!  25 days to go!  :)

Day 3 of 29 - Running!  :)  - Today I ran 2.30 miles.  I felt really good like I could have ran forever.   :)  We will see how it goes tomorrow!  :)

February is the coolest month!

So many exciting things have been happening in recent months.  I had the opportunity to visit my family in Oregon over Christmas.    We even stayed a couple days on the spectacular Oregon coast while I was there.  You can see a photo of Haystack rock here.  :)

Since I've returned to Maui from the holidays naturally I have been thinking through goals for 2012.  They are developing as the year progresses. 

In the area of health and wellness I have enrolled in a class to get certified as a personal trainer.   I have been studying a absorbing as much information as possible in the last two weeks.  As I study I keep thinking I need to be living out the lifestyle as well.    So each day I am making an effort to make progress towards my physical fitness as well.

Since I started running for "fun" in 2005 I have heard about these crazy runners who run absolutely every day for years and years.   Every time I hear about these people I think, "that's nuts!" and "I want to do that!!!"

Recently I received a flyer for a Leap year fun run.  Its basically getting everybody to get out there and run, walk, jog or crawl on February 29th for 2.9 miles.  This run wont be held again for another 4 years so I want to encourage anyone who reads this to register and do it too!   Go to lifeasarunningmom.blogspot.com and sign up!  Its going to be fun!!!  :)   I decided that I will run everyday of February (at least one mile)  so I can say I ran for 29 days straight and on the 29th I ran 2.9 miles.  :)  Its going to be fun!  :)  So to keep me accountable I am going to try and snap a photo every day on my run and post as many of them as I can on here.  :) 












So here are a couple pictures from my last two days.

Day 1 - 1.27 miles:

Day 2 - 2.56 miles: 

OK...  its been two awesome days in a row and I'm looking forward to tomorrow!  :)  Aloha!

Out and About!

Its been entirely too long since I've posted something...  the reality of it is that I have kept really busy.  I have been feeling better and so I have been out doing... and that is a wonderful thing when I think of where I've come from in the last year and a half or so.  :)  So anyway... its basically midnight and I should be in my bed fast asleep and instead I am going to post a couple photos and try and post again soon!  :)  Enjoy!

Expressing my Gratitude

Dear Family and Friends,

I think a lot of times we live in a world of “What Ifs”. What if I did this instead of that… What if _______ you fill in the blank for your own what if. In recent years I’ve made a practice of not entertaining thoughts of what if and trying to live in the present moment the best I can. Although today I have a very different what if in my mind.

On July 25, 2010 exactly one year ago today I was in a car accident that left me battling chronic neck and back pain for this year. Most of you know the details of that day. For those of you who don’t I was the passenger in my friend’s car. We were traveling on one of the highways here in Hawaii. We approached a construction zone and slowed to a stop. A couple minutes passed and I noticed a very fast moving pickup truck behind us. This pickup hit us traveling about 50 mph. He launched us into the oncoming traffic where we only nearly missed being hit from the front as well.

I was left with a painful neck and back injury. Early on in the recovery process I developed a heightened sense of thankfulness. There are factors that could have made the outcome of that day so very different. On this one-year anniversary I’d like to express my gratitude that I am here writing this message and thanking God that things turned out exactly how they did.

First of all I am so thankful that I am alive today. This year held so many amazing blessings. Since I was 15 years old I have dreamed of going to Paris and not only did I go but I got to visit precious friends AND run a half marathon there!

I am thanking God that I can appreciate the pain that I have had because even thought I have sleepless nights I can still pull myself out of bed and walk on my own two feet every morning.

I am also so very thankful for God’s most amazing provision. I had the privileged of being treated by the best physical therapist in the world! (and YES you are the best Tiffany Pragnell at South Shore PT!)

I can say that one year later most days I am pain free and that in some ways I am even stronger than I was even before the accident happened.

I am overcome with thankfulness when I think of my amazing friends and how they have faithfully loved and supported me through all the phases of my recovery. You’ve listen to me complain and have been so patient with me though these phases. You’ve talked me through the sadness that comes along with these types of experiences. You’ve prayed and spoken vibrancy and hope into my life.

I am learning through my injury a more balanced approach towards living life. I have been notorious in the past for living an extreme and crazy lifestyle. My body doesn’t tolerate marathon cleaning, marathon catching up, marathon sleep depravation… maybe it only tolerates real marathons now… heheeh… with balance consistent training that is. J Practicing balance is rewarding and a skill I haven’t had before this year.

The biggest thing I want to continue to learn and not forget through this experience is to continue to live each day to the fullest. I know that there is obviously a reason I’m still on this earth and I need to live accordingly.

Everyone reading this has played a roll in this challenging but amazing year. I love you and I am thankful for all of you. You’ve been the silver lining in many a cloud fill day this last year!

With all my gratitude and love

Cindy