Inspiration

The curious thing about inspiration is that you don't know where it will come from; a stream of consciousness post on Facebook or even a quick quip, a celebrity giving back in an extraordinary way or the kindness of a stranger. The pure poetry of nature...a gentle snow fall while sunlight strikes each snowflake magically turning the landscape to diamonds or the fleeting moment of a beautiful bird perched just outside the window can move you. For each of us, it is different, for each time of your life it will be different.

As I reach the mythical 7 year cycle, and my birthday that takes me to the year 35, I find that I am introspective. I am now officially not a kid, in fact I am approaching 40! Questions flood my head, 'what do I value?', 'am I the person I want to be?'. I thought for sure I would have run a second Marathon by now and instead I find running a daunting task. How is it that it is still so hard to motor my legs down the road? Why do my lungs burn and my mind scream in horror as I try to run a once easy trail? It isn't fair! I want it to be easy!

Then, completely out of the blue, my 6 year old son decided he wanted to run on our treadmill. I'm not sure if it was the countless races we have drug him to that sparked his curiosity or the countless stroller rides we subjected him to as we ran training runs, but I too remember a time when I thought the ghastly beast called a treadmill was friendly.

As his little body transitioned from the long, slightly awkward limbs into languid, graceful strides, it occurred to me that I was watching something extraordinary, something inspiring. The treadmill garnered more and more speed and he relished the idea of running faster and faster, unyielding to our pleas to take it easy. Finally at 3 1/2 miles, we coaxed him to stop. He beamed up at us and announced "I think I will do this a couple times a week...you know, to blow off steam.". Not bad for his 1st real run!

I realized that I too had once enjoyed running, as a child we all did. When did it become a chore? I replayed the images of his stride lengthening, stretching out, allowing him to feel free and uninhibited. Suddenly I was struck with the power of not taking it so seriously, using running to "blow off stream". Embracing running for the gift that it is, the time and space to have as your own and let your body move. As is the incredible gift of a child's clarity, my son's actions and enthusiasm spoke to me. Maybe, just maybe, this isn't hard. Maybe, just maybe, it is my thinking about it that is making running so hard.

Now, I'm not going to lie, climbing back on the beast after a long break is not easy, but the reward was the feeling of moving again. My knees moaned a bit and it took several minutes to easy into my stride, but I had silence finally from my constant over working mind. No more lists and reminders, no more bad self talk, just my body moving.

As I finished my run, my charming boy greeted me with the echo of my own words to him "I'm proud of you." and you know what? I am proud of me too.

Now where is that glass of wine I've earned?

-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.vivacwinery.com

Too. Much. Fuel.

With New Year's Day only a breath behind us, I promptly boarded a plane to Vegas. And yes I did vow just as all of you did to drink less and exercise more, eat better and get more sleep, so doesn't it make sense that I should start the year off with a Ladies trip to Vegas? Of course!

The entire time I was in Vegas, my running shoes never escaped the binds of my suitcase, but hey points for packing them right? My eating habits turned to the most indulgent of pleasures and my drinking? Well...they give you free champagne all over the city! What is a girl to do? Needless to say, on the plane ride home, I sat... half drunk, half hungover (a terrible combination) and I realized just how terribly I did with my new resolutions, in fact it was as if I had stood before the mighty New Year's God and announced my resolutions, then went hysterically laughing, naked and crazy down the street in the other direction. Thank goodness that is not a metaphor for what actually did happen in Vegas...no naked running down the street.

Once back at home, I decided that I needed to be a little less "Fueled by Vivac" and started a cleanse. I dutifully did my research seeking a good cleanse...on Facebook, and determined my own "Vegas detox". Honestly I live in the middle of no where and since I was gone for 3 days, there was literally no groceries in the house so it limited my possibilities. Lemon and water became my tonic and I struggled to add veggies and fruit. I cut out caffeine, alcohol (cue gasps of horror), wheat (which I do anyway, but should still get credit for), refined sugar and dairy. By day 2 I needed to have a hard boiled egg in addition to this crazy diet. Day 3 I forgot I wasn't eating cheese and by that evening had the DT's and broke down to have a glass of wine. A glass of the most divine, luscious, nectar ...Vivac Tempranillo. So evidently I do a cleanse a bit like I handle my resolutions.

However, I haven't failed miserably at it all. I learned to scale my "laws of the new year" and  have decided total restriction isn't the answer, but portion control is. A good night sleep naturally means less caffeine needed the next day and while we have become a crazed running family over the last couple years, ANY exercise is better than none. And finally, but most importantly...if you start drinking at lunch, you can consume your necessary, daily 4 glasses of wine without ever feeling the ill effects!

So I leave you to ponder your New Year's Resolutions, ask if you can really keep up with the demands you have set for yourself. I recommend you do this over a glass of wine...we don't want to jump into anything too quickly, it is only mid January after all and resolutions don't truly start till February 1st...right?

-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com

End of the World

December 21st 2012 is suppose to be the day the world ends. Why don't we make a pack to make our individual worlds end...whoa, not like that people. Think of a new world, one where instead of saying you are going to get into shape, you actually do it! A world where that bike on the side of the house rusting finally gets a tune up and a new tire and you actually ride it! Where you don't eat foods that are slowly giving you cancer. A world where you don't have to wait till 5:00pm to enjoy a glass of wine!

Why don't we dream a little bigger and end our personal worlds filled with judgement and self centered actions and replace them with true random acts of kindness (not just posting the ideas on your Facebook page). What if each of us, every single day, did something kind for another person for no reason, no benefit to ourselves, what would that collective world look like?

I plan to greet my new world on December 22nd without procrastination...OK less procrastination. I can see that will be difficult since I am already finding reasons why I won't be able to run on Dec 22nd. The bitter cold. I have to work that day. I'll probably be hung over. What? You can't expect me not to be drinking a fine wine as the world ends or not to drink a choice wine to celebrate the glory of a new world greeting me the next day! I never said this new world would have less wine in it, if it did, that my friends would truly be the end of days.

-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.vivacwinery.com

Running with Santa

As I spend more time running around trying to get the secret Santa shopping and wrapping done, I spend less and less time actually in my running shoes running!

With all this non athletic running, my mind is now running.

Most of us can agree, that this time of year is about loving, giving and appreciating what we have. That is unless you are a six-year-old. Then it is about Santa!

As parents of a six-year-old, it is about running! Running around like a crazy person trying to make a child still believe in Santa. I wonder why we do this? Is it for them or is it for us? Will the magic of Christmas really die with the belief in Santa? After all isn't this time of year about loving, giving and appreciating what we have?

What is it to believe? What is it to have faith? After all don't we believe in the idea that we really will start that diet or get back into shape? We keep believing that we will start running just not today but maybe tomorrow. We believe that we will stop eating all those Christmas cookies. So can't we keep a child believing in the magic without extra gifts and all the running around?

I plan to figure out the answers to all these questions… on my next run… which will start on the first of the new year of course!

Until then I will pop open a bottle of Vivác Cab and recheck my naughty and nice list.

-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family
www.vivacwinery.com

To Give and be Merry!

Tis the Season to give and be merry.  Evidently my husband misunderstood the concept of this and is now giving me a ton of poo and he seems quite merry about it!

Now as you all recall having read about Jesse's rigorous training through this blog, that I would be the one that trained and ran a race next. The only problem with this plan is that I have become incredibly lazy! As training for a Marathon forces your body into shape, sitting on the sofa forces it the other way. Trying to keep my running schedule now takes a monumental amount of mental work. I feel like a child trying to get out of going to school... "I can't today! I'm sick (fake cough a few times). I'm injured (fake limp for a few steps). I have a paper cut!"

Needless to say, I have needed a little prodding. Jess is a good prodder.

Our run on Friday revealed that I seem to have a new coach too. I'm not sure I like this guy either. While Jesse was ever the supporter coaching me through Marathon 1, this new side of him is full of torture and sick excitement. He cleverly waited till the last mile of our run, with me exhausted to the point I had stopped talking (takes a lot for me to stop talking), when he says "so what we are going to start doing is speed trials". He sounded absolutely delighted! He went on to outline my new training schedule, giving and giving and giving in true holiday spirit. His lack of recent running seems only to have catapulted him into a sadistic individual intent on my misery. How is he so happy and excited about this?

So, as I write to you, attempting to avoid the inevitable run looming in front of me today, I see that this holiday season will be kind to some of us and not to others...ooh ouch, I think I just paper cut myself on my keyboard!


-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.VivacWinery.com

Super Fuel

Well, I'd write about running, but I haven't been running...so... I won't. I'd write about working, but I'm writing to all of you to avoid working...so...I won't. I'd write about a new workout that you all should try, but I don't know of any.

Yep, currently the "Fueled by Vivác" is all about the fuel! The tryptophan has impregnated my veins requiring me to lay on the sofa only getting up to fetch more fuel. That turkey makes you thirsty right?

So this week, I simply say...when you can't run, Riesling. When you can't bike, Barbera. When you can't swim, Syrah and when you can't get up from the couch because your sauced...cheers us because that my friend, means you are truly "Fueled by Vivác"!

-Cheers from the Vivác Family
www.vivacwinery.com

Being Run Down

When training for a difficult race, be it a 5, or 10K,  half marathon or a full Marathon, it is inevitable to feel run down during the training. After the race there is let down and again the inevitable run down...many get ill as a result. Yet running is suppose to be good for you, you are supposedly building up your immune system. So where is the line?

Obviously it is personal, there isn't any set in stone guild. For me, my half marathon, quite literally, almost killed me. Running a full Marathon however was no problem, but Jess was run down and caught a terrible cold. Of course he then ran 53 miles and not only wasn't sore, he never got run down! He is obviously from another planet. Hmmm... I am now picturing that movie "The Astronaut's Wife"...I hope I don't have to zap Jesse with a toaster in a pool of water.

Back to subject...

So, then in turn how is it that work, stress and life in general can regularly run you down? It seems frustrating that if you don't run you can get run down, if you do run, THAT can run you down and if you live in Northern New Mexico, the cars most certainly will run you down.

I see no other choice than to stop doing all types of running, physical, mental, emotional and start drinking more wine. They say 2 glasses of wine a day keeps the Doctor away, so surely that is the cure to being run down. I might have to double that number just to be safe.

-Cheers from the Vivác Winery Family!
www.vivacwinery.com